ScaryAzeri asked about interesting blogs for new writers. There are so many it's impossible to list them all. I have well over a hundred blogs listed in Google Reader, and most of them are about writing, or writers, or history, or archaeology, or science. I'm going to restrict my list to the blogs I know of that are mandatory reading for someone who wants to sell their writing.
I have to admit, I did not read a single one of these until I had written three books, at which point I thought maybe I should work out how to sell one of them. This list is hardly exhaustive, but if you start from here and follow the cascade of links you will (a) learn everything you need to know about submitting your work, and (b) waste the rest of your life reading blogs.
Janet Reid. My own agent, and the source of all that is wise and good in publishing. Seriously. If she can sell me, she can sell anything. Janet's blog has piles of useful advice, all written in her own, unique style (you'll find out when you read it).
Miss Snark. A famous and very anonymous literary agent tells the truth about publishing. Her blog is now retired but remains a deep pool of information. Read it. Then you too can play the guessing game called Who-Is-Miss-Snark.
Rachelle Gardner. Rachelle's an agent working predominantly with Christian books, but even if that's not your thing, you shouldn't let it stop you reading her very sensible and thoughtful advice.
Nathan Bransford. An agent at Curtis Brown. Hugely popular with interesting things to say.
Agent Kristin. Another agent saying sensible, useful things!
Are you spotting a trend here? Agents are your friends when it comes to learning about how to deliver something they can sell.
Editorial Ass. That's Ass as in Assistant. Join the gentle world of Moonrat and learn what happens inside a publishing house, and too applaud the many victories of the loyal Mischief.
Editorial Anonymous. A children's book editor who can teach you a great deal about publishing.
Pimp My Novel. The view from the sales department.
Preditors & Editors. The site for checking out that agent who just offered to represent you.
Writer Beware. Full of excellent general advice about how to avoid being scammed.
I know I've missed many great sites. The floor is now open for suggestions. Remember, the idea is sites that a beginning writer might find useful.
9 comments:
If you can get past all the chatter, Absolute Write is a bottomless pit of information from people all over the writing industry - beginners to best-selling authors.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
I have an extensive blogroll of agents & editors on my own blog (new writers, stop on by!) and I've got all the ones you recommend plus a few others...
The one I think people might not find on their own is Anne Mini's Author! Author!. Scroll down to the categories section, and there is some AMAZING information for new writers. Lately she's been discussing pitches, but there is also detailed information on proper manuscript formatting, querying, synopses, writing workshops, you name it. She is a resource who should NOT be overlooked.
Want to know if you should include epigraphs (quotes from other tests or songs) in your manuscript submission? You shouldn't, and Anne Mini will tell you why.
Want to know how to submit a short story to a magazine and a novel manuscript to an agent? They're different formats, and she provides sample pages.
It's good stuff.
This is a nice post.
"If she can sell me, she can sell anything."
Don't sell yourself short. Your writing has a distinctive voice, both engaging and flowing. Janet, as she has said repeatedly, is a sucker for good voicing.
So are a lot of readers in your genre. Me included!
Hey Gary is your book out yet!?!?
:-)
Hi Sandra! Hi Anthony! Nice to see you over here too.
Janet Reid is the goddess of agenting! Yes, read her blog.
... and I know who Miss Snark was ... but I don't take bribes. Well, maybe ...
It's not really pertinent to your post, but writers should have a web presence. Posting on these blogs increases it. One should also participate in blogs within their field of interest.
Come visit me on my blog ... I'm lonely.
Solid list. You might add Query Shark. Another project of your fab agent.
Lots of good advice there.
Absolute Write is a great resource.
Welcome CKHB, and thanks for pointing out Anne Mini. Her site looks very interesting!
You're right Travis, I should have included Query Shark.
Thanks for the kind words, Anthony. Is my book out yet? You're a cruel man. (This is an in-joke on Anthony's blog.)
Wow, this is fantastic! Thank you! You were right about the writing bunch being helpful! off to check everything out!
I also *highly* recommend Absolute Write as well as edittorrent. (http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/)
I can't say enough nice things about how great Absolute Write is. Eddittorrent is an editor's blog who does free line edits of people's work (only about four lines though) and tries to show people how to line edit their own work. The only bad things is that she admits that she can't do that for everyone's books anymore. So it can be a bit depressing knowing how your work won't get the line by line editing these days.
Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. I read all of those blogs, and love them all! I don't comment on all of them, but I do read them *stalker eyes*...
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