Websites & Services
"I started Author Accelerator because I believe that one-on-one coaching is the best way to help writers bring their books to life. I’ve seen it work again and again for writers at every stage of the writing process and at every stage of their writing careers. Book coaches give editorial feedback, but we also motivate and inspire, and give you the support you need to stop making excuses and get the work done." - Jennie Nash, Founder & CEO of Author Accelerator
"Writer Unboxed is dedicated to publishing empowering, positive, and provocative ideas about the craft and business of fiction. Founded by Kathleen Bolton and current editorial director Therese Walsh in 2006, the site now hosts more than 50 contributors, including bestselling authors and industry professionals. WU is known for its robust comment section, where the conversation further evolves with the input of community members." - Writer Unboxed, About
"Crafting beautiful books is at the heart of everything that Reedsy does. We're changing the way books are published by giving authors and publishers access to talented professionals, powerful tools, and free educational content. Reedsy was founded in the summer of 2014 by Emmanuel Nataf, Ricardo Fayet, Vincent Durand and Matt Cobb. Since then, we've proudly built a community of over 1 million authors and 2,500 freelance professionals — helping them bring more than 15,000 books to market each year." - Reedsy, About
"We serve writers of all skill levels, all genres, and all categories, at every stage of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your idea, or your entire manuscript? We have all of it and more. If you’re ready to take the next step (or the first step) in your writing journey, we’re here to help you." - Good Story Company, About
"The Fellowship of the Winged Pen is a group of 19 writers, many of whom met at WriteOnCon in 2014, some of whom were dragged into the group by one of those folks. We came together to share tips on writing, exchange critiques and support each other through our journey to publication." - The Winged Pen, Our Story
"The Spun Yarn has built a diverse network of thorough, thoughtful and experienced beta readers and sensitivity readers from around the country. We’ll match your manuscript with three of these beta readers or sensitivity readers based upon their reading profile and the type of feedback that you're looking for as the author." - The Spun Yarn, How it Works
"The Writers’ Loft is a community which helps local writers foster their creativity, strengthen their spirit and grow professionally by providing them with quiet writing space, educational programs, opportunities to connect with supportive colleagues, and access to industry experts, as well as opportunities to give back to the greater writing community." - The Writer's Loft, Mission Statement
"The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the only professional organization specifically for individuals who write, illustrate, and translate for children and young adults. Our mission is to support the creation and availability of quality children’s books in every region of the world." SCBWI, About
Writing Craft Books
Writing Irresistible Kidlit by Mary Kole​
"Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to:
• Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing.
• Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership.
• Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more.
• Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords.
Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career.
If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you." - Writing Irresistible Kidlit, Amazon
Story Genius
by Lisa Cron
"It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite.
The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). " Story Genius, Penguin Random House
The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein
"The best children’s and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction." - The Magic Words, WWNorton
The Emotion Thesaurus
by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
"One of the biggest struggles for writers is how to convey emotion to readers in a unique and compelling way. When showing our characters' feelings, we often use the first idea that comes to mind, and they end up smiling, nodding, and frowning too much.
If you need inspiration for creating characters' emotional responses that are personalized and evocative, this ultimate show-don't-tell guide for emotion can help. It includes:
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Body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for 130 emotions that cover a range of intensity from mild to severe, providing innumerable options for individualizing a character's reactions
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A breakdown of the biggest emotion-related writing problems and how to overcome them
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Advice on what should be done beforedrafting to make sure your characters' emotions will be realistic and consistent
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Instruction for how to show hidden feelings and emotional subtext through dialogue and nonverbal cues
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And much more!
The Emotion Thesaurus, in its easy-to-navigate list format, will inspire you to create stronger, fresher character expressions and engage readers from your first page to your last."