The eight websites to bookmark below will serve you in whatever stage of the writing process you are in. If you’re just starting to write, needing inspiration, searching for an agent, or looking at self-publishing, you need to bookmark these. There are tons of resources for writers on the internet and these are just a fraction of them. Check them out and get to work!
Grammarly
Grammarly is a nice tool for writing and editing. You can get the free extension on Chrome and receive grammar suggestions as you’re writing. You only get so many free suggestions a day, but you can pay extra to upgrade your tool and get an unlimited amount. As someone who writes very quickly and sometimes misses little mistakes, I’ve loved Grammarly double-checking me as I go along.
Reedsy
Reedsy has everything you could imagine. There’s a marketplace for hiring professionals at every step in your writing process. You can search through pages of editors, marketers, website builders, ghostwriters, and so many more before finding the right fit. Take online writing classes, chat live with other professionals, and participate in their weekly short story contest. It’s very user-friendly and you’re sure to find your team that can get your book to market.
Literary Hub
Literary Hub is host to a variety of different posts. Read about news stories on literary culture, see excerpts from different books, and even pitch your stories about literary life and culture. You can hear from different authors sharing their stories and advice for other writers. This is a place to immerse yourself in all things literary and maybe find some inspiration for your own writing.
Fiction University
Go back to school with Janice Hardy’s fiction university blog. She has posts focusing on developing your novel, common writing problems, editing your book, and selling it. Hardy started this blog back in 2009 with encouragement from her students and a goal of explaining how to go through the writing process. She was tired of reading material on what you should be doing with your book and instead wanted to provide a space that tells you exactly how to do it. This is one class we wouldn’t mind paying attention to!
Poets & Writers
Poets & Writers is another helpful blog filled with resources and opportunities. See tips and tricks on improving your writing and review their recommended sites on where to publish your writing. There are exclusive interviews from conferences and authors who may even be looking for new clients. You can apply for writing workshops to further your craft and join communities to support your journey. There’s a lot of content on here that you don’t want to miss.
Query Tracker
Use Query Tracker when you’re ready to start finding representation for your book. It’s home to a massive database of agents and publishers. Create a free account, input your book’s name with genre and word count, and search for your best fit. Query Tracker keeps track — hence the site name — of your outstanding queries to agents or publishers and the ones that have sent either rejections or offers. It’s an organized way to start your querying journey.
Amazon KDP
Amazon is famous for its Kindle Direct Publishing program tailored to authors looking to self-publish their works. Use this free platform to publish your story in print or in ebook format. Do your research before deciding whether to go the traditional publishing route or something like KDP. You still need to put in the work here by marketing yourself, keeping to deadlines you set yourself, and making sure your story is edited and ready to the best of your ability. Sign up now and have the chance to be in control of your story and how you get it to your readers.
Writer Beware
Writers do have the potential to get taken advantage of. Especially for new authors, they usually don’t know how to navigate the intense process of writing and publishing a novel. Writer Beware exposes the scams to be wary of in the literary world. Staying alert when going through this process, especially when signing contracts, is vital. It’s easy to skim through things and be excited about the result, but that can sometimes do more harm than good. Protect yourself and check out upcoming blog posts on Writer Beware.
We hope you find these websites helpful and wish you the best of luck writing your book. Stay strong, stay consistent, and keep pushing through!
Click here for more resources through three virtual writing workshops.
Check out our bookshop bookshelves for book recommendations to get your creativity flowing!
