Finding Freelance Writing Jobs

My friend Jenny recently posted this video in her blog, and I think it’s worth sharing here.

This video brought about an “Ah yes, of course!” moment for me. The tips are really commonsense, yet I’d never used them before. I’d been spinning my wheels with phrases like, “writing jobs,” and “freelance writing jobs,” which typically brings up a lot of questionable websites promising big bucks for little effort. Rob’s site, DailyWritingJobs, is similar in tone, but if this video is any indication, he probably does have some good information.

The video is a lot longer than it needs to be, so you won’t miss much if you cut out early. And I couldn’t help but cringe at the reference to “parentheses” when he’s using quotation marks. Where’s a good editor when you need one?

How to Cheat During NaPoWriMo

After confessing that I was stressing about a poem a day, a friend left a comment with this site that would allow NaPoWriMo cheating, if one does so desire. Here’s the poem I got:

A mountainous range stood before the cold Little Red Riding Hood
Scoff not at my vile remarks elastic fiend
Crushed by the evil eyelash he laughs at the feeble beagle.
Stars filled her mind–it was if sea slugs were creaming her head.
All were in a circle of juggling horns of death–stiff and satiny,
Pools remain from the violet killer whale
How easily did the dream come apart, like Indian summer in one’s stomach
She tossed and turned, her delighted leg flapping uselessly,
So deal not with this once thy glorious surfer chick.

I’m going to try writing a series of real Little Red Riding Hood poems in hopes of generating something for this call for submissions.

WritingFix Saves the Day

It’s just a few days before Christmas, and I’ve discovered a new writing toy. Check out this nifty prompt generator for those days when inspiration just won’t come. I don’t love it quite as much as write or die, but it’s still a good tool to have at your disposal for the dreaded writers’ block.

Weekend Writing Opportunity

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (ha! does anyone have free time at this time of year?), these two poetry contests should keep you busy–they both have deadlines next week, but if you have a pretty collection ready to go, they could definitely be worthwhile.

#1: Gival Press Poetry Award

Deadline is December 15th, 2008

fee: $20

prize $1000

Theme: Completely open.

Eligible Poets: Open to all, national and international poets.

Language: English.

Forms or Style of Poetry: Original work, not a translation of someone else’s poetry. Open to any form or style; simply good poetry.

Length of Manuscript: At least 45 typed pages of poetry, on one side only.

Status of the Winning Manuscript: The manuscript as a whole shall not have been published before. However, include an acknowledgment sheet to indicate any previously published poems in the collection (poem/journal/date). It is the responsibility of the poet to secure the right to publish previously published poems.

Format for Submission: Include a separate cover sheet with name, title of manuscript, address (street, city, state, electronic mail), and phone number. The poet’s name should not appear on the pages of the ms. The numbered pages should be clipped together.

If the manuscript wins, the poet must make the manuscript available to Gival Press on an IBM-compatible disk or CD in Rich Text Format (RTF)—this refers to how one saves the document on one’s computer disk. A short bio should be included.

Always keep a copy of your manuscript; materials will not be returned and will be recycled after the judging.
#2: Crazy Horse Lynda Hull Memorial Prize

Deadline is December 16th, 2008

fee: $16

size: 3-5 poems

prize: $2000

Crazyhorse publishes the entire spectrum of today’s fiction, essays, and poetry—from the mainstream to the avant-garde, from the established to the undiscovered writer. Each year Crazyhorse offers the Crazyhorse Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize for a single poem. The competition is open, the prize awards are currently $2000 and the winning piece of poetry is published in Crazyhorse.

More than one manuscript may be entered. For each poetry manuscript entered, please include the following reading fee, which includes a one-year/two-issue subscription to Crazyhorse: $16 per manuscript for new entrants, $14 per manuscript if you have entered the Crazyhorse prizes before. For each additional poem entered and entry fee paid, your subscription to Crazyhorse will extend by one year/two issues.

Please mail manuscripts and entry fee payment by Dec. 16, 2008. Each entry should have a cover page placed on the top of the manuscript with the entrant’s name, address, e-mail, and telephone number; please do not include identifying information on the manuscript itself, as all manuscript entries are made anonymous for review.

Include reading fee payment with each entry: a check written out to “Crazyhorse.”

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for notification of winners; entry manuscripts can not be returned; receipt of entry can only be confirmed by including a self-addressed stamped postcard with your entry or by USPS delivery confirmation.

(I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that these opportunities were brought to my attention via Wordhustler, one of the best resources for writers on the web.)

Weekend Writing Opportunity

I apologize for missing a post yesterday; I was on the road and found my internet connection at my destination a little sketchy. Since I’m often out of town on weekends, I’m going to post writing and publishing opportunities every weekend. You can spend all that time you would have spent on my blog ; ) getting something ready for a publisher, contest, or grant.

I received a comment on Write for Your Rights about Publish a Letter, so I went to check it out. This site is too cool to leave buried in the comments. In fact, when I wrote Write for Your Rights, I was looking for a good resource to include, and this fits the bill perfectly. Publish a Letter is a website where you can write letters to the editor, then send them directly from the site. The site has a newspaper listing that you can select based on your criteria (state, city, etc.). AND whether your letter gets printed or not, you can post it on the site for comments and discussion. Either way, your letter has a better chance of inspiring dialog, thought, and even change than it ever had just rattling around in your head.