Resources for Writers
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 I'll be adding to this page from time to time. If you have any suggestions for resources to include, I'd love to hear them. Let me know!
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The Book Biz
  • The Business of Being a Writer, by Jane Friedman. Learn about the industry, including major publishers and smaller independent presses; different kinds of books, such as “literary” or “commercial”; different audiences; agents; and more. The companion website includes additional resources, such as sample query letters.
  • Literary Market Place: The Directory of the American Book Publishing Industry, also known as LMP, is an extensive guide to U.S. book publishing, listing agents, publishers, distributors, and more. The online directory is especially helpful for searching for agents. You should also be able to find the hard-copy version of LMP in most libraries.
  • Duotrope offers up-to-date information to help you find publishers and agents.
  • QueryTracker (free) allows writers to search for agents and also "organize and track" their queries.
  • Association of American Literary Agents is a professional organization for literary agents, offering writers a searchable roster of agents and a canon of ethics, which clarifies what agents can, and can't, offer writers.
  • NewPages (free) is a resource offering information about places to publish, including literary magazines and indie publishers, as well as news, contests, and a list of bookstores. If you're looking for information on publishers interested in literary fiction, NewPages is a great resource.
  • “Agents & Editors Recommend” is a Poets & Writers offering in which “publishing professionals ... share advice, anecdotes, insights, and suggestions …”
  • The Authors Guild: While advocating for free speech, copyright, and fair compensation for writers, the Authors Guild also reviews book contracts for its members, provides web services, and is a source of helpful information.
  • AWP, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, offers many services to its members, including The Writer's Calendar of publishing opportunities and The Writer's Chronicle, a magazine of news, articles, and information. If you're looking for serious articles about craft, you need to know about The Writer's Chronicle.
  • Book Launch Checklist, by Tim Grahl. This is an exhaustive list of how to launch a book — but note that Grahl recommends reading the entire article and removing steps that don’t apply to your particular book project. So this helpful checklist is very customizable.
Craft
This section is very much a work in progress. What I want to offer here are serious books about writing, not “get rich quick” kinds of “advice.”
  • Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, by Janet Burroway. (Many of my colleagues prefer the older, 8th edition.) The Burroway book is a highly recommended introduction to fiction writing and is often used in creative writing classes.
  • Meander, Spiral, Explode, by Jane Allison. Allison explores nonlinear approaches to plot, especially plots that follow the patterns of nature.
  • Graywolf Press “The Art of” Series: You can’t go wrong with any of “The Art of” series, edited by Charles Baxter. As the publisher’s description notes, these books "are not strictly manuals, but serve readers and writers by illuminating aspects of the craft of writing that people think they already know but don't really know.” Here are some titles on fiction:
          ~ The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot, by Charles Baxter
          ~ The Art of Intimacy: The Space Between, by Stacey D'Erasmo
          ~ The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story, by Christopher Castellani
          ~ The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long as It Takes, by Joan Silber
Hiring an Editor General Inspiration and Interesting Stuff
  • Literary Hub offers interviews with writers, advice on craft, book recommendations, and more.
  • Seth's Blog, by Seth Godin, author and entrepreneur. I was an immediate fan when I heard Godin say in an interview that the top two things that marketers need to learn to be successful are "humility and empathy."
  • Electric Speed, by Jane Friedman, is a free newsletter that gives terrific advice on tools and resources for writers and freelancers. You can subscribe to the daily blog or get a weekly digest.
Contact me — I'd love to hear from you!