Other Resources

Building an online platform is an overwhelming and daunting task, with many pitfalls and horror stories surrounding the internet. It’s not surprising that many writers shy away from online activities, putting that online presence into the do-it-later category. But to survive in today’s publishing industry, a writer needs to be online.

This book focuses on how to build an online platform in a safe manner. Judy talks you through the various components of an online platform, showing you the tricks to staying safe online, carving out your own little corner of the internet while building that author platform.

Essential reading for authors submitting their work to agents or publishers. Publishing veteran Scott Pack offers sensible, practical advice on how to create the perfect submission. Based in on his sell-out Guardian Masterclasses, this short guide provides aspiring authors with the tools they need to...

There is another whole aspect to publishing that most writers are ignorant of when they start out — the legal side.

This book give a general overview of US law as it pertains to the publishing industry, examining copyright laws, taxes and the legalities associated with pen names. This book should NOT be considered legal advice, but a guide on how to navigate the legal aspects to publishing.

Do you suffer from physical pain relating to your writing life?

Are you struggling with back pain, weight gain related to sedentary working, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, neck pain, eye strain, stress, loneliness, digestive issues, or Repetitive Strain Injury?

These are the most common issues reported by writers and if you struggle with any of them, you are not alone.

Writing is not a physically healthy job, but if you want a long-term writing career, then you need to look after your body.

Joanna Penn and Dr Euan Lawson talk about their own experiences with pain and health issues, and give some hints on how they have changed their own lives for the better.

Burnout is a real condition that many just ignore. "Chill out. Relax." But that is the worst advise ever given to a woman who is stressed out in the extreme.

This book talks about the real reasons why women suffer from burnout (with some real science behind it). And real solutions and solid advice is given from a set of twin sisters who know from first-hand experience what it is like to be burnt out! And the book is funny too!

Links are provided to the paper version and the Audible version. (I couldn't stop laughing when listening to the sisters narrate their own book. Their passion for the subject came through so strongly.)

This book is not about whether or not if you, as a writer, need to quit writing, but it's rather a set of preconceived ideas that we might have about writing and the writing business that are limiting our ability to move forward. We need to quit believing in the things that aren't working for us!

The latest book from Joanna Penn is all about the gentle reminders on how we can't do it all. We need to focus on the tasks that we enjoy as a writer and look at other strategies to do the rest. And if that means that we don't publish a new book every month, then that's exactly what it means.

Writing is too important for it to lose the joy that brought it to us in the first place.

In this book, Joanna Penn joins up with Mark Leslie Lefebvre to give you a little insight into how they have managed to reduce the stress and become relaxed authors.

With articles written by a wide range of authors who write mysteries and thrillers, this book provides an overview of what it takes to write in this genre. Topics range from working with characters and plot through to publishing and legal concerns of the industry.

This book was reviewed by the BW Book Club in June 2023. The book club decided that the book was worth recommending to others, but with the understanding that this book is structured as an overview of a lot of topics. New writers might find this book overwhelming.

Monica Leonelle digs into the best literature on forming habits and shares the top strategies professional authors are using to make sure they write each and every day. Each tip is easy to implement and will get you writing more in the "in-betweens"—the inactive moments of your life where you are commuting, waiting in line, or otherwise physically stuck with your brain unoccupied!

Ready to get on board with dictation (finally)?

Like many tools that have come before it, dictation is a new and exciting opportunity to write better, faster, and smarter. But many writers still believe it's not for them. Perhaps they've tried it in the past and it hasn't worked. Or perhaps this new technology is confusing, expensive, or frustrating and that's held them back from taking advantage of it.

If you're ready to take the next step and learn a new skill set that will give you a huge advantage over what other authors are doing today, grab Dictate Your Book and start working through the challenges that are holding you back from reaping the benefits of dictation.

Feeling overwhelmed? Panicked?
Frustrated by trying to juggle life, writing and the business of being an author?

Don’t worry, you are not alone. Author Overwhelm is a common and not unsurprising side-effect of being an author today.

Beat Author Overwhelm with this informative, honest and
practical guide that’s full of tips and techniques to become more focused and less stressed. Together, we’ll help you form an action plan that’ll help you manage your time, social media, marketing and actually getting those words written.

The SPA Girls (SPA = Self Publishing Authors) are Cheryl Phipps, Wendy Vella, Trudi Jaye and Shar Barratt. Together, they host a popular weekly podcast, The SPA Girls Podcast, that features an honest, raw and often hilarious take on their own self-publishing adventures. Their mission is to deliver advice, resources, interviews and self-publishing best practices to help fellow authors succeed in this exciting new world.

For inspiration, advice and full podcast episodes, visit us at SpaGirlsPodcast.

Submission guidelines for virtually every agent or publisher seeking novels include a request for a synopsis. Ergo, every novelist or aspiring novelist needs to know what a synopsis is and how to write one that will catch an editor’s fancy. This book by acclaimed romance writer Elizabeth Sinclair gives all the details . . . what to do and what not to do . . . to make your synopsis the selling tool you need.

Prosperous Creation: Make Art and Make Money at the Same Time

The path to becoming a full-time author is clear cut, but no one is talking about exactly what you need to focus on, and when. This book is for authors who feel overwhelmed and overworked while trying to reach their dreams of writing full-time. With this book, you can end the confusion of what marketing tactics to implement, how to make it in this industry on a budget, and answer the age-old question of, “Why isn’t my book selling?” at any point in the process.

More writers are making money today than at any other time in history. With the rise of ebooks and indie publishing there are now more opportunities than ever for writers to generate substantial income from their work. And there is still a traditional publishing industry that needs new talent to keep growing.

In How to Make a Living as a Writer, you'll learn the secrets of writing for profit and increasing your chances of making a living wage from your work.

This book provides the pros AND cons of both the traditional and self-publication roads, along with some insights on how you need to treat your writing as a business.

Get More Done In Less Time!

You can either manage time or have it master you.

You can get more done or let your schedule overwhelm you.

You can achieve more of your dreams or let them float on by on clouds of inefficiency.
It’s your choice.

In this article James Scott Bell will present to you powerful time management tools that will increase your ability to get the right things done when you need them done.

Take your fiction to that next level, where agents and editors sit up and take notice—and where readers keep coming back for more! Writing Fiction for All You’re Worth contains the best of James Scott Bell's articles and blog posts on writing, easily searchable under these headings: The Writing World, The Writing Life, and The Writing Craft. And you'll get never before published material, including a first-ever look into Jim's secret writing notebook, the manual he put together over the years for his own use in writing numerous bestsellers. For the first time, he's sharing a glimpse into the notes he compiled on his way to publishing success. Plus, a special module on getting into e-publishing, which is a must read if you want to have a career selling e-books successfully.

From blank page to first glowing (or gutting) review, Betsy Lerner is a knowing and sympathetic coach who helps writers discover how they can be more productive in the creative process and how they can better their odds of not only getting published, but getting published well.

If you want an insight into the world of publishing from the publisher's side, then this book is for you.

This is NOT a book about the craft, but a book about the publishing industry.

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this volume reveals a view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have.

This is NOT a book about the craft, but rather a memoir of Stephen King's journey into writing. It contains truths about how writing can be destructive if one is not careful.