http://www.lightstalkers.org/a-writers-life-resources An entire Lightstalkers thread via RSS/XML. en-us TOM HOWARD / JOHN H. REID POETRY CONTEST Sixth year. Fourteen cash prizes totaling $5,250. Top prize $2,000. Submit poems in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Winning entries published online. Entry fee is $6 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline September 30, 2008. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, ATTN: Tom Howard Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is pleased to be one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2008). www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITOR'S THOUGHTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters ===== BEFORE THE AMAZON JUNGLE Bet you thought my title referred to the online Amazon jungle, that bohemoth that seems to dominate everything literary. Actually, I just ran across an article in New Scientist Environment magazine (online) that states scientists have discovered the Amazon is not virgin after all. Six hundred years ago, the Amazon jungle area was urban. Yep. At one time, 50,000 people lived in 15 different communities in what is now monstrous trees, vines bigger than your waist, and wildlife that can carry you away for dinner. Apparently, when the Europeans arrived, the natives were killed or died from disease in such large numbers that the civilization of the time disappeared, and nature took over. Amazing how the foundation of what is standard in our lives can be shaken. It's like saying we can't begin a sentence with a conjunction, then seeing it in a Pulitzer-prize winning novel. Or it's like saying literary fiction is more cerebral than commercial genre fiction then falling in love with the beautiful language in a thriller novel. Changing the norm applies in the rest of our lives. Eggs are good; eggs are bad. Apple juice is good; apple juice is bad. Coffee hurts you; coffee helps you. We become comfortable with a habit, and over time it becomes the norm. Sometimes our norm seems rooted in granite, as old as the Amazon jungle. In reality, nothing is stable or set in stone. Most folks hear what is expected in the publishing and literary worlds, and then write to the expectation. Then there are those souls who decide to become the Amazon, planting the seeds for new, monstrous, phenomenal future alternatives in writing. Suddenly, one day their way becomes the establishment...the Amazon jungle, and nobody remembers how it used to be. Write what's important to you, but what seems the norm. The norm will be gone tomorrow. Hope http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com People are raving about the new look...and the new opportunities offered four-five days a week. ===== TOTAL FundsforWriters Love FundsforWriters newsletter? Wish you had more grants, contests and opportunities for your work? Does the regular newsletter not give you enough chances to stretch your writing muscles? Subscribe to TOTAL FundsforWriters. For $12/year, you receive 80+ grants, contests, markets, jobs and publisher/agent calls for submissions. That's a deal! Don't forget THE SHY WRITER. TOTAL comes with the paperback purchase. Or buy an ebook combo and get TOTAL for absolutely nothing. http://www.fundsforwriters.com/total.htm http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ebooks.htm http://www.fundsforwriters.com/shywriter.htm ===== 7th ANNUAL FUNDSFORWRITERS ESSAY CONTEST Sponsored by IdeaWeaver www.ideaweaversoftware.com FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator of writing and creativity software, announce the 7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest. THEME: "The Best Advice I Ever Had." As is the FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range from $10 to $200. Limit 750 words. Deadline October 31, 2008. www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm Questions to hope@fundsforwriters.com Also sponsored by: Shelley Lieber 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print www.shelleylieber.com/work1.htm and Original Impulse - Cynthia Morris Creativity & Life Coaching Resources for Writers www.originalimpulse.com ===== WRITER'S DIGEST'S TOP 101 BEST WRITING WEB SITES TAKING NOMINATIONS Writer's Digest is now accepting nominations for next year's list. Refer sites for 2009 by sending a nomination to: writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Websites" as the subject line. Hope FundsforWriters has aided you in some way in 2008 to prompt your nomination of us to this wonderful competition. Much thanks for your consideration. ~HOPE ~~~~~~****~~~~~~ WORDS OF SUCCESS Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, will be a fish. ~ Ovid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARTICLE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YOUR FINANCIAL HEAD By C. Hope Clark Whether you like it or not, you are an entrepreneur. If you earn a buck for your writing, if you have visions of earning a living for your stories, you are a business person. Keep that in mind when you leap from the day job. Remember you want to live off your words. That means you have to think about money. While we envision earning a full-time income from writing as the hard part of this equation, the more serious part is establishing some sense of financial security. Insurance - You put insurance on your car sooner than you insure yourself. Wow, think about that for a moment. Make sure you not only have health insurance, but life insurance as well. As someone self-employed, you might consider disability insurance. One accident and it's all over, even if you live to tell the tale since medical bills ain't cheap. Taxes - Just like church tithing, take a percentage off the top of each writing check and sock it away for your income taxes. Twenty to thirty percent is wise. Sure it hurts, but think about how hard it will hurt when your accountant says to mail your income tax forms in with a four figure check. Emergencies - Crap happens. Set aside six month's worth of living expenses for the next time it does. Retirement - Sure, you say. Who can afford a retirement fund? Talk to me in a few years when arthritis keeps you from meeting deadlines and you can't pay the bills. A retirement fund and health insurance are two very stern reasons to KEEP a day job, unless you are disciplined enough to pay for them as a freelancer. Pay off the Bills - I paid mine off before I took the leap into freelance-world, except for the mortgage. You don't write from the heart when the wolf bays at your door for payment. Create a Budget - The majority of people, much less freelance writers, fly by the seat of their pants through the month when it comes to paying the bills. They pay them as they come in, assuming they have the money. Know at the beginning of the month what you need to earn and for what as well as when. You note your calendar for writing deadlines, why not your bills? Estimate your income and project your needs. Don't make major purchases without knowing if they fit within the budget. Income Streams - Don't put all your eggs in one basket. That monthly column can stop overnight. A magazine can go belly-up and you not see it coming. Negotiate relationships with stable publications, then pitch to the others you hope to one day write for. Enter contests, teach classes, take in advertising and write for paying blogs. Learn that balance so that you have peace of mind to write the novel or that dream project you've always craved. Contingency Plan - What happens if a natural disaster strikes? What happens if you drop dead? Make sure you not only have a will, but a financial file listing all the accounts, passwords, contacts, income and expenses that need to be addressed. You don't want those monthly costs of web hosting, newsletter hosting, PayPal, or Writer's Market to carry on, eating up your residual funds. Let someone know how to deal with your affairs. Get your act together. It's not just about the writing if you're living off the dough. BIO C. Hope Clark keeps an address book of all online and FundsforWriters connections for her family...just in case. www.fundsforwriters.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMPETITIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20th ANNUAL MEMOIRS COMPETITION E-mail: WritersW@gmail.com http://www.twwoa.org --- $20 ENTRY FEE Deadline November 30, 2008. First place $350. Second place $250. Third place $150. Ten Honorable Mentions. Submit a memoir of 4,000 words or less. All work must be unpublished. Pages should be paper clipped, with your name, address, email, phone and title of work also on a cover sheet. Double-space, and use 12 point font. The entry fee is $20 per memoir, or $15 for Workshop members. Do not send via FedEx, certified mail, etc. ===== ESSENCE SHORT FICTION CONTEST http://www.essence.com/essence/books/ --- NO ENTRY FEE This contest is open only to legal residents of the United States and Washington, DC 18 years or older at the time of entry that have never had a work of fiction published in a major commercial book, or in a magazine with a circulation of more than 25,000. All stories submitted must be works of original fiction featuring an adult female of African descent as the main character. 2,500 words maximum. Entries must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2008 and received no later October 7, 2008. One First Prize Winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and publication of her or his contest entry in a winter 2009 issue of ESSENCE magazine. The submissions of the First, Second and Third Prize Winners as well as those of the Seven Honorable Mentions will be featured on ESSENCE.COM during the first quarter of 2009. ===== NEW RIVERS PRESS MVP COMPETITION http://www.newriverspress.com/ --- $20 ENTRY FEE To find new and emerging writers and advance their careers. (An emerging writer is one who has not published more than two books with a commercial, university, or national small press.) Submission period September 15 - November 1, 2008. The Poetry Prize is open to any U.S. citizen. Two additional prizes (one prose, one any genre) are open to legal residents of MN or New York City. The three winning titles will be published in Fall 2010 by New Rivers Press and distributed nationally through Consortium Book Sales and Distribution. Each winning author will receive $1,000 and a standard book contract. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GRANTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL - BETTER EDUCATION THROUGH THE ARTS GRANTS http://www.nevadaculture.org/docs/arts/programs/artsedu/aie%20grants/betagrant.htm --- Quarterly Better Education Through the Arts (BETA) Grants provide funding up to $750 in two categories: 1) Professional Development for Individuals and 2) Arts Education Small Projects Grants for Organizations and Individuals. BETA Arts Education Small Projects Grants for individuals and organizations may include, but are not limited to: art exhibitions, performances, readings and concerts; sponsoring of arts education workshops and conferences. Neither category allows for an individual to apply for a grant to present a project in his/her home. ===== LIVE LITERATURE FUNDING - SCOTLAND http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/node/3864 --- A national initiative to enable Scottish citizens to meet and engage with writers, playwrights, poets, storytellers and illustrators. Scottish Book Trust subsidises 1,200 LLF sessions a year in a range of organisations all over Scotland. Over 500 people are available to carry out events and projects - they are all listed on Scottish Book Trust's searchable Scottish Writers Database. You can also use any of the Storytellers on the Scottish Storytellers' Directory. Scottish Book Trust funds readings, workshops and residencies as well as new and imaginative ways of working with writers. Funding is for half of the author's fee plus their travel and expenses. Each author is paid £150 per session (generally lasting an hour). Successful applicants (host organisations) will pay £75 plus VAT per session. ===== AMERICAN SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION http://www.amscan.org --- The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers fellowships (up to $23,000) and grants (normally $5,000) to individuals to pursue research or study in one or more Scandinavian country for up to one year. Awards are made in all fields. Application requirements vary based on discipline. Applicants must: -Be United States citizens or permanent residents -Have completed their undergraduate education by the start of their ASF project -Have a well-defined research or study project that makes a stay in Scandinavia essential The ASF considers it desirable that all candidates have at least some ability in the language of the host country, even if it is not essential for the execution of the research plan. Projects should be planned to fall within the summer 2009 - summer 2010 period. The awards support project-related costs, including maintenance, trans-Atlantic round-trip travel, in- country travel, tuition and fees (where applicable) and materials expenditures (e.g., books, photocopying, art supplies). Deadline November 1, 2008. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREELANCE MARKETS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SYSTEM iNETWORK http://systeminetwork.com/writers-kit --- Our most valuable articles come from technical professionals who write from their own experiences. Through the network System iNEWS provides, these computing practitioners offer their fellow professionals field-tested techniques and practices that have helped them in their work. If you're a seasoned writer with many publication credits, great! But even if you've never written for publication before, your professional experience is a valuable resource; we can help you share it with our readers. We offer $0.25 per published word up to a maximum of $900 to authors who are writing for us for the first time. We offer $0.30 per published word up to a maximum of $1,000 to authors who have written for us before. We also pay $0.50 per line for executable code and $10 each for illustrations, diagrams, and figures other than screen captures. We offer a flat rate of $300 for utilities submitted without text. If the utilities include text, we pay $300 plus the $0.25 or $0.30 per-word rate. We pay $500 for guest viewpoints. ===== ED2GO http://www.ed2go.com/teach5.html http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newofferings.cgi?dept=PW --- Seeking writers willing to work with them in developing writing courses not already in the catalog. These are online college courses, but an education degree is not required. Must be able to contribute two hours per day to each course taught. ===== VERBATIM http://www.verbatimmag.com/writers.html --- VERBATIM is published for popular consumption. That does not mean that it does not publish articles on language that are scholarly, merely that it is not designed to appeal primarily to academicians (though many subscribe). VERBATIM publishes original articles dealing with any aspect of language. Payment is made at the time of publication, and ranges from $25 to $500, depending on length, wit, and other merit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JOBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONSUMER ELECTRONICS WRITER Location Phoenix, AZ http://www.komando.com/jobs/writer.asp --- The Kim Komando Show has numerous editorial products: books, four newsletters and newspaper columns. The person who fills this position will participate in researching, writing and editing these products. We also have a large Web site, which requires constant tending. The person who fills this position will occasionally help our Webmaster in maintaining the site. Knowledge of HTML would be helpful, along with graphics and Web experience. However, we can train, if necessary. Salary is $33,000 at entry level, or commensurate with experience. We write only about computers, the Internet and consumer digital equipment. If you are not interested in this area, you will burn out quickly. ===== WRITER-EDITOR Location Quantico, VA http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=75177205&aid=27015391-2788&WT.mc_n=MKT000125 --- Deadline September 10, 2008. Employing Agency: US Marine Corps. The incumbent provides editorial support to the Enlisted Professional Military Education/Training Branch. Edits all written text materials, such material may include printed text, lesson plans, course cards, programmed instructional texts, historical case studies, graphic presentations, point papers, electronic and/or web based publications, and official correspondence in order to provide clear and coherent text to the intended educational audience. ===== WRITER-EDITOR Location Albuquerque [including Kirtland AFB], NM http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=75239652&aid=27015391-2988&WT.mc_n=MKT000125 --- Deadline September 18, 2008. Employing Agency: Bureau of Reclamation. Requests input from AAO issue paper authors for their monthly papers, performs the initial edit or rewrite of those papers including grammar and format changes, and submits to Public Affairs Specialist for final review. Compiles information, edits quarterly reports, and provides web site maintenance for the Collaborative Program Manager. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLISHERS/AGENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STRAUS LITERARY AGENCY http://www.strausliterary.com --- Represents fiction, mystery, biography, history, travel, lifestyle, cookbooks, African-American, historical fiction, memoir, current events, politics, humor, literary fiction, multi-cultural, translations. ===== BAKER'S MARK LITERARY AGENCY http://www.bakersmark.com --- Represents general fiction, mystery, juvenile fiction, reference, biography, business/investing/finance, history, health, lifestyle, sports, African-American, graphic novels, comics, supernatural-based thrillers and mysteries. ===== HARVEY KLINGER INC. http://www.harveyklinger.com --- Represents general fiction, mystery, romance, fantasy/ science fiction, juvenile fiction, reference, biography, business/investing/finance, history, religious, mind/body/ spirit, health, travel, lifestyle, cookbooks, children's books, sports, Afircan-American, science. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPONSORS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7th ANNUAL FLORIDA WRITERS CONFERENCE http://www.floridawriters.net The Seventh Annual Florida Writers Conference is packed with opportunities for you to hone your craft and network with the people who shape the publishing industry. Friday afternoon is no exception. FRIDAY AFTERNOON, CHOOSE TWO OF THESE WORKSHOPS: Write a summary that makes editors salivate Develop your publicity 'hook' Jumpstart your publishing dreams Think like an agent Learn eight little-known, no-cost secrets to book marketing Flex your metaphor muscles Discover Internet gold AFTERNOON HIGHLIGHT: Here's one workshop where you can ask the questions you've always wanted to ask. Our panel of agents and publishers will tell you what really goes on in the world of publishing today--and what it takes not only to get your work published but also to get it sold to the public. You'll choose from among 33 workshops presented by this year's faculty of 24 of the industry's experts. You'll also network, network, network. Other activities: Friday's Welcome Dinner & open mike Saturday's Banquet: keynote speaker Eliot Kleinberg and awards presentation Sunday's finale: keynote speaker Hope Clark A chance to bid for more than 86 Silent Auction items to promote literacy A chance to win from among more than 60 door prizes valued to $300 http://www.floridawriters.net Register online! Book private one-on-one interviews. Or, do it all by mail--your choice. Registration is $279 before September 30 ($299 after that) and includes all meals Friday morning through noon Sunday. Interviews range from $30 to $40, depending on your selection. Special hotel rate: $115/night with free high-speed Internet for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. ===== WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - Download a free list of writing markets if you subscribe this week. Our database has almost 2,000 writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia. http://www.worldwidefreelance.com ===== Advertise with FundsforWriters !!! Advertise with FFW Small Markets! ADS FOR $9 AND UP! $ 9 - one week in FFW Small Markets $30 - four weeks in FFW Small Markets $20 - one week in FundsforWriters $60 - four weeks in FundsforWriters $25 - one week in both FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets $75 - four weeks in FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:15:24 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/a-writers-life-resources THANK YOU SHERYL!!! B Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:15:24 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/a-writers-life-resources#128929