WritingSucks

Make Yourself Cringe

I've been reading Sarah Brown's blog for awhile now, and have always been fascinated by Cringe--the monthly reading she started--where people get together and read from one of their old diaries or journals. Basically, standing in front of a bar full of people and embarressing yourself, in a good way. It's been called "the funniest night out in New York" by Spin magazine, and now there is going to be a book! And the book is taking submissions!

I knew there was a reason I kept Hello Kitty diaries all those years. I'm going to head over to my mom's house at lunch and dig through them, and spend some time reminiscing about my undying love for poor, tragic River Phoenix...

Submit to Cringe

Stuff To Look At Today

This is my big week to write. Today is Wednesday...it might be good to start. Here's my list of markets to go through today. Maybe you'll see something you like:

OKLAHOMA TODAY MAGAZINE
Stories, essays, columns, etc. focus on Oklahoma's people
and places. We strive to give our readers a sense of what
Oklahoma is all about. Rates start at $25 to $50 for shorter
pieces, $75 and up for department and feature stories, and
$300 and up for major profiles or stories.

RELOCATING TO THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Relocation guide. Needs travel, history and ideas
affiliated with the area. Pays in the mid-range.

THE PARIS REVIEW
Pays up to $1,000 for fiction.

GIRAFFE PUBLICATIONS
Giraffe Publications specializes in humor/comedy, action
and science fiction. We look for action driven stories
that stand out from what the larger publication companies
traditionally look for.

THE MISSOURI REVIEW
All fiction manuscripts should be double-spaced. While
there are no length restrictions, novella-length manuscripts
(i.e., 30,000 words or more) or "flash fiction" manuscripts
(i.e., 2,000 words or less) must be truly exceptional to be
published. We recommend writers familiarize themselves with
fiction from previous issues before submitting. Essays -
There are no restrictions on length or topic, but we suggest
that writers familiarize themselves with nonfiction from
previous issues. Queries are welcome. Excerpts from book-
length nonfiction manuscripts will be considered, but must
be able to stand alone. Pays $30/printed page up to around
$750.

THREE PENNY REVIEW
At present The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story
or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. In addition,
each writer gets a year’s free subscription. A literary
review that adores opinion.

NICKELODEON WRITING FELLOWSHIP
No previous writing experience is necessary.  You must be 18
years or older to participate.  Domestic applicants only.
All candidates must complete the application package that
includes two copies of a spec script, a one-page resume, a
half-page biography, a completed application form, and a
submission release that will allow us to read your material.
For consideration in the '06 - '07 fellowship, materials must
be submitted together between January 2, 2007 and February 28,
2007. Appropriate live action spec scripts include a half-hour
television script based on a current television series.
Appropriate animation spec scripts include an eleven or thirty
minute script based on a current animated television series.
The Fellowship provides a salaried position for up to one year
and offers hands-on experience writing spec scripts, pitching
story ideas, attending storyboard pitches and table reads, in
both live action and animation television.

Get Your Slogan On

Ephemera Buttons
CURRENT NEEDS: "Since 1980, we've been producing Novelty Buttons, Magnets, and Stickers. You'll find our stuff in many cutting edge card and gift shops, bookstores, music stores, gay and left wing shops, adult stores, etc. We're looking for satirical slogans about pop culture, politics and the president, job attitudes, women's & men's issues, coffee, booze, pot, drugs, religion, food, aging, teens, gays & lesbians, sexual come-ons & put-downs." Pays $50 per slogan.

From FundsforWriters

Pulled from Hope's FundsforWriters....

It's time for the annual FundsforWriters essay contest.
Once again, we have an entry fee and no entry fee category.
This time we have four topics for you to choose from!
What contest gives you so many choices to write about what
makes you happy? Deadline October 31, 2006. Two first place
prizes of $150 and $50.

BROWN FICTION WRITING COMPETITION
NO ENTRY FEE
The Foundation is pleased to announce a Fiction Writing
Competition for the Foundation’s 2006 writing grants.  All
works must present the gay and lesbian lifestyle in a positive
manner and be based on, or directly inspired by, a historic
person, culture, work of art, or event.  You may think your
affair with the dancer from the Russian ballet was historic,
but it doesn’t count.  One work per author, please. All works
(novel, novella or a collection of related short stories)
submitted must be unpublished, original, and in English. 
Adaptations or translations of other works of fiction are not
acceptable.  Fiction works selected by the judges will be
announced in April 2007 at the Annual Lambda Literary Awards
Dinner and will receive a cash award of $1,000 (not limited
to a single winner). All submissions must be postmarked by
midnight November 30, 2006.

BELLY DUJOUR
The definitive source for all-around eating enthusiasts.
Articles need be informative, witty, and approximately two
hundred (200) words, reflecting our belief that all content
should be short and savory. We pay $100 per piece (roughly
50 cents/ word) except on the rare occasion where a
substantially smaller or larger word count is deemed necessary
from the outset. Interested parties are asked to send previous
writing samples and a clear and concise pitch for a story idea.

Paying Numbers

9-1-1 MAGAZINE
http://www.9-1-1magazine.com/information/index.asp

360 Magazine
http://www.360mag.com/submissions.cfm

5280
http://www.5280.com/about_guidelines.php

Thanks to Writer's Success newsletter for these listings.

Her Circle Ezine

Her Circle Ezine
"Exploring the Feminine Experience in the World Community
Call for Submissions: Social, Cultural, and Political Inspired Literature by Women

Storytelling is an integral part of the human experience. Even before there was a written language, people told stories as a means of preserving the ideals and events important to their time. Throughout history, limits imposed by culture, status, access to education, and censorship have caused the stories of women to remain largely untold.

Her Circle Ezine is dedicated to exploring the feminine experience in the world community. Through thoughtful and intelligent works of writing and visual artistry, women from around the globe contribute to the ongoing discussion about the multiplicity of women's realities and the myriad forces that shape our lives.

We are currently accepting submissions for the Fall 2006 issue. Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2006. For further information, including complete submission guidelines, please visit us online at www.hercircleezine.com."

Freelance Markets and Book Proposals

A new freelance market...

BeE WOMAN
BeE is a dynamic new woman’s magazine for active,
hardworking, educated women—either at home or in the
office—between the ages of 25–54. BeE is the first
woman’s magazine devoted to personal finance, politics
and lifestyle. It conveys what so many women are:
enlightened, empowered, engaged, inspired, and striving
for financial independence. Pays up to 74 cents/word.

I'm working on a book proposal for "the novel." I bought this book: How To Write A Book Proposal. It suggests that your proposal be 20-30 pages. This seems like a little much...Anybody have any experience or suggestions?

Google gave me these results:

Anatomy of a Book Proposal

How to Submit a Book Proposal

Example of a Proposal

Make Me Laugh

Or try and make the reader's of these two magazines laugh:

Reader's Digest

Mad Magazine

Clean Living

After yesterday's erotica it is time for a couple of good, wholesome freelance markets. And to the left, a wholesome picture of Madonna.

DELICIOUS LIVING
Delicious Living is the leading consumer magazine in the natural products industry. It is carried by more than 1,300 top natural products stores and is read by more than one million readers each month. Accepts queries via email but will not read attached clips or samples. Pays up to $700 for
features and $500 for columns.

WHOLE LIFE TIMES
Whole Life Times (WLT) offers readers viable alternatives for living healthy, conscious and satisfying lives, and for creating a sustainable society. Pays $25 to $700.

One for the Kiddies

Well, Typepad seems to have eaten my post from yesterday....So no Thursday's Google for anyone. I Googled Writingsucks in Google Blogs. It was there. Exciting. It would be nice to actually remember everything I listed yesterday--but I don't--so here is the ONE thing I do remember:

Stone Soup Magazine
"Stories by children about real life experience. We do not publish any writing or art by adults." Pays flat fee $40 for 2500 words maximum. Submit complete ms by mail with SASE. "The editors only respond to work they can use. No response means the work cannot be used. No email submissions allowed.

In other news...Live year round at Disney World, find yourself an Orlando Real Estate Agent.