For Writers

Here's two lists of resources for writers, one of online resources and one of books. Many, but not all, of  the resources listed are for children's writers. All resources are listed in alphabetical order. A brief description is given for each. 

Please note this is just a short list of the many, many websites and books available to help writers hone their craft as well as market what they've written.

I will update this page from time-to-time to make sure these listings are current and to add any new ones I come across. So, come back and check this page often.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

* Aaron Shepard, author of “The Business of  Writing for Children” shares articles and links on his Aaron Shepard’s Kidwriting Page
* Bartleby.com - This website gives you access to the full text of the book, The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., an invaluable resource for any writer.
* The Business of Writing - An ezine full of information about writing for a living.  
*The Children’s Book Council "is a national nonprofit trade organization of US publishers and packagers of both children’s and young adult trade books. It is dedicated to encouraging literacy and the use and enjoyment of children's books."
* The Children's Book Hub is the website of Emma Walton Hamilton, the author of many children's books. She features interviews of top names in children's literature on her website. She also teaches an 8-week, online course called Just Write for Kids. And, for those who don't know, she is also the daughter of Julie Andrews!
* The Children’s Book Insider is a great website with articles about writing for children. You can also subscribe to their newsletter.  
* Coffeehouse for Writers - As the name implies, this is a "virtual" coffee house, packed full of information for writers.
* EwriteLife is an ezine for writers.
* The Institute of Children’s Literature is a professional organization for writers of children’s literature. They offer writing courses, have many good articles on their website, and members are sent a copy of their monthly, informational newsletter.
* The Internet Writing Journal is an online magazine for writers and book lovers.  
*Katie Davis, who is both an author and an illustrator, has a website that is a "treasure-trove of goodies" for writers. The site features her #1 kidlit podcast Brain Burps About Books, ebooks on marketing, and webinars and tutorials with all types of tips and tidbits about the business. She wrote the ebook How to Promote Your Children's Book, which you might want to take a look at.
* KidMagazineWriters.com is a site for writers who write articles and stories for children's magazines.
* Author Meghan McCarthy has many resources for writers on her website.  
* Picture Book University - Pam Calvert has an insightful, FREE post on her blog called the Picture Book University. It's an online "course" that you work through, at your own pace, to learn about picture books and how to write them.
* The Purple Crayon is a wonderfully informative website by Harold Underdown filled with articles and links to a host of resources.
* Rachelle Burk's Resources for Children's Writers is a treasure trove of information for writers about every aspect of the business. 
* Rhyme Weaver is a bonanza of information for those who write in rhyme or want to write in rhyme. You'll find everything you need to know there to make your rhyme work.
*  Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) is a national organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. Members receive a copy of their monthly newsletter.
* "Story Patch...growing stories from seeds" is hosted by Carrie Finison, a writer and mother of two small children. This is what Carrie says about her website: "We love stories. We harvest giant piles of them and gobble them up...Whether it's berries or books, we love to share the best of our harvests with friends! Story Patch is a place where we can share great stories and, as writers, figure out what makes the best ones so delicious."
* Writers.com offers online writing classes and bills itself as “the first writing school on the Internet.”
* Writing for Children Workshop – Writing Children’s Books page - Bethany Robert’s shares her page of “tips, tricks, articles and resources” for anyone interested in writing children’s books,
* Writing for Dollars is a FREE online ezine dedicated to helping writers make money.  
* WriteOnCon is a FREE online children's writers conference created by writers, for writers. It takes place every August and the only requirement to participate is an Internet connection. In addition to interviews and posts from authors, editors and agents, WriteOnCon hosts a forum where writers can get feedback from other writers on their work. 
* Writing Tips is a page created by author Dianne Ochiltree with a list of writing resources.

BOOKS AND OTHER PRINT RESOURCES:

* A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books - Caroline W. Lima and Rebecca L. Thomas, team up to provide this comprehensive guide to children's picture books. The book is updated periodically to include new books that have come on the market. The books are listed by subject area.
* Book Markets for Children - The Writer's Institute publishes this guide every year and updates it to keep it current. It is a list of markets for books and stories for children.
* Building Fiction: How to Develop Plot and Structure - Author Jesse Lee Kercheval shares her knowledge of how to develop plot and structure when writing fiction.
* Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market - Writer's Digest publishes this guide every year and updates it to keep it current. It is a list of markets for books and stories for children.
* Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary - Written by Marc McCutcheon, this is, as the title says, a thematic dictionary, listing descriptions of things alphabetically, giving a description of each thing.
* How to Write Romances - Romance novelist Phyllis Taylor Pianka provides would-be romance writers with the "nuts and bolts" of the trade. A complete guide to writing romance novels.
* Stephen King: On Writing - Suspense novelist Stephen King shares his thoughts about many aspects of writing. He includes anecdotes form his own experiences.
* The Art of Styling Sentences - Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan team up to give writers this guide to crafting sentences.
* The Weekend Novelist Rewrites a Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfecting Your Work - Robert J. Ray, the author of The Weekend Novelist, provides readers (writers) with a series of 17 rewriting exercises, each of which are designed to be completed in a weekend.
* The Writer's Art - Author James J. Kilpatrick "brings the English language to life" by teaching writers the value and power of words and how they can change the meaning of what we write.
* The Writer's Handbook - Authors Robert J. DiYanni and Pat C. Hoy team up to bring writers this handbook filled with articles and how-to's about all aspects of writing.
* The Writing Trade: A Year in the Life - Author John Jerome shares his writing experiences, month by month, giving other writers insight into what it's like to be an established novelist.
* Thrice Told Tales - Catherine Lewis uses the unlikely tale of the Three Blind Mice to illustrate and explain such literary concepts as "allegory", "red herring", and "prologue", among many others. This easy-to-read, highly entertaining book is packed with valuable information for writers.
* Writing A to Z - Author Kirk Polking gives definitions to almost all things literary, defining words and phrases used in writing and the publishing industry. giving definitions of each. For instance, if you've ever wondered what a "novella" is, wonder no more. It is "a relatively short work of prose fiction comparable in length to a long short story or novellete, approx 7500-40,000 words."
* Writing for Children and Teenagers - Published by Writer's Digest Books, it is chock full of useful information for those who write, or want to write, for children and teenagers.
* Writing Light Verse and Prose Humor - Richard Willard Armour provides writers a guide for humor writing and writing with humor.
* Writing Poetry to Save Your Life: How to Find the Courage to Tell Your Stories - Mariah Mazziotti Gillan, a poet and the executive director of the Poetry Center, located in Paterson, New Jersey, shares her own personal story with suggestions for writers to use to write their own stories.

 

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