By Natalie Watkins
Do you feel as though the writing life comes with a vow of poverty? Does it seem like a lifetime supply of Top Ramen should come with a subscription to Writer’s Digest? For many scribes, it can sometimes feel this way, however, do not despair! There are resources out there to help defray some of the costs of the writing life for writers with disabilities. Here are five funding resources for writers from diverse backgrounds:
Funding Source 1: The Speculative Literature Foundation
The Speculative Literature Foundation offers a $500 diverse writers grant as well as a $500 diverse worlds grant.
Funding Source 2: Horror Scholarships
Are you the next Stephen King or Carmen Maria Machado? Perhaps you can enhance your budget or cover the cost for that next writing master class with a scholarship for horror writers. Follow this link for more info: http://horrorscholarships.com/diversity-grants/
Funding Source 3: Disability Visibility Project
Are you already a published author looking for more visibility for your book? This can be a real challenge in the time of the pandemic, but there is help out there. Check out the Disability Visibility Project to learn more about the help they offer to writers who are published and identify as disabled.
Funding Source 4: The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation offers sizable grants to makers from all disciplines who identify as having a disability. Their first group of recipients included six writers.
Funding Source 5: Blogging
So, what if you have applied for grants and are still finding yourself strapped for cash? Consider blogging to support your passion projects. Perhaps, writing profiles on disability advocates may pique your interest. Or, maybe you are drawn to reviewing apps. Just about every website is hungry for fresh content, and many organizations are regularly looking for contributors. You may have to offer your first or second post for free to a nonprofit, but once you have two to three links to recent work, you can start charging for your services.
It’s recommended to create a blogging price list to share with potential customers. Some bloggers get paid per word, while others earn per post. Bloggers who are able to write about specific fields, such as tech or medicine, can charge a lot more. Be sure to research blogger rates within the industry you are looking to write in.
Most writers with disabilities supplement their incomes with a combination of grants, scholarships, and freelance work. Each revenue stream will fluctuate from one month to the next, and it’s important to keep a growing list of funding sources. If there is a funding resource you feel should be on this list, please reach out to us via our contact form. Happy writing!
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