101 Best Sites for Writers

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|Best websites for 2007 | | |
|Complete A-Z List | | |
|Absolute Write | | |
|URL: www.absolutewrite.com | | |
|Looking for clips and paying gigs? This site includes a “Writers Wanted” section with posts of writing jobs, guidelines and | | |
|freelance opportunities. It also offers a newsletter filled with agents looking for writers. | | |
|Agent Research | | |
|URL: www.agentresearch.com/agent_ver.html | | |
|Don’t waste time negotiating with a lousy agent. Let this site do the work for you by researching public records for negative| | |
|reports on the agency’s business practices. | | |
|AgentQuery.com | | |
|URL: www.agentquery.com | | |
|Agent Query offers lists of established literary agents seeking writers. It also offers tips for formatting your query letter| | |
|and packaging your submission. Best of all, it’s free. | | |
|American Writers & Artists Inc. | | |
|URL: www.awaionline.com | | |
|Looking to improve your copywriting, travel-writing or résumé-writing skills? Check out this site and its free newsletter. | | |
|Arcaedia | | |
|URL: arcaedia.livejournal.com | | |
|Literary agent Jennifer Jackson dishes out writing advice and her thoughts on the publishing industry. | | |
|Arm Chair Interviews | | |
|URL: www.armchairinterviews.com | | |
|Eyes hurt? Take a break from your writing and grab your headphones. These online author interviews inform and inspire. | | |
|Ask Oxford | | |
|URL: www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors | | |
|Confused by “who” and “whom”? Don’t know what a dangling participle is? This site offers the answers to classic grammar | | |
|questions. | | |
|Authors In Your Pocket | | |
|URL: www.authorsinyourpocket.com | | |
|For those needing a break from writing, tune into this site’s weekly podcasts covering the latest book news, one-on-one | | |
|interviews with literary personalities and monthly bookclub Q&A sessions with authors. | | |
|Autocrit | | |
|URL: www.autocrit.com | | |
|AutoCrit automatically identifies weak words and structures. It’s a great tool for cleaning up your writing before you pass | | |
|it on to your human critique partners. | | |
|Backspace | | |
|URL: www.bksp.org | | |
|Backspace features articles, columns and news from industry insiders. Check out the forum, which hosts guest speakers, | | |
|including literary agents, editors and authors. | | |
|Bartleby | | |
|URL: www.bartleby.com | | |
|Need a quote? Want the inside scoop on dinosaurs? This reference site for literature searches other databases to get the | | |
|information you need. | | |
|Book In A Week | | |
|URL: www.book-in-a-week.com | | |
|Forget about outlining. Forget about editing. Just sit down and write. That’s the motto of this site. You get one week | | |
|(usually the first week of the month) to write as much as you can. Of course, to finish in seven days, you’ll need a strong | | |
|will—and lots of caffeine. | | |
|Book Promotion Newsletter | | |
|URL: www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com | | |
|This biweekly newsletter contains great tips, reviews and interviews, plus the chance to sound off on issues. While there’s a| | |
|charge for new editions of the newsletter, each is archived three months after publication and is then accessible for free. | | |
|Brady Magazine | | |
|URL: www.bradymagazine.com | | |
|Looking for advice on the business side of writing? Brady Magazine has tips on marketing and publicity, along with a free | | |
|markets newsletter. | | |
|Carol Kluz | | |
|URL: www.carolkluz.homestead.com/index1.html | | |
|If our list of 101 web resources doesn’t keep you busy, Carol Kluz’s site is filled with dozens more. Check it out. | | |
|Christian Storyteller | | |
|URL: www.christianstoryteller.com | | |
|As advertised, it’s a nonprofit website of Christian authors for Christian authors by Christian authors. The site highlights | | |
|up-and-coming authors and books, and offers marketing seminars on cruises—what’s not to like about that? | | |
|Constant-Content | | |
|URL: www.constant-content.com | | |
|Write about any topic, name your price and place it on this site. Folks in need of web content can browse the work and buy | | |
|what they want at this online store for freelance work. The cost to you is a 35-percent commission, but there are no upfront | | |
|costs and you can work at your own pace. | | |
|CoolStuff4Writers.com | | |
|URL: www.coolstuff4writers.com | | |
|Have a birthday coming up? Point your family to this site to get fun gifts for writers, including novelty T-shirts and mugs. | | |
|Our favorite: “That &@$# Editor!” Stress Reliever. | | |
|Creative Writing Prompts | | |
|URL: creativewritingprompts.com | | |
|Choose from hundreds of writing prompts. This site also proves helpful advice on journaling. | | |
|Crime Writers | | |
|URL: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/crime-writers | | |
|With more than 500 members, this group is a forum for those interested in writing or currently writing crime fiction, | | |
|including police procedurals, noir, hard-boiled, etc. | | |
|Critique Circle | | |
|URL: www.critiquecircle.com | | |
|This online workshop is home to writers of all genres and includes tools for manuscript progress, submission tracking, | | |
|character generation and more. | | |
|Critique.org | | |
|URL: www.critique.org | | |
|Serious science fiction, fantasy and horror writers need look no further, as this group will give you an honest critique. The| | |
|cost? You must critique another group member’s work. | | |
|Dragon Writing Prompts | | |
|URL: www.dragonwritingprompts.blogsome.com | | |
|Choose from hundreds of writing prompts to inspire you or ward off that pesky writer’s block. Separated into categories, | | |
|prompts can be found to suit your mood. | | |
|Duotrope | | |
|URL: www.duotrope.com | | |
|This database contains more than 1,525 current markets for short fiction, poetry and novels/collections. Some of its features| | |
|include the ability to search by pay scale and submission length. | | |
|Edit Red | | |
|URL: www.editred.com | | |
|Besides basic writing tips, this site offers a free personal webpage, promotion and marketing tools, and a supportive writing| | |
|community. Some of the work posted is printed in anthologies that Edit Red sells. | | |
|Editor and Publisher Jobs | | |
|URL: www.editorandpublisherjobs.com | | |
|Looking for a job? This site has searchable classifieds so you can find a writing-related job in your area. | | |
|Erotica Readers | | |
|URL: www.erotica-readers.com | | |
|The writing may be too steamy for some, but it hits the sweet spot for serious erotica writers. If you’re under 18, you’ll | | |
|need to find your tips elsewhere. | | |
|Fandangle Magazine | | |
|URL: www.fandanglemagazine.com | | |
|With a name like Fandangle, what’s not to like? The virtual library of free children’s e-books and audio books is a nice | | |
|touch. The site’s writers’ resources include a comprehensive index and links to sources that promote and educate writers. | | |
|Fanstory | | |
|URL: www.fanstory.com | | |
|If you’re looking for peer-to-peer reviews, this site can help. All forms of writing are welcome, including poetry, stories, | | |
|book chapters and scripts. If you want only to read others’ work, it’s free, but submitting your work will cost you a small | | |
|monthly fee. | | |
|Fiction Factor | | |
|URL: www.fictionfactor.com | | |
|Connect with other fiction writers from all over the world right here. The Fiction Factor group includes several niche sister| | |
|sites, including fantasy, sci-fi, children’s fiction, romance, horror, Christian fiction and erotica. | | |
|First Writer | | |
|URL: www.firstwriter.com | | |
|With an advanced database of more than 650 literary agencies, this site will help you find one to fit your needs. It also | | |
|boasts contest, book and magazine searches. | | |
|Freelance Writing Jobs | | |
|URL: www.writersrow.com/deborahng/freelancewritingjobs.html | | |
|Stop by this great resource for freelance writing jobs. The list pulls from all over the place and is updated frequently. | | |
|Funds for Writers | | |
|URL: www.fundsforwriters.com | | |
|If you’re a freelancer looking for a writing grant, this site is for you. It also houses a nice list of contests, fellowships| | |
|and markets, and an always-enjoyable “Word of the Day.” | | |
|Google Book Search | | |
|URL: www.books.google.com | | |
|This section of the Google empire allows users to search the full text of books and find topical sections of books based on | | |
|keywords and phrases. While you can’t get to everything, its index is pretty large—but then again, what part of Google isn’t?| | |
| | | |
|Gutenberg | | |
|URL: www.gutenberg.org | | |
|Check out this collection of more than 20,000 free e-books. | | |
|JacketFlap | | |
|URL: www.jacketflap.com | | |
|This site has a comprehensive database of statistics and information on children’s book publishers. Plus, if you submit | | |
|contact information on a publisher that’s more up-to-date than what’s on the site, they’ll reward you with points that you | | |
|can redeem for Amazon gift certificates. | | |
|Jewish Writers | | |
|URL: www.geocities.com/jewishwriting/Start.html | | |
|If you’re a Jewish writer, this site will help you not only connect with other Jewish writers but also navigate today’s | | |
|market. | | |
|Kid Magazine Writers | | |
|URL: www.kidmagwriters.com | | |
|Remember reading Highlights as a kid? Why not write for it or another children’s magazine. Get the latest info and tips on | | |
|writing for kids here. | | |
|Knight Agency | | |
|URL: www.knightagency.blogspot.com | | |
|The Q&A sessions at this site give you a chance to ask your most pressing writing questions to authors and agents. The agency| | |
|specializes in romance and women’s fiction, but also represents literary fiction, African American, religious, financial, | | |
|self-help and health nonfiction. | | |
|League_XRevisionists | | |
|URL: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/league_xrevisionists | | |
|This site employs the “Pay it forward” philosophy—when someone helps you, help the next person in the chain. It’s a group for| | |
|working writers. Its motto: “A Writing Group for One to One Aid in Conquering the Writing World.” | | |
|Literary Law Guide | | |
|URL: www.literarylawguide.com/resources.htm | | |
|Looking for the latest in copyright news? Visit this site run by an intellectual property lawyer to get answers to legal | | |
|questions facing writers today. | | |
|Long Story Short | | |
|URL: www.longstoryshort.us | | |
|This writers’ e-zine is filled with stories written by many of its members. For a small yearly fee, the site offers personal | | |
|webpages to promote your writing. | | |
|LuLu | | |
|URL: www.lulu.com | | |
|If you’d like to see your book in print, this site offers a self-publishing option with no upfront costs. | | |
|Marcela Landres | | |
|URL: www.marcelalandres.com | | |
|Stay on top of the latest Latino/Hispanic literary events, contests and writing opportunities by reading this former Simon & | | |
|Schuster editor’s site. | | |
|Mediabistro | | |
|URL: www.mediabistro.com | | |
|From news in the publishing world to writer opinions, this site has everything you need to stay up on the freelancers’ world.| | |
|A must for all trying to survive in today’s competitive journalism market. | | |
|Merriam-Webster | | |
|URL: www.m-w.com | | |
|Dictionary and thesaurus too heavy? Merriam-Webster online provides both and more, including word games, “Word of the Day” | | |
|and the “Word for the Wise” podcasts. | | |
|Miss Snark | | |
|URL: www.misssnark.blogspot.com | | |
|This anonymous agent gives an honest, harsh and hilarious look inside the publishing world by answering readers’ questions | | |
|and critiquing queries. | | |
|Mom Writer's Lit Magazine | | |
|URL: www.momwriterslitmag.com | | |
|Writing moms, look no futher. This online literary magazine for moms, by moms, features stories on the ups, downs and | | |
|challenges of motherhood. It publishes creative nonfiction essays, columns, book reviews and profiles about mom writers. | | |
|Movie Bytes | | |
|URL: www.moviebytes.com | | |
|Winning a screenwriting contest could be your ticket to fame, fortune and a date with George Clooney (or Keira Knightley). | | |
|Find the one that suits your needs in this site’s database. | | |
|Muse It Up Club | | |
|URL: www.museitupclub.tripod.com | | |
|Do you prefer small critique groups? This site matches authors who have common writing interests/goals and are willing to | | |
|revise one another’s work into groups of five or fewer. | | |
|Muslim Writers Society | | |
|URL: writers.oneummah.net | | |
|This site has Celebrity Sundays, where up-and-coming authors, famous writers and other writing industry professionals stop by| | |
|and chat online. The chats are moderated to allow attendees to get the most information from each chat. | | |
|My Writer's Circle | | |
|URL: www.mywriterscircle.com | | |
|Apart from review boards for prose, poetry and scriptwriting, there are general advice boards, writers resources, a chat room| | |
|and even a coffee shop (for off-topic conversation). It supports writers of all levels in a friendly, informal way. | | |
|NaNoWriMo | | |
|URL: www.nanowrimo.org | | |
|November is National Novel Writing Month, and this site offers support, advice and a page to monitor your progress as you | | |
|attempt the NaNoWriMo challenge: 50,000 words in 30 days. | | |
|Novel In 90 | | |
|URL: www.community.livejournal.com/novel_in_90/profile | | |
|The goal: 270 pages of a novel in 90 days. The concept: to help members complete their novels in a reasonable time, taking | | |
|into account real-life conditions. At three pages a day, it’s worth a shot. | | |
|Novelspot | | |
|URL: www.novelspot.net | | |
|“If books were people, they’d mingle at Novelspot.” This funny motto is fitting for the site, which features interviews and | | |
|tips for writers of action-adventure, fantasy, historical fiction, romance and sci-fi. Note: There’s adult content, so keep | | |
|those youngsters away. | | |
|Novice Writers | | |
|URL: www.novicewriters.net | | |
|For beginning writers, this is a nice place to test the waters. Fan fiction is welcome here, as are those who not only write | | |
|but also express themselves through other artistic mediums. | | |
|OnceWritten | | |
|URL: www.oncewritten.com | | |
|Update your blog more often with the free “sticky” content (writing prompts and/or writing contest information) offered by | | |
|this site. | | |
|Our Echo | | |
|URL: www.ourecho.com | | |
|This site believes everyone has a story and wants to know what yours is. It offers creative writing themes and a chance to | | |
|learn about local communities. | | |
|ParaPublishing.com | | |
|URL: www.parapub.com | | |
|Dan Poynter’s site is filled with useful information. Don’t miss the section dedicated to book statistics—slightly dated, but| | |
|still one of the most comprehensive we’ve seen about the industry. | | |
|Preditors & Editors | | |
|URL: www.anotherealm.com/prededitors | | |
|With a few clicks of the mouse, you can find out which writing-related services, contests, organizations, etc., are on the | | |
|up-and-up and which should be avoided. | | |
|Pub Rants | | |
|URL: www.pubrants.blogspot.com | | |
|The tagline says it all: “A very nice literary agent indulges in polite rants about queries, writers and the publishing | | |
|industry.” This blog includes links to an array of even more writing resources. | | |
|Publicity Hound | | |
|URL: www.publicityhound.com | | |
|Don’t have the funds to spend on self-promotion? No need to worry, as this site offers tips on how to get free publicity. | | |
|Rachel Vater | | |
|URL: raleva31.livejournal.com | | |
|Former Guide to Literary Agents (Writer’s Digest Books) editor and current literary agent Rachel Vater gives her take on the | | |
|inner workings of the publishing industry. She also offers plenty of tips and suggestions for writers looking for an agent. | | |
|Reality Copywriting | | |
|URL: www.realitycopywriting.com | | |
|The tagline, “Real life stories explore the day-to-day successes and failures of freelance copyrighters,” is fitting. Many | | |
|tips here on how to increase your confidence and income. | | |
|Refdesk | | |
|URL: www.refdesk.com | | |
|Facts, world clocks, the weather in Paraguay—you name it, this site probably has it. Thrown in are boxes for the three major | | |
|search engines and a fun “Site of the Day.” Bookmark immediately. | | |
|Romance Divas | | |
|URL: www.romancedivas.com | | |
|Romance writers who are looking for camaraderie with other romance writers should check out this award-winning site. There’s | | |
|a reason it’s made our list the past three years. | | |
|Romance Junkies | | |
|URL: www.romancejunkies.com | | |
|Get your romance-writing fix with interviews, contests and chats. | | |
|Romance Writing Tips | | |
|URL: www.groups.msn.com/romancewritingtips | | |
|While this site boasts that it’s strictly for romance writing tips, it has links to several other lists of critique partners,| | |
|writing partners and message boards. | | |
|Script-o-rama | | |
|URL: www.script-o-rama.com | | |
|One of the best ways to improve your craft is to study the best. This site offers free scripts for almost any movie and TV | | |
|show that you’d like to take a shot at. | | |
|The Dabbling Mum | | |
|URL: www.thedabblingmum.com/writing | | |
|Find out how to juggle parenthood and a writing career with tips from others who’ve already found success. | | |
|The Freelance Writing Organization-Int’l | | |
|URL: www.fwointl.com | | |
|The Freelance Writing Organization-Int’l has excellent, searchable databases for many of your writing needs, including | | |
|contests, articles, contests and classic literature downloads. | | |
|The Front List | | |
|URL: www.thefrontlist.com | | |
|The Frontlist is a partnership between a publisher and literary agent (seeking new writers) that supports a peer-review | | |
|process, where work that is highly regarded by the community is sent to both for consideration. They essentially ask the | | |
|reader to help weed through the slush pile for them. | | |
|The National Federation of State Poetry Societies | | |
|URL: www.nfsps.com | | |
|The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering poetry on the | | |
|national level and uniting poets in the bonds of fellowship and understanding. There are currently 23 states under its | | |
|umbrella, and it’s growing. | | |
|The Next Big Writer | | |
|URL: www.thenextbigwriter.com | | |
|With a wide variety of services in tow, this site has a forum where folks can post their work and get comments from other | | |
|writers. For more in-depth resources, they do charge a fee. | | |
|The Poetry Market | | |
|URL: www.thepoetrymarket.com | | |
|This free, not-for-profit, monthly e-zine features poetry markets, poetry contests, poetry reviews and news. | | |
|The Six-Word Memoir Book | | |
|URL: www.smithmag.net/sixwords | | |
|This site offers a fun contest to write on different themes using only six words. It’s a challenge that can help remedy | | |
|writer’s block. | | |
|The Writing Bridge | | |
|URL: www.thewritingbridge.org | | |
|This group requires you to apply for membership, but once you’re in, you can participate in its forum, writing prompts and | | |
|critique sections. | | |
|Think Baby Names | | |
|URL: www.thinkbabynames.com | | |
|Don’t let your character names seem out of place for their era. This site offers a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting with | | |
|1900) of the top 100 names for both genders. | | |
|Toasted-Cheese | | |
|URL: www.toasted-cheese.com | | |
|A for-writers-by-writers site where you can get feedback and information about issues that affect writers. Its motto, “Hunt | | |
|the Snark,” encourages you to polish your writing to be its best. | | |
|Todays-Woman.net | | |
|URL: www.todays-woman.net | | |
|This site offers peer-to-peer feedback, a weekly contest and more. By joining, you receive your own personal page (with photo| | |
|option) and blog. Men, you’re just as welcome as the women, but kids have to stay home (site is for 18 and older). | | |
|U.S. Copyright Office | | |
|URL: www.copyright.gov | | |
|Your writing is copyrighted the minute you’ve put it in a tangible form, but if you want further protection, you can register| | |
|it here. There’s a price, but the FAQ is free and very helpful. | | |
|White Paper Source | | |
|URL: www.whitepapersource.com | | |
|Learn how to write white papers — proposed government policies — with the site’s free guide. Don’t hesitate to check out the | | |
|tips, either, no matter what type of writer you are. | | |
|Wikipedia | | |
|URL: www.wikipedia.com | | |
|While most pages of this online encyclopedia are pretty accurate, the entries can be updated by anyone who can access the | | |
|Internet. A great starting point for information, but make sure you cross-reference with another source. | | |
|Wild Poetry Forum | | |
|URL: www.wildpoetryforum.com | | |
|Share your poems and read others’ work on this popular forum. It’s user-friendly and accepts members as young as 13 years | | |
|old. | | |
|Winning Writers | | |
|URL: www.winningwriters.com | | |
|Poets can find all the contests they need right here, including the infamous Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Sign up for | | |
|the free monthly newsletter for contest updates. | | |
|WordTrip | | |
|URL: www.wordtrip.com | | |
|This family-friendly site allows you to discuss all genres of writing with other members. Plus, your kids can participate in | | |
|its sister site, wordtripjunior.com. | | |
|Write Side Out | | |
|URL: www.writesideout.com | | |
|Need something to lighten your mood? Check out these humorous items geared toward writers. We recommend the “Wet Your Pants | | |
|Mug.” | | |
|Writer Beware | | |
|URL: www.sfwa.org/beware | | |
|Writer Beware alerts writers to writing scams, companies that don’t deliver what they promise and more. Can’t find a | | |
|particular company? E-mail the founders—they’re quick to reply. | | |
|Writer Gazette | | |
|URL: www.writergazette.com | | |
|This online gazette functions as a newspaper, bringing you writer-related articles, freelance job postings, tips, contests, | | |
|resources and a classified section of magazines to pitch. | | |
|Writer Unboxed | | |
|URL: www.writerunboxed.com | | |
|Let this site “unbox”—that is, dissect—genre-fiction writing through a discussion of craft. The author interviews are | | |
|definitely worth a read. | | |
|Writers Chatroom | | |
|URL: www.writerschatroom.com | | |
|This site has Celebrity Sundays, where up-and-coming authors, famous writers and other writing industry professionals stop by| | |
|and chat online. The chats are moderated to allow attendees to get the most information from each chat. | | |
|Writers Remember | | |
|URL: www.writersremember.com | | |
|Tired of writing to please others? This writing group focuses on reigniting your creative candle. It features an | | |
|e-zine/newsletter, forum and a warnings/bewares section to help you avoid writing scams. | | |
|Writers Write | | |
|URL: www.writerswrite.com | | |
|This site has a lot of useful information, if you’re interested in self-publishing. The articles and interviews section makes| | |
|for a good read. | | |
|Writers' Dock | | |
|URL: www.writersdock.org | | |
|You name the genre, there’s probably some advice for you on this international writing resource site. | | |
|Writers.net | | |
|URL: www.writers.net/agents.html | | |
|This site allows you to search for agents by name, location or topic. It also provides several agent-related articles and a | | |
|forum. | | |
|WritersBreak.com | | |
|URL: www.writersbreak.com | | |
|This site has a bit of everything—from interviews to marketing tips to publishing resources—it covers all the corners of | | |
|getting your work in print and out to a mass audience. | | |
|Writing Shaw Guides | | |
|URL: www.writing.shawguides.com | | |
|Find a writing conference that’s right for you using this in-depth database. | | |
|Writing.com | | |
|URL: www.writing.com | | |
|For enthusiastic writers in need of a place to display their masterpieces, this site contains a wide range of support. Free | | |
|memberships include an online portfolio, numerous user tools and e-mail services. | | |
|WritingTime.net | | |
|URL: www.writingtime.net | | |
|This blog offers tips on many writing genres, inspiration to fire up your creativity, exercises to jump-start your writing | | |
|and guidelines to help you with the craft. There’s also a list of must-read books and access to an online writing group. | | |
|Young Writers Society | | |
|URL: www.youngwriterssociety.com | | |
|Created for the young writer, this site is an online community where kids, tweens and teens can share work, chat, create a | | |
|blog, join usergroups and much more. The site also has its own monthly publication called the Squills E-Zine, compiled of | | |
|members’ work. | | |

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