101 Best Sites
Best websites for 2008
Absolute Write
absolutewrite.com
No matter which branch of writing interests you, you’ll be able to find helpful tips at Absolute Write. Just signing up for its e-newsletter will net you a free list of agents.
Agent Nathan Bransford's Blog
nathanbransford.blogspot.com
San Francisco agent Nathan Bransford dishes the dirt on being an agent. Also, his series called “The Essentials (Please Read Before You Query)” is, well, an essential read.
Agent Query
agentquery.com
Agent Query is a free, searchable database of agents. With just a few clicks you’ll be able to find one who represents your genre.
Agent Research
agentresearch.com/agent_ver.html
Do you need to verify the record of an agent? Check with this site first. It searches public records for all reports on the business practices of agencies, so you can find out whether it’s worth pursuing a particular agent or not.
Armchair Interviews
armchairinterviews.com
Take off your glasses, kick up your feet, relax and listen to interviews with some debut and bestselling authors. Armchair Interviews also offers an excellent list of resources.
Author MBA
authormba.com/resources/blog_insiders.htm
Check out the 20-plus articles provided by Author MBA to improve your writing, marketing and career. Joanne Rock’s “A writer’s guide to managing work & the holidays” is an especially good read.
Backspace
bksp.org
After a little makeover, Backspace continues to offer feature articles, columns and industry news. The “Your Write Mind” columns are great reads. However, if you want to be a part of its forum, it’ll cost you a small fee.
Book in a Week
book-in-a-week.com
This site’s motto is “butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly”—and you’ll need to adhere to it if you want to live up to the challenge. You have one week to put all excuses in your sock drawer and write as much as you possibly can. It’s definitely fun—and rewarding.
Brainy Quote
brainyquote.com
Need a famous quote for your article? Stop by Brainy Quote and search by topic, author or type to find the words of wisdom (or humor) you desire.
Buried in the Slush Pile
cbaybooks.blogspot.com
Buried in the Slush Pile covers juvenile writing. You’ll notice a helpful glossary of publishing terms—now even we know what “F&G” means. (ps- This isn't actually an agent blog—it's an author blog—but the information provided is great.)
C. Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers
fundsforwriters.com
Freelancers on the prowl for jobs and cash need to look no further. This site offers up the big four—grants, contests, fellowships and markets—that pay. Plus, C. Hope Clark’s free e-newsletter is a must read for all who freelance.
Christian Storyteller
christianstoryteller.com
While the bright colors and cluttered design are hard on the eyes, the information is great for Christian writers who are looking for support and networking with other writers. There’s a small fee if you want a personal webpage on the site, though.
Coffee Time Romance & More
coffeetimeromance.com
Love is in the air—for romance writing. Share your thoughts, book blurbs and more on this forum. Also, get your book reviewed and read interviews with a number of romance authors.
CoolStuff4Writers.com
coolstuff4writers.com
This site has always had some of the coolest novelty items, such as writerly T-shirts, drink koozies and squeezable stress relievers. Now it also offers more content by way of interviews and articles.
Crime-Writers Yahoo Group
groups.yahoo.com/group/crime-writers
This group is listed for those who are interested in writing or are currently writing crime fiction (including police procedurals, noir, hard-boiled, etc.). And with more than 650 members, it’s a must-visit for crime writers.
Critique Groups for Writers
critiquegroups.com
Members of this site can form private groups to workshop their writing. There’s also a section dedicated to publishing news, agents and signings.
Dictionary.com Translater
dictionary.reference.com/translate
Do you have an English phrase that you need translated to Spanish? This site will help bring your characters to life—even if they speak a different language than you do.
Drew's Script-O-Rama
script-o-rama.com
To be the best you must read the best. Find your favorite movie and TV scripts for free in this database.
Duotrope's Digest
duotrope.com
Enjoy a free submissions tracker with this database of more than 2,000 markets for short fiction, poetry and novels/collections. Search functions include medium, payscale, accepts reprints and more.
Ed(2010)
ed2010.com
Take a batch of young magazine editors who want to learn more about the industry, share that info and meet other young editors and you get Ed(2010). Some of the site is still under construction, but what’s finished is can’t-miss material.
Edit Red
editred.com
Head over to Edit Red for peer critiques, publishing tips and opportunities to promote your writing and connect with publishers. The site offers a free personal webpage, and promotion and marketing tools.
Fanstory
fanstory.com
Founded in 2000, this site presents free contests and peer-to-peer reviews. One fairly unique feature offered by the site is the ability to create your own contest and challenge other writers.
Fiction Factor
fictionfactor.com
This site features tips on writing better fiction, improving your writing, getting published, and promoting and marketing your fiction.
FirstWriter.com
firstwriter.com
Search through 750 literary agencies and 900 book publishers to find one that suits your work.
ForWriters.com
forwriters.com
The real value in this site, a great source for market and event listings, is its list of writer organizations and groups spanning the world.
Freelance Writing Jobs
freelancewritinggigs.com
Deborah Ng’s Freelance Writing Jobs is filled with available freelance gigs. There’s also a special section dedicated to blogging jobs.
Freelance Writing Organization-Int’l
fwointl.com
With more than 11,000 registered members (membership is free), Freelance Writing Organization-Int’l offers thousands of online resources and job offerings. It also gives members a free blog listing (as long as the blog deals with writing).
Horror Writers Association
horror.org
Do you model your writing after Stephen King? If so, the Horror Writers Association is the perfect place for you to get tips, advice and the latest news on this niche.
J.A. Konrath’s A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
jakonrath.blogspot.com
J.A. Konrath’s A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing blog provides great information for new (and veteran) fiction writers. He also has links to plenty of good resources.
Janet Reid's Literary Blog
jetreidliterary.blogspot.com
Janet Reid, a literary agent with FinePrint Literary Management in New York City, specializes in crime fiction and shares query pitfalls to help you avoid rookie mistakes.
Jennifer Jackson's Et in Arcaedia, Ego Blog
arcaedia.livejournal.com
With the motto, “Saving the world, one book sale at a time,” literary agent Jennifer Jackson shares news, notes and opinions on the industry, including a sneak peek at her query round-up.
JournalismJobs.com
journalismjobs.com
Everything you need to know is in the Web address (though we’ll add that they have an excellent listing of industry events).
Kid Magazine Writers
kidmagwriters.com
Get the latest news, info and tips on writing for kids here. Plus, this site offers a wealth of paying children’s markets.
Literary Law Guide
literarylawguide.com/resources.htm
Get the latest in copyright news from this intellectual property lawyer. “What Every Writer Should Know About Copyright” is a great introductory article that all writers should read.
Long Story Short
longstoryshort.us
The goal of this e-zine is to take the intimidation out of the querying process by replying personally to every author and by offering suggestions on how to improve your work. This site publishes stories in many different genres, including flash fiction, humor, poetry and even book chapters.
Lori Perkins' Agent in the Middle
agentinthemiddle.blogspot.com
Let literary agent Lori Perkins guide you around the NYC agent scene. Plus, she has great insight into horror, social science fiction, dark fantasy, dark literary novels and erotica—her specialties.
Marcela Landres
marcelalandres.com
Stay on top of the latest Latino/Hispanic literary events, contests and writing opportunities by reading this former Simon & Schuster editor’s site.
Media Job Market
editorandpublisherjobs.com
Looking for a job? This site has searchable classifieds so you can find a writing-related job in your area.
MediaBistro
mediabistro.com
Stay informed on publishing industry news and network with other writers around the globe. This is one of the best spots for journalism and freelance jobs around.
Merriam-Webster
m-w.com
When it comes to word-lover reference material, it’s hard to beat Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary and thesaurus. Besides the basic functions, it provides word games, a spelling quiz, a Word of the Day and the “Word for the Wise” podcast.
Mike’s Writing Workshop
groups.yahoo.com/group/mikeswritingworkshop
Can’t find a local writing group? At Mike’s Writing Workshop, you’ll find a community of nearly 9,000 writers willing to share information and critique your work.
Mom Writer's Literary Magazine
momwriterslitmag.com
This online literary magazine for writer moms features articles on the ups, downs and challenges of motherhood.
Moontown Cafe
moontowncafe.com
Kick off your shoes, curl up under your favorite blanket, grab a virtual latte and cozy up with this site for poets. You’re welcome to post some of your own poetry for feedback—all they ask is that you rate two poems for each poem you post.
Movie Bytes
moviebytes.com
Who wouldn’t love to get a script noticed by winning a contest? Well, there’s no better place to find one than in the Movie Bytes contest directory. Of course, if you eventually win an Oscar, you’ll have to thank Writer’s Digest in your acceptance speech.
My Writers Circle
mywriterscircle.com
This forum boasts nearly 6,000 members and an active critique section. There’s also a job board, a resource center and a section of writing games.
National Novel Writing Month
nanowrimo.org
One of the most well-known writing challenges in the writing community, National Novel Writing Month (November) pushes you to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
Newbie-Writers.com
newbie-writers.com
Starting your writing career can be nerve-racking, but feel at ease on this site, which has fellow newbies. Subscribe to its free e-newsletter and receive an 85-page e-book resource guide.
Noodle Tools
noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/basic/yngwrite.html
This site provides links to plenty of writing opportunities for youngsters, including ones that pay.
Novely Journey
noveljourney.blogspot.com
This site offers a great collection of interviews with authors, editors and freelancers. It’s updated daily.
OnceWritten.com
oncewritten.com
If you’ve yet to be published or are a newly published author, this site has a lot of goodies for you. From original book reviews and book giveaway contests to writing prompts, this is a good destination for beginners.
Preditors & Editors
anotherealm.com/prededitors
Telling the difference between a professional contest and a scam can be hard, but thanks to Preditors & Editors you don’t have to sweat it. Dive into this site to find out which writing-related services, contests, organizations, etc., are worth your time and which aren’t.
Publishers Marketplace
publishersmarketplace.com
Check out this site’s job board, which is filled with gigs from editing to marketing to production. It can be an excellent way to get your foot in the door. Also, there’s a place to announce your book deal.
Publishing Questions
publishingquestions.com
If you’re looking for a crash course on getting published, look no further. This site provides an abbreviated version of the process.
Query Tracker
QueryTracker.net
For those in need of an agent, this site allows writers to upload their query letters and agent experiences, building a database of information. The experiences are then combined to show trends and actions of individual agents so you know what to expect when querying them.
R.A.W. SISTAZ Literary Group
rawsistaz.com
This group focuses on reading, writing and discussing books primarily by African-American authors. The Writer’s Block section is filled with tips. Plus, according to the site, all books sent to them are reviewed. That’s right, all books.
Rachelle Gardner’s Rants & Ramblings
cba-ramblings.blogspot.com
Rachelle Gardner’s Rants & Ramblings covers her life as a Christian writing literary agent and includes news, trends and advice on the publishing industry.
Refdesk.com
refdesk.com
If you’re looking for “Of the Day” trivia to get your brain functioning each morning, stop on by this site. It offers tons of tidbits that you probably didn’t know—and may lead you to a story idea.
Resources for Muslim Writers
muslimwriters.blogspot.com
Hey Muslim writers, you’ll want to bookmark this site. From writing competitions to jobs for writers, editors and journalists, this site houses opportunities and news for those looking for publishing success.
Rob Parnell’s Easy Way to Write
easywaytowrite.com
Rob Parnell’s Easy Way to Write is filled with lots of freebies for writers in several markets, including poetry, flash fiction and e-zine fiction (that actually pays). The forum is relatively small, but the blog is an entertaining read.
Robin Opie's Writing For Children
robynopie.com
This children’s book author delivers dozens of free articles on constructing, writing, editing and publishing your children’s book. There are also two books available for free download.
Romance Divas
romancedivas.com
What’s not to like about a site whose motto is “unleash your inner diva”? Join the Romance Divas for advice on the craft and business of writing romances, and share stories about your life and career with this fun writing community.
Romance Writing Tips
groups.msn.com/RomanceWritingTips
This site showcases some of the best tips for romance writers. And while this group doesn’t critique, it offers plenty of links to groups that do.
Sharing with Writers and Readers
sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com
Looking for cheap ways to promote your book? Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares tips to get your book out to the world at a low cost. Sign up for her free e-newsletter to have most of the information delivered right to your inbox.
Shawguides
writing.shawguides.com
Use this database to find a writing conference near you.
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