My favorite writing-related websites
- Books and Such Literary Agency This is where I work. We publish a blog every day usually discussing aspects of the publishing world. An excellent resource for beginning and advanced writers, particularly if you are curious about the rapidly changing publishing world. The actual blog is here.
- Jamie Chavez, Editor Jamie is a developmental editor and has worked on all my projects. She, too, publishes a blog about the publishing industry, as well as comments about reading and writing in general, three times a week. You can read her blog here.
- Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent In addition to working with us at Books & Such, Rachelle Gardner writes her own fascinating blog about the publishing life and has become an icon in the industry.
Other websites of interest:
- Shatzkin Files For a more thorough examination of the business end based on his 50 years in the industry, Mike Shatzkin provides a detailed look at the changing publishing world. He’s always talking about Amazon and ebooks, for example, and how they’ve changed the landscape for good.
- Mixtus Media Good discussions and advice for working with social media.
- Jane Friedman Always great insight on the mechanics of the publishing life.
- ACFW American Christian Fiction Writers is an excellent organization for those interested in learning to write, particularly for the Christian market. They feature on-line classes, mentoring opportunities, local chapters, and run the Genesis contest as well as a formidable convention every September.
My Thoughts on the Writing Process from the Books & Such Literary Agent Blog
Queries from the Agent’s Point of View
What Makes a Good Fiction Query?
What Makes a Good Nonfiction Query?
How to Write a Query that Gets Noticed
Five Reasons Really Great Queries Get Rejected
Preparing Proposals: the Comparison Section
What Should be on a Writer’s Reading List?
Helpful Books for the Writing Process
Increasing Your Verbal Dexterity in Three Easy Ways
Four Basic Steps for Research
The Value of a Word Census
Writing a Book? It’s All in the Numbers
Five Places Writers Find Ideas
Five Reasons to Use Fiction in Research
How to Make the Most of a Conference Without Talking to Anybody Important
How to Keep Up With What Readers Want Without Going Daffy
How to Become Business Savvy Without Losing Your Creative Soul
Research: Poking and Prying with a Purpose
Research: Google as a Tool
Research: Libraries–Electronic and Otherwise
Research: Ipads, Cell Phones and Digital Cameras
Research: Am I Done Yet?
Cultivating a Writer’s Eye
4 Steps to Writing a Novella
Count the Costs Before Writing a Project
Writing Contests and Timing
#Am Writing? A Day in the Life of a Writer
Discouragement and the Writer
Writer’s Summer OR a Ministry of Interruption?
Summer Tips: What’s a Writer to Do?
Envy and the Writer
How DOES a Writer Write so Fast?
Plotting to Save Writing Time
Pre-Market Writing: Outside the House
Pre-Marketing Writing: Inside the House
Prompts and Writing
What can a Novelist Learn from Non-Fiction
What Does a Fiction Writer Blog About?
3 Steps for Making Copy Edits Less Dramatic
A Manuscript’s Finishing Touches
Unusual Places for Plotting Ideas
Let’s Talk about Author Websites
I’ve also written about writing on this blog site:
Living (and Writing) Backwards
Four Tips to Start Rewriting a Novel
Writing a Novel Out of Order Five Reasons It Can Help
Novel Writing Ideas from the Pew Rack
Personal Issues and Writing Exercises
Adventures in Novel Writing
Travel Guides and Writing Historical Fiction
Writing a Novel: Call the Vet!
The Skullduggery Involved in Writing about Navy SEALS
Tips for Writing an Authentic Christmas Letter
Writing, Genealogy and Serendipity
Five Steps in Writing Research: Recognizing when Enough is Enough!
Just Another Writing Birthday
Writing and Gardening
Writing for the Harried Reader
Writing Done by Real People?
Writing Historical Fiction with a Family Flair
On Writing: Getting a Novella out of Real Life
Goodbye to the Book and its Characters
What’s in a Name?
Pruning Words and Other Rewriting Joys
Recasting the Middle
Killing My Darlings
Four Tips for Working with a Professional
Total Joy! The Rewrite!
The Value of a Prompt
Real Life and Point of View
Research Rabbit Trails
The Joy of Starting a Novel
Adrenalin High: Finishing a Novel
Blood Flow and Catching a Novel’s Scene
Needing to Trust What You Know
Historical Novels as a Research Tool
Pinterest and the Hunt for Research Information
So What if the Author Gets the Facts Wrong?
Cultural Sensitivity in Fiction
The Drama of Primary Source Material
Crafting a Novella in Four Easy Steps!
A Two-Book Launch Summer: The Bittersweet Humility of a Published Book
Using Genealogy to Write a Novel
How do You Decide Which Story to Write?
Finishing a Novel: Take a Break
Six Keys to Writing Christian Devotionals