Well-Fed Self-Publisher

  • www.bookmarket.com – John Kremer’s great site for book marketers. Lots of free resources, “Top 101” lists, and signup info for John’s Book Marketing Tip of the Week

  • ww.publishingbasics.com – Ron Pramschufer’s very cool site for publishers. Lots of resources and an excellent podcast section.

  • www.parapub.com – Dan Poynter’s (THE grandfather of self-publishing) great site, chockfull of info and resources.

  • www.publishinggame.com – Fern Reiss (author of The Publishing Game series) has put together a great site for authors seeking info on both conventional and independent publishing.

  • www.selfpublishingresources.com – Tom and Marilyn Ross’s (authors and SPAN founders) site, offering a bunch of free resources, services, and more. 
     
  • www.publishingcentral.com – another great site with tons of free articles, resource listings, and info on producing book related products (CDs, ebooks, ezines, etc.).

  • www.bookmarketingworks.com – Put together by sales pro Brian Jud, with an emphasis on selling books through non-traditional outlets. 

  • www.yudkin.com – Published! and Creative Marketing Solutions, both by 25-year veteran freelancer and marketing pro Marcia Yudkin, offer dozens of useful articles on making a living as a writer and getting published. Subscribe to her Marketing Minute at www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm.

  • www.writermag.com – The Writer, one of the world’s leading pubs for writers.

  • www.amarketingexpert.com - Penny Sansevieri’s great site with a focus on “Powerful Book Promotion Made Easy.”

  • www.combinedbook.com – The Combined Book Exhibit is an exhibit and promotional service for publishers, allowing you to display your books at a host of state, regional, national and international book shows.

  • www.freelancesuccess.com - The ultimate resource for established professional non-fiction writers. Newsletter, classifieds, classes, bookstore, writers forums, and much more.  

  • www.selfpublishing.com - The Home Depot for the self-publisher. Printing is bought in bulk and resold to the self-publisher at prices normally reserved for major publishers. Writers Digest Top 101 sites for writers. Over 105 million books in print.

  • ww.dobkin.com – the website for “Marketing Master” Jeffrey Dobkin, author of How To Market a Product for Under $500 and Uncommon Marketing Techniques. A bunch of excellent (and free) articles on various aspects of the marketing process.

  • www.abraham.com – actionable strategies from marketing guru Jay Abraham to “grow your business beyond anything you ever expected or even hoped.”

  • www.cargillsells.com – Gill Cargill, a top sales training professional, and according to one reader, “a fabulous resource for anyone who needs to market his or her business.”

  • bartleby.com/141/ – the perennial classic, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. (now it’s free online!)

  • dictionary.reference.com – home of Dictionary.com

  • www.writerbeware.com – Who’d have guessed that the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s web site would keep a current database of over 600 agents, publishers, and independent editors who’ve earned black marks.

  • www.brainyquote.com – Excellent source for a good pithy quote from a famous notable, past or present; often just the ticket to spice up a book passage or article. Also see  www.quotationspage.com.

  • www.idiomsite.com – the meanings and origins of zillions of common expressions such as “Doubting Thomas,” “Chip on his shoulder,” “Close but no cigar,” etc.

  • www.prb.org – Population Reference Bureau: for all those obscure – but perhaps necessary for your research – people and population stats. For similar info, also check out www.census.gov.

  • www.authorsmarket.net – Interesting site for authors trying to sort through their various options; good ideas and straight-up honesty.

  • www.useit.com – Jakob Neilsen is a guru in the field of web usability. Go to www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ for links to numerous articles, books, and guides.

  • www.gerrymcgovern.com – Gerry McGovern, web content guru.

  • www.writing.com - One of Writer’s Digest’s 101 “Best Websites For Writers, 2005.” Online community for writers of all ages, interests and skill levels. Create a free portfolio and exchange feedback with thousands of writers within our community.

  • www.burningvoid.com - Book reviews, almost-daily exercises, an extensive link directory, and articles of all kinds for writers. In particular, see our articles on the psychology of writing.

  • aboutfreelancewriting.com - Twice weekly freelance job postings, articles about how to be a successful freelancer, book reviews, forum, ecourses, newsletter, etc.

  • www.freebird-zine.com - Freebird, the freelance commercial writer's and graphic designer's guide to developing self-marketing expertise and building a client base. Click link for past and current issues.

  • freelancewrite.about.com - For Freelance Writers at About.com - Comprehensive resource for freelance writers - twice-weekly job postings, original articles, active forum, free e-courses, newsletters and more.

  • www.writingformoney.com - The Internet newsletter that shows you how to make money and live a great life as a freelance writer.

  • www.writingfordollars.com - find current markets that pay; how to market what you write and earn more; tips for entering high paying markets; and interviews with successful writing professionals.

  • www.writersweekly.com - The FREE Marketing E-mag for Writers, published by freelance writing maven Angela Adair-Hoy. To subscribe, send any e-mail to: writemarkets-subscribe@onelist.com

  • Writing-World.com (formerly Inkspot.com) - The Writer's Resource - One of THE premier and most respected sites for writers of all levels of experience - includes articles, links, resources, and networking.

  • www.whitepapersource.com - WhitePaperSource is the first and only independent web site dedicated to all things white papers. Specializing in educational content on writing and marketing white papers, WhitePaperSource is the source for white paper advertising and syndication reviews and writing techniques.

  • Writer's Digest magazine - www.writersdigest.com - the world's leading magazine for writers. Each monthly issue is filled with expert instruction, inspiration, and information on every aspect of the writing life - from how to target manuscripts and captivate editors, to effectively overcome writer's block and negotiate fees.

  • www.writedirections.com - Moving writers in the right direction with classes, how-to articles, writing resources, coaching/consulting and free newsletters loaded with tips, tool, and leads!

  • www.writerswrite.com - The Write Resource. Your one-stop resource for information about books, writing and publishing. Includes jobs and markets for writers, writer chat rooms, extensive writing resources, search tools, and information-packed Internet Writing Journal.

  • www.Girlfriendbooks.com - Books we know you'll love!

  • www.WritersNotes.com - the home for Writers Notes Magazine, the international publication of contemporary stories, essays, interviews, poetry, and visual arts. Free news, information, and resources for curious readers and writers. WNM hosts an annual award for fiction and nonfiction.

  • www.compulsivereader.com - A haven for book lovers. Reviews of books by some of the hottest writers working today, exclusive author interviews, literary news and criticism, book giveaways and much more.

  • www.writingediting.co.uk - Content Is King – Writing and Editing Online. Website supporting the guide book for marketers, copywriters and editors.

  • Wordstomouth.com -  Words To Mouth ~ Where readers meet authors beyond the printed page. Discover new and seasoned authors and the books they write. Plus, have the chance to win FREE books.

  • www.BookLoons.com - Adds weekly to thousands of book reviews across genres; columns and contests; excerpts and interviews - Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Romance, SF, Travel, and tales for Teens and Young Readers.

  • www.review-books.com - Book lover’s nook that features book reviews, author clips and interviews, and industry news for publishers, authors and readers.

  • All Poetry-All the Time – a community for men and women over 18, where writers, poets & columnists meet and exchange ideas, contest, rate and review and help each other succeed in the writing industry.

  • www.paulchimera.typepad.com - Showcases new book on journalistic interviewing by Buffalo, New York journalist and marketing writer Paul Chimera. Title: Nuts, Bolts & Anecdotes: Journalists Discuss Interviewing and Note Taking in Their Own Words.

  • www.writersonline.com - Specifically targeted to freelance writers/publishers. A marketplace for travel/outdoor writers/publishers, where writers can post stories to an on-line database for sale to publishers worldwide. Writers can log in anytime to enter more stories for sale, edit stories and update their bios.

  • www.OrganizedWriter.com – Tools for the business of writing plus a 30-day “Get Organized!”plan. Subscribers get a free Writer's Planner when they subscribe to the Writer-Reminders newsletter.

  • www.Write101.com - Over 800 pages of articles on how to write well - whatever the occasion. Then there's the funny side of this writing life.

  • www.mrfire.com - home of Joe Vitale, world famous copywriter, #1 best-selling author and international marketing guru. Free ezine, free reports and articles and tools to supercharge your writing ability AND career.

  • www.MyShelf.com - A website for readers and writers. We have columns, reviews, contests, Holiday Reading pages, Deaf Characters in fiction listings and much more....

  • www.thewritingworks.com - Sales meeting themes, scripts, outlines and product intro ideas for corporate event planners, producers and sales execs.

  • www.poewar.com - On the web since 1993, poewar.com offers articles about writing, job leads, freelance leads, a fast fiction exhibition and other writing-related features.

  • www.writingcareer.com - e-media publishers of the writing trade

  • www.writers-editors.com - where editors, businesses, and creative directors can locate writers, copy editors, proofreaders, ad copywriters, ghostwriters and PR help. 178 categories - plus Meet Our Writers resumes, 50 Tips for Locating & Working With Freelance Writers.

  • www.vgrant.com - Vanessa Grant's Writers' Resource Site offers a wealth of resources for writers: a writers' bookshelf, a romance bookstore with over 6,000 titles, StoryCraft story creation software, Muse Names character naming software, seminars and online workshops for writers, and a wealth of valuable online links.

  • A Freelancer's Life - Articles, tips, tricks and an in-depth look at one successful freelancer's life.

  • www.selling-yourself.com - Get unlimited personal coaching from freelance writing guru Bob Bly on how to start or jump-start your freelance copywriting career. Plus an incredible array of additional tools for promoting yourself as a freelance copywriter: a set of six CDs on which Bob reveals the secrets that have enabled him to earn a six-figure annual income from freelance copywriting year after year for over two decades.

  • ASJA - American Society of Journalists and Authors.

  • The American Society of Newspaper Editors or ASNE is more in the category of writers organization. It lists conferences for journalists and other useful information.

  • The Canadian Writers Association bridges the gap between a large national organization with the immediacy of local chapters.

  • The HWA or Horror Writers Association is a good place for those interested in that genre to check out. They are the presenter of the Bram Stoker Awards and have a variety of benefits for members.

  • The International Women's Writing Guild describes itself as being 'a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing' Among other projects that they sponsor include a Calendar of Events throughout the year and an Annual IWWG Conference.

  • MorseMysteries.com: Tools, Escapes and Challenges for the Mystery Writer

  • The National Association of Science Writers is a potential resource to those engaged in writing about science as fact. They also have a list of local chapters with local meetings.

  • The Story Circle Network is a life writing site for women writers who would love to make money from their work.

  • National Association of Women Writers (NAWW) at www.naww.org. Send a blank e-mail to naww@onebox.com to subscribe to our FREE inspirational/how-to weekly e-magazine.

  • National Writers Association is a nation wide organization with chapters as diverse as Hawaii to New York. They have a range of services available and have been in operation since 1937.

  • The National Writers Union is the trade union for all freelance writers who publish or work in U.S. markets

  • The Pittsburgh Worldwrights is another small writers group on the web.

  • The Reporters Network is targeted on the actual working reporter and has a wealth of resources available for that purpose. Even if you are not a reporter, it is a page worth taking a look at.

  • Romance Writers of America is 'a non-profit professional/educational association of 8,200 romance writers and other industry professionals' If romance is your area of specialty this may definitely be an organization to check into.

  • The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. is a vital resource as an organization and equally good resource as a homepage. Among its many other resources including style guides and other resources there is the Warnings and Cautions for Writers.

  • The Writers Guild of America is a tremendous resource site whether or not you are a member. Membership has requirements for admission and a rather large membership fee. However, this site is worth looking at for its own sake

Publishing Associations

In the monthly publications of both the following, you’ll find tons of advertisements and resource listings for all the book production category listings in the coming pages.

  • www.ibpa-online.org; IBPA The Independent Book Publishers Association
    The world’s largest non-profit trade association representing independent publishers.
    IBPA (formerly PMA) offers tons of resources, cooperative marketing programs, the monthly Independent newsletter, the annual Ben Franklin Awards, and much more. 
      
  • www.spannet.org; SPAN (Small Publishers Association of North America)
    The other key independent publishing association, started by Tom and Marilyn Ross (authors of several SP books mentioned earlier). SPAN is smaller than PMA, but worth being part of. They publish a monthly newsletter, SPAN Connection. 

Publishing Contests

The most popular contests for independent publishers are:

Conferences

 
April issue of The Writer magazine (www.writermag.com) provides a comprehensive listing of writers conferences (about 250 in any given year) across the country (by state), in Canada, and beyond.

   

Writing/Marketing E-Newsletters

 


Regional Writers Groups

  • Chattahoochee Valley Writers’ Conference; September 29, 2007, Columbus Public Library (3000 Macon Road, Columbus GA 31906). E-mail: chattwriter@charter.net
    A wide variety of workshops taught by 13 gifted authors/poets laureate.  Select three for $45 (includes lunch). 
     
  • The Alamo Writers Unlimited is a local San Antonio, Texas writers group that meets regularly and puts on a local writers conference.

  • Austin Christian Writers' Guild is an Austin based group for Central Texas writers. Contact: Lin Harris (linharris@austin.rr.com or (512) 601-2216) for directions to meeting site and general ACWG information. lharris@sedl.org

  • Central Indiana Writers Association a Not-for-profit orginiazation of writers and photographers in Indiana ranging from beginners to widely published authors. Attend monthly meetings, workshops, and more.
     
  • Colorado Authors League is a Colorado's oldest professional writers' organization (est. 1931) Check their web site for details of events and other information.

  • The Federation of British Columbia Writers is an organization with a variety resources for the Canadian writer in British Columbia.

  • The Heartland Writers Guild is a Missouri based group that has monthly meetings, a newsletter and actively sponsors a major writers conference in June.

  • Hong Kong Writers Circle is a group that provides a setting for critique and fellowship for writers in the Chinese city of Hong Kong. It has an annual fee of HK$300. Check out their web site for details.

  • Writers’ League of Texas - The Writers' League of Texas promotes literacy and elevates the art of writing.

  • Maryland Writer's Association is, as their name indicates, a Maryland based group that offers services as diverse as critique groups, publications, contests and special events, an annual conference and more. Check their web page out for details.

  • The Northwest Christian Writers Association is a Seattle area writers group that meets once a month through the school year. They also publish a newsletter called the NW Christian Author.

  • The North Carolina Writer’s Network a nonprofit founded in 1985, is one of the largest statewide literary service organizations in the country. Through workshops, conferences, competitions, and critiquing, the Network connects, educates, and promotes writers at all stages of development.

  • Oregon Writers Colony has an interesting web page and a diversity of workshops and seminars hosted by top writers and other talents. Well worth a look.

  • The Pen and Brush Club is a 100 years and more old organization of professional women in the arts - writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, and artists in craft. Located at 16 East 10 Street, in New York City, they have a variety of events posted on their web site that you might want to check out. Their web site states ,'All exhibitions and speaker nights are open to the public free of charge'

  • Professional Writers of Prescott is a local writers group that includes published and unpublished writers of fiction and non-fiction in the Prescott, Arizona area. They publish a newsletter and have regular meetings. Check out their web page for details.

  • Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is a Colorado based group with the goal of helping established and aspiring writers of novel length fiction. They have classes, regular meetings, critique groups and an annual writer conference. Check their web page for details.

  • California Writers Club - Dedicated to educating writers of all levels in the craft and marketing of writing, through regular meetings, workshops, contests, seminars and conferences at the state level and at each of the fourteen branches.

  • The 6 foot Ferrett Writing Group Home Page is the how to start your own writers group helper page authored by a group that has been operating since 1989.

  • Fellowship of Christian Writers - Equipping and encouraging writers to follow their God-given dreams of setting words to paper. Whether writing for the religious or secular market; writing articles or novels; or writing news, features, devotionals, poetry, scripts, and essays—writers have a special calling to deliver well-crafted words to their readers.

  • Willamette Writers is a longstanding group founded in 1965 and active in the Portland, Oregon area. Their services include critique groups, a script library and much more.

  • Write or Die is a science fiction, fantasy and horror based free writing group that has been going since 1996 and meets in the Monroeville, Pennsylvania area. Check their web site for directions and details.

  • The Writer's Center is more than just a writers group, with a writers and editors registry, workshops and a host of other resources on their web site and in their facility in the Washington D.C. area. Well worth a look see and consideration as to whether it could be useful to you.

  • Writer's Federation of New Brunswick is an organization boasting 250 members at this point.

Online Writers Group Lists

  • WhitePaperSource Forum: For writers looking for information about writing white papers, this site is the first and only online forum dedicated to the art of the white paper.

  • The Alien Flower Poetry Workshop will fulfill the needs of those interested in poetry. Also, be sure to visit the extensive Poetry Links at this site. They are extensive and useful, I think, for those interested in Poetry.

  • Christian Writers Group Homepage is a geocities community sites with resources and encourage for Christian writers that include forums and other resources.

  • Coffeehouse for Writers is a number of things, including resources, for pay workshops and free critique groups. Most of this handled through mailing lists. Check it out and see if works for you.

  • Comedy Screenwriting Discussion Group is an egroups mailing list with associated egroups page for those interested in comedy screenwriting.

  • The Critters Writers Workshop is the first of several writers workshops I hope to have links to from here. Writers workshops that accept and dispense critiques via the Internet. I would also like to point out it's Workshop Library which has a wealth of interesting links to peruse.

  • Flash Fiction Writing Workshop is a mailing list style critique group. The rules of their group are as follows: 'Participation is mandatory . The minimum requirements to remain in the workshop are to submit one piece of your own each month and do four critiques for others. ' Other details can be found on their web site.

  • 4-Writers.Com and Writers' Village University is a combination of free areas and an online writers' group with an annual membership fee.

  • The Internet Writers Guild is an online free service for those who have used the Internet in general and the web in particular to publish their works and those of others. Well worth a look see.

  • The Internet Writing Workshop appears to have a get serious workshop approach that might appeal to those who need some motivation and structure. Worth checking out at the very least. They have a whole range of mailing list to provide the means for review and critique. These include everything from fiction to teen writing to non fiction. .

  • The Mystery Writers Forum is groups of threaded guestbook forums.

  • NobleFusion is semi-nationwide writer's collective that helps science fiction/fantasy/horror writers get the resources and encouragement they need to be successful.

  • NovelDoc is the web presence for a mailing list that concentrates on revising and critiquing completed novels of 60,000 words or more.

  • rememory.com is a very nice site indeed from the land down under. Here is a virtual spot where people from all over the world can share their memories and experiences with each other. This is both an example of electronic publishing and electronic community in a very nice package.

  • The Science Fiction and Fantasy Co-op is another group that shares stories via the web and solicits critiques.

  • The Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop is a by mail critique workshop and newsletter that costs $15.00 for the newsletter and $5.00 for membership in the workshop. It does appear to have possibilities and has been around since 1980.

  • SFRT on the Web is an ongoing online community for readers and writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror and now it's on the web. Of particularly interest here is their Writers Workshop.

  • Short Story Writers Group is a noble effort to group writers from novice to expert in a mailing list critique group. They also have a bookworm group as well. Check their web page for details, especially (as is the case as of this posting) that their active member list is full and how to get on the waiting list.

  • The Wild Poetry Forum is precisely that, a broad range of forums in which you can share your works with other writers. Take a close look at the requirements for joining. The emphasis here is on producing and rightfully so. Check it out and see if this is a point in your development as a writer.

  • Women Who Write is an AOL based writers group with a website that has a wealth of links and a schedule of meeting times for AOL chats at the Jugglers chat room.

  • The Writer's BBS - Message Forums is a site with a host of discussion areas to leave messages and share ideas. It is a joint effort of Inkspot and Writer's BBS This latter site is another excellent spot to visit for a variety of resources relevant to writers.

 

Other Writer Group Lists

At-Home Working Mom Sites

  • 2Work-At-Home.com - 2Work-At-Home.com has been providing free work at home job listings, home business ideas, and many other free work at home resources since 1999.

  • momwriters.com - A community of professional and new writers, who face the unique challenges of writing with children underfoot. Click here for columns, connections, contests, classes and community with other writing moms.

  • www.homeworkingmom.com - Mothers' Home Business Network - telecommuting, freelance and home business information, ideas and opportunities especially for moms.

  • www.bizymoms.com - BizyMoms - Who says we can't have it all? Be a work-at-home Mom! Here's your site for information, resources, ideas, and tips to make it happen!

  • The Dabbling Mum - Write Center, Work at Home Solutions, Party and Craft Articles, Freebies, Contests and more.

  • www.moneymakingmommy.com - Money Making Mommy - The BEST one-stop place to find and land legitimate work@home jobs from employers across the nation. NEVER any fees or scams.

  • www.WAHM.com - The Online Magazine for Work At Home Moms - Is every day "Take our children to work" day? Are there Legos under your desk? Is your coffeepot the most-used appliance in your house? Then you're a WAHM, and this is your magazine!

  • www.hbwm.com - Home-Based Working Moms - Committed to bringing working moms closer to their children. Chosen by "Family Life" magazine as one of 20 GREAT Parenting Web Sites!

  • www.momsnetwork.com - Mom's Network - Connecting At Home - dedicated to offering the tools, resources and networking that work-at-home moms need to balance the important areas of their life. Built on the belief that we learn and grow most from each other and the relationships we build - both personally and professionally.

  • www.naww.org - National Association of Women Writers (NAWW)
     

Authors' Web Sites

  • www.myqualitywriting.com - The site of Dennis AuBuchon, author of "Integrity: Do You Have It?", a resource for other writers to help them gain exposure for their writing.   There are articles that relate to marketing and the publishing industry and articles on the theme of integrity that would be of interest to any visitor to the site.
     
  • www.lisaallender.com - The website of actress and poet Lisa Allender, and includes categories like Lisa's Blog, which will speak to you about the art of writing, sex, spirituality, politics, and meaning, and Lisa's Lens, where current films, new novels, and non-fiction books are reviewed. 
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