Want to start writing or publishing novels?
There are a lot of great websites out there to help new writers learn from experts and for starting publishers to get a feel on the marketplace. Here are a few that I’ve found helpful and the ones I visit most often.
Alton Gansky – a successful Christian author who has published over 40 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Gansky provides video interviews on a consistent basis with leading authors, publishers, editors and book designers. If you want to learn from the experiences of others, this site is a great resource.
Books & Such Blog – Books & Such is a literary agency that represents over 150 authors, including over 20 best selling writers. The faith-filled staff provide nearly daily blog entries on all things literary from the perspective of an agent. I visit this site daily. They don’t represent me, but I hope, by the time the Gabby Wells novels are published, I’d have gained enough traction to have them represent me on another novel series I plan to write after the Gabby books are done.
Michael Hyatt – Hyatt was once the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson publishing, the largest Christian publisher in the world. He has turned his focus to speaking, helping people get the most out of their products and rising above the congestive marketing noise on the internet. His website and other offerings are full of effective and helpful information. His book Platform, previously mentioned on this website, is one of the most practical, inspiring and helpful books for people trying to grow a following and market their material.
Molly Greene – Greene is a free lance writer, blogger and author who continually updates her site with her own insight or links to other helpful blog entries that can range from writing to publishing, marketing to promo ideas.
Chip MacGregor – another literary agency with a nice blog that is updated consistently with great information.
John August – For those of you interested in screenwriting, August (Big Fish, Go, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) provides a vast array of information, including a weekly podcast with fellow screenwriter Craig Mazin (Identity Thief, Hangover 2 & 3). Great insight about the business from people inside the business.
And here are some other helpful websites for specific needs.
Good Reads – If you like to read novels and want to share your experiences with others, Good Reads is a great place to see what other people are reading and what they think about them.
Chesterton Press – If they were accepting submissions, I would submit our Gabby Wells novels to this Catholic publisher. However, on their submissions page, if you scroll down to A Brief Analysis of Story Telling: The Harry Potter Standard you will find a detailed and wonderfully instructional guide, using J.K. Rowling’s approach to writing, to show the right way to structure and approach writing. Great stuff.
Createspace vs. Lightning Source – Not sure if you should self-publish in Amazon’s Createspace, publish with the main printing company (Lightning Source) nearly all publishers use, or some combination of both, this blog entry from Terri Guiliano shares the pros and cons of each approach.
99 Designs – needs a book cover? Get book designers submitting their work to you for a relatively low price.
Catholic Writers Guild – Writing a Catholic book and need a way for book stores to know your book is in line with Catholic teaching? The Catholic Writers Guild offers a service to read and approve your book with an official Seal of Approval.
These are just some of 150 or so sites I have accumulated about the publishing industry.
Take a look and happy hunting.