Resources
Enjoy these valuable resources for your writing and publishing journey.
Articles
BookBaby – How to Solicit and Act on Feedback from Beta Readers
BookBub – 140 Book Marketing Ideas to Help Authors Increase Sales
Kindlepreneur – Lots of great blog posts on all aspects of self-publishing.
The Write Life – Self-Editing Basics: 10 Simple Ways to Edit Your Own Book
Awards
Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards – Showcases the talent of established university and indie presses as well as self-published authors.
Global Book Awards – Recognizes authors with global appeal in the self-publishing industry.
Indie Book Awards – The largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers.
International Book Awards – Over a 15-year history, thousands of self-published authors have leveraged the promotional power of their International Book Award to increase online recognition, enhance their title’s credibility, and garner more attention in the crowded book buying marketplace.
National Indie Excellence Awards – Open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors.
Nonfiction Book Awards – Accepts year-round submissions for traditionally published and self-published books and ebooks.
NYC Big Book Award – Award for independently and traditionally published authors, publishers, big and small presses.
Page Turner Awards – Authors from anywhere in the world can enter up to 15 submissions in any of the four award categories.
Pencraft Awards – A literary award contest recognizing outstanding achievement by authors from independently published books, including those from small presses, as well as those from traditional publishers.
Conferences
Baltimore Writers Conference – A literary event hosted on the campus of Towson University where writers enjoy conversation about their craft, networking, critiques on their work, and delicious food (Maryland).
Bay to Ocean Writers Conference – Designed to help writers develop their craft, edit, publish, and market their writing. (Maryland).
Bear River Writers Conference – Offers generative workshops, readings, craft talks, and good-spirited conversation. (Michigan).
Blue Pen Writers Conference – Connect with writers, publishing professionals, and literary agents. Attend workshops on the craft and business of writing for indie and traditional authors. (Tennessee).
Blue Ridge Writers Conference – Designed to educate, inform, and inspire writers. (Georgia).
Catamaran Writing Conference – Workshops, lectures, and presentations in Pebble Beach, California.
Central Coast Writers Conference– Connecting content creators including authors, bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, influencers, narrators, journalists, artists, screenwriters, and musicians (California).
DWF Writers Conference – The premier multi-genre writers conference in the Southwest (Texas).
Florida Writers Conference – Writers from across the nation and the globe unite in their shared love for the written and spoken word with networking and tools to help members succeed in their writing careers.
Nonfiction Writers Conference – This conference is online and delivers powerful access to speakers, many of whom are New York Times bestselling authors, all during LIVE learning sessions with interactive Q&A.
Southern California Writers Conference (SCWC) – The SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative guidance through workshops, lectures, and private agent meetings to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for marketing consideration.
To find conferences in your area check:
https://www.newpages.com/writing-conferences-events
https://thewritelife.com/writers-conferences
Products
Book Funnel – A valuable tool to allow authors to send review copies to reviewers.
Nrdly – Promote your books and grow your exposure with a beautiful, high converting author website that does everything you need, right out of the box.
Pub Site – A user-friendly platform to build a website tailor-made for authors and their books.
Professional Organizations
American Society of Journalists and Authors – Includes more than 1,000 leading freelance writers of trade books, magazine articles, and other forms of nonfiction writing who have met ASJA's exacting standards of professional achievement.
Authors Guild – The largest society of published authors in the US is a leading advocate for fair compensation, free speech, and copyright protection.
California Writers Club – Provides education and support for writers in our communities.
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) – An association of independent book publishers dedicated to professionalism and excellence.
Independent Writers of Southern California – A professional association for writers and publishers.
International Women's Writing Guild – An inclusive global literary arts community for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing.
Publishers Association of the West (PubWest) – A national trade organization of publishers and associated publishing-related members offers professional education, publishing-related benefits, opportunities for members to do business, and a forum for networking.
Writers and Publishers Network (WPN) – Provides information, resources, and opportunities for anyone involved or interested in publishing, whether an author, freelance writer, or publisher.
Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) – A trade union representing professional writers that includes aspiring and emerging writers, with the mission to ensure that writers of all media are properly represented.
Review sites
Foreword Reviews – Book reviews of independently published books.
Kirkus Reviews – Purchase a review to build name recognition and get notices by agents, publishers, and industry influencers.
Midwest Book Review – Promotes small press publishing to book review magazines and the general public.
Readers’ Favorite – Free reviews all versions of manuscripts and posts on many sites; will be indexed by search engines.