Resources for Writers

Free Self-Publishing Online

smashwords.com is a self-publishing platform and online bookstore for independent ebook authors and their readers. They offer multi-format, DRM-free ebooks, ready for immediate sampling and purchase, and readable on any e-reading device.

booksie.com Writers can post novels, short stories, poetry, articles, and more on the Booksie site for free, as well as receive and respond to comments and communicate with other writers.

yudu.com. Yudu offers free interactive digital publication, hosted on the yudu site (you do it yourself). For a fee, the marketplace option lets you sell your books on the site.

Writing Raw is a bi-monthly literary zine where any author can self-publish fiction or poetry that will be archived online.

Where to Submit

Duotrope. A searchable database of over 4500 current markets for short fiction, poetry, and novels/collections in all genres. Subscription fee as of January 2013.

Poets and Writers Tools for Writers. Grants and awards, guide to writing contests, literary magazines and small press databases, literary agents, conferences.

The New Pages Big List of Literary Magazines. Focuses on literary print and online magazines, listed A to Z, with google search engine.

Creative Writers Opportunities List. This Yahoo group posts calls for submissions and contest information for writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. NOTICE: The Yahoo group has been replaced by a blogsite with the same content as on the CRWROPPS listserve (which was discontinued October 28, 2019). The blog is at: https://creativewritersopps.blogspot.com/

authorconnect.com. A databank for promoting published or unpublished writing. Entries are free. Includes links to resources and services for writers.

Book Awards for Self-Published Books. A list of 30 annual contests for self-published books, fee based, in multiple categories/genres. Includes awards for ebooks.

Writing Contests and Competitions. A guide to current online contests in fiction, nonfiction and poetry across genres. Sortable by genre and payment fees.

Out of the Drawer and Into Print — Terry Ehret’s blog includes tips on self-publishing and other resources for writers. (Terry was Sonoma County Poet Laureate 2004-2006)

Tools and Tips

bartleby.com/110 — Roget’s International Thesaurus (85,000 words)
bartleby.com/100 — Bartlett’s Quotations

The Book Designer. Practical advice for building better books. Articles on getting ready to publish, understanding typography, print choices, ebooks and ebook readers, and marketing.

www.encyclopedia.com — Search over 100 encyclopedias online.

www.thesaurus.net — Online thesauraus and spelling and grammar checker.

wordnik.com, a comprehensive online wiki-dictionary that includes defintions, pronounciation, etymologies, synonyms.

Omniglot— An online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages with links to dictionaries in dozens of languages.

Poe War Writer's Resource Center. Articles on writing and marketing writing. Listings of freelance writing jobs.

writers.net — Writing resources, news and discussion for authors/writers, editors, publishers and agents. A free Internet directory.

www.writersquest.org offers a free research portal and annotated links to everything from forensics for writers to names databases, to writing prompts and information on publishing.

Writing Careers: The Business Behind Becoming an Author. Career options, self-publishing, book proposals, finding an agent, working with editors.

Donovan's Literary Services. Diance Donovan, Sebastapol resident, offers pre-publication critiques, copy and content editing, proof reading, and marketing plans for self-publishing authors.

Jennifer Gennari—author, editor, teacher—offers proofreading, manuscript critiques and line editing.

Newswire services that send press releases to newspapers, radio, TV stations and search engines: www.pr.com and www.prleap.com (free) and two fee-based services: www.prweb.com and www.prnewswire.com.

School of the Floating Word. Guy Biederman teaches writing workshops in Sonoma and Marin counties. Contact Guy for information: Guyb@sonic.net

Write Livelihood: Learning Through Language. Author Jordan Rosenfeld offers editing services, SF Bay Area workshops and links to other writers' websites.

Write Now! A book about writing, writer's block, rejection, publishing and selling your book by San Francisco author Joseph Sutton.

Poetry Flash. A poetry review and literary calendar for the West distributed free on the West Coast (with a national subscription circulation). The calendar is updated online at www.poetryflash.org.

Sonoma County Literary Update. Calendar of literary events, readings, workshops and classes for writers, lists of writing groups and conferences.