Loriendil's Links

 

Writing Techniques | Query Letters | Synopses | Agents
Editors / Publishers / Publishing
Lists of ... listings
Artists and Illustrators
Books

Special Sites for SF/F Writers

 

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Writing Techniques

• Murder Your Darlings by James Patrick Kelly
• Split Infinitive from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Mistakes in Writing by Roger MacBride Allen
• Writerisms and other Sins: A Writer's Shortcut to Stronger Writing by C.J. Cherryh
• The Snowflake Method of Designing a Novel by Randy Ingermansion
• Writing Advice by Caro Clarke
• Charlotte Dillon's Resources for Romance Writers romance writer or not, Charlotte's extensive listing is priceless -- these resources are worth saving and reviewing

 

Query Letters

• The Complete Nobody's Guide to Query Letters by Lynn Flewelling
• Dos and Don'ts: How to Write the Perfect Query Letter by Gail Eastwood
• Query Letters: Do Them Right! by Lori Foster

 

Synopses

• How to Write a Synopsis by Marg Gilks

 

Agents

• Sharks in the Water: Scams by Alicia Rasley
• Everything you wanted to know about literary agents by Neil Gaiman

 

Editors / Publishers / Publishing

• Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should: Updated Second Edition by David Gaughran    
  available in print and e-book
• Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick   
  available in print and e-book
• The Truth about Publishing by Ian Irvine
• I Am Your Editor: Submitting Your Novel by Caro Clarke
• TANSTAAFL and the Novice Writer by Elizabeth Moon
• Manuscript, Short Story Format
• Small Presses
• Versor Editing Manuscript Editing at a Reasonable Rate   

 

Lists of ... listings

 

• AgentQuery a database of literary agents
• Poets & Writers searchable database of small presses and literary publishers
• QueryTracker free database of literary agents and publishers
• Ralan SF/F markets
• What Writers Need to Know About Copyrights FAQs from WritersDigest.com
• Writertopia's Writing Meters   
  display your Work in Progress
• Writer Beware® warnings about the schemes, scams, and pitfalls that threaten writers
  • Writer Beware®Blogs

 

Artists and Illustrators:

 

• Jeffrey Kosh Graphics
• Frank Pryor's SpiritLine Studio
• DW Creations     New!
• Go On Write the Pre-made Kindle / eBook Book Cover Depository

 

Books:

 

• Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick
  available in print and e-book
• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, ISBN: 020530902X
          Elements of Style Online
• Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition by Renni Browne and Dave King, ISBN: 0060545690
• Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, ISBN: 1592400876
• Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, ISBN: 3531310942
• Woe Is I by Patricia T. O'Conner, ISBN: 1594480060
• Chicago Manual of Style published by the University of Chicago Press
  
  • ISBN: 0226104044, CD-ROM; ISBN: 0226104052, Cloth with CD; ISBN: 0226104036, Cloth
    
  • Chicago Manual of Style Online

 

Special Sites for SF/F Writers

 

• Evil Overlord list by Peter Anspach
• The Fantasy Novelist's Exam by David J. Parker

 

There is no magic formula that will get you published. I take that back: there is. You can go through a vanity press or self-publish. Nothing is withheld these days. But many writers make the mistake of taking one of those routes too soon. To become a successful published author is hard work and can take a long time (if ever, because there are no guarantees).
 
So my advice: Take your time. Hone your writing. Nothing is worse than picking up a book filled with typos, grammatical errors, weak plots, one-dimensional characters, pages of exposition, and on and on. Learn the craft. Get writing partners or join a writers' group. Study writing. Study it some more. Rewrite. Get critiques. Rewrite again. Even if you self-publish, learn to do professional query letters, synopses, book proposals, bios, and blurbs. Go to conferences and meet writers, agents, and editors. Do market research. Learn to sell yourself and your work.
 
And... Good luck!