ONLINE RESOURCES
Learning never stops. In that spirit, we've hand picked a list of resources aimed to help writers improve and promote their writing. Come back and visit often. The list is always growing.
The Craft of Writing
Jack Massa's Backstory Presentation: This handout from author/member Jack Massa's June 5, 2018 presentation illustrates how to tactfully incorporate backstory into your narrative.
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Bill's Style Sheets: Member Bill Carrigan offers his aggregated guide to style, which addresses punctuation, grammar, and techniques. An indispensable guide as you write and edit.
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Fiction Factor: Tips on writing better fiction, articles on improving your writing, how to write a novel and get stories published, promoting and marketing your fiction and much more!
The Editorial Department: A full array of critique, editorial and promotional services headed up by Renni Browne, co-author of Self-Publishing for Fiction Writers. More reasonably priced than many editorial services and providers of highly insightful analyses of your work.
Write and Publish Fiction: This site has an extensive list of topics for the fiction writer. Included are tips on writing query letters, writing your bio, ghost writing, how to copyright your work and more.
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Writer's Digest: Everything from awards and contest to writing prompts to author interviews.
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Punctuation Bootcamp: A refresher course on using different types of punctuation.
Publishing and Promotion
GoodReads Author Program: Generate buzz about your book on a website that caters to anyone seeking book information. Used by book clubs, librarians, other authors, and readers to discuss and promote good reads.
Publishers Weekly: This offers a number of free newsletters about the industry.
Agent Query: The web's most extensive directory of literary agents, how to query them, and their guidelines.
The Author's Guild: The Author's Guild has been the nation's leading advocate for writers' interests in effective copyright protection, fair contracts, and free expression since it was founded as the Author's League of America in 1912. It provides legal assistance and a broad range of web services to its members.
Duotrope's Digest: A free writers' resource listing over 2825 current Fiction and Poetry publications. Use this page to search for markets that may make a fine home for the piece you just polished.
Publishers Lunch: For the "deluxe" version of this newsletter, you have to be a member of Publishers Marketplace, but the free version provides plenty of news and links.
Powell's Books Online Store: Combines the stock of their brick-and-mortar Portland, Oregon-area stores with several warehouses. They are a diverse bookseller taking pride in their unique inventory, and they are a maverick in the industry. Small press publishers and self-published authors welcome.
Preditors and Editors: A complete guide to publishers and writing services for serious writers. Listings feature warnings and recommendations. A most helpful site.
Shawguides: The best way to pump up the selling power of your books is through a workshop or conference. Shawguides provides a complete database of these from around the country.
Shelf Awareness: A free email newsletter for booksellers. Although it is focused mainly on the perspective of the bookstore, there is some fascinating insider news you can pick up here. Most notable is the list of events, which includes links to all the fairs visited by bookstore buyers and the public alike. These websites will include information for authors seeking to participate as exhibitors.
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WeBook: Submit the first page of your writing for maximum exposure.
Association of Independent Authors: A fledgling organization created to provide networking and the combined voice of the independently published author in the publishing world.