Top Resources for Writers (Recommended by Authors & Agents)
Editor’s note: This post was updated in November 2021
I once spent a weekend at a conference for bloggers, mostly focused on content and things like creating video and fine-tuning your social media pages. It was great, and I met some incredible people and learned a lot. But my most favourite part, by far, was the book publishing session that featured a panel of published authors and a literary agent.
They had some great, specific advice for anyone who wants to write fiction, non-fiction or children’s books. Among their excellent advice, was a list of resources that will help you in your writing journey, including everything from finding an agent to getting published.
Here are a few of their recommendations, along with some of my own that I’ve discovered along the way during my writing journey:
Manuscript Academy
This is a resource you have to pay for but, speaking from my own personal experience, if you can afford it, it’s well worth it. It’s a website run by a literary agent and a writer devoted to “writers who want the best aspects of a conference – the classes, the direct access to experts, the networking and the personal consultations all from the comfort of your own home.” I’ve taken mini courses, had one-on-one sessions with agents where they provided me feedback on my query letter and my writing, and it’s where I met my writing group who I talk to daily. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s MUCH better to go through the writing journey with people who understand you. So the community I found through Manuscript Academy alone is worth every penny I’ve spent here.
Publisher’s Marketplace
https://www.publishersmarketplace.com
This is a great place to do research on literary agents, publishers, books that are selling, and overall info on what’s happening in the publishing industry. Again, you have to pay a fee for it, but if you're ready to query agents and want to do some extra research, I’ve found this site very helpful.
Writer’s Union of Canada
https://www.writersunion.ca/resources
The resources section of this website offers up some great information related to publishing for both members and non-members (there are some rules around becoming a member that you can find on the site). It has details on literary agents, contracts, and a lot of other very helpful topics.
Query Tracker
If you’re interested in keeping track of all of your queries in one place, this is a great spot to do it! You can also look up agents, find out if they’re open or closed to queries, see how long they take to respond, read what other people querying are saying about them, and take a look at their timeline to see where they are in their slush pile. It’s great for data lovers!
Jane Friedman’s Website
https://www.janefriedman.com/key-book-publishing-path/
This link goes to a downloadable pdf of a chart that divides the writer’s path into traditional publishing, self-publishing/indie publishing, and small presses. It offers extremely helpful info on the big five publishers, who they are, how to approach them and lots of other invaluable information. Overall, Jane has a ton of excellent knowledge on the publishing industry, so she’s a great one to read.
Canadian Authors Association
https://canadianauthors.org/national/
Again, a bunch of great information for writers in Canada, including a list of Canadian book publishers, contests & competitions, writers’ organizations and more.
The Write Life—Info on Self-Publishing vs. Traditional
http://thewritelife.com/self-publish-or-traditional/
I’m a fan of the The Write Life site in general. This post in particular has an infographic about self-publishing and traditional publishing, delivered in a funny, light-hearted way.
Books on Writing
There are so many craft books out there, and I think I’ve read them all. Here are a few of my favourites:
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne & King
The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum
So there you have it. An invaluable list of resources from writers who have made it in the book biz, and those of us still plugging away. I’ve also got a post on great podcasts for writers here. And if you know of any other resources you’ve found especially helpful, leave a note below. The more resources, the better.