A Collection of Favorite Resources From Authors & Industry Insiders
One of the things I absolutely delight in when it comes to working in publishing, is trying to push as much free information as I can into the hands of people who have questions.
Sure, you can see my own query tips page here, where I have query letters, book proposals, and all kinds of good stuff available. But so many of my wonderful colleagues in this business have their own collection of free and accessible tips and insights, just waiting for you to gobble them up.
I thought I’d pool together a bundle of my favorites, and I hope you’ll find some good tips in here. In fact, I know you will. These are some great people.
Let’s go.
PODCASTS
There are a lot of publishing and writing related podcasts out there, and there are quite a few run by fantastic people who work inside this wild business. You’ll learn so much not just about pitching or writing… but about the state of the industry, current news, and the like.
So, go subscribe to these.
The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing: Hosted by bestselling author Bianca Marais, and co-hosted by my colleagues at P.S. Literary Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra, this podcast interviews scores of people from across the business, including booksellers and digital influencers, for a deep dive inside the industry.
Print Run: I’ve been lucky enough to appear on this podcast twice, once for an in-person recording at a bookstore that made me feel like we were famous. It was awesome, and this show is fantastic. Hosted by Erik Hane and Laura Zats, two agents who I’ve known for ages, it’s not just a podcast. It’s a whole community, where the two agents interact and dish advice and uplift writers wrestling with trying to break through. They won an award not too long ago, and it’s very clear why.
Deadline City: As of this post, Dhonielle Clayton and Zoraida Cordova are six seasons into this podcast, which pulls in industry experts and authors for discussions surround writing and the business. Recent episodes dug into important conversations surrounding burn out, and answered burning questions about pen names, something I find a lot of writers have questions about. Tune in.
Sisters Always Write: A newer podcast run by editor and author Sara Schonfeld and her sister, also a writer, K. L. Cerra. They break down querying, pitching, being on submission, you name it. I’ve got a book with Sara in my agent life, and she’s a brilliant resource. Definitely subscribe.
Literaticast: Hosted by agent Jennifer Laughran, I don’t even know where to start with what a great resource this is. Not only does Jennifer have a great show with wonderful guests, delivering all kinds of insider tips, she also has a Tumblr that is one of my favorite in the business. Have questions? Maybe go check it out. And definitely subscribe to the show.
Basic Pitches: SO many great interviews on this show hosted by Anna Mercier and Emily Thiede (if you haven’t read This Vicious Grace you really should).
Minorities in Publishing: A bimonthly podcast hosted by the brilliant Jenn Baker and Bev Rivero, this show digs into discussing diversity in the industry. It’s full of great insights, and the recent episode (as of this post) with Erin Entrada Kelly is a particularly great highlight.
The Manuscript Academy Podcast: I do a handful of critiques with the Manuscript Academy every month, and they also have a podcast where they chat with agents and break down industry things.
Write or Die: While this podcast isn’t updating anymore (weeps), it is a fantastic resource packed full of advice from bestselling, brilliant authors Claribel Ortega and Kat Cho. It’s packed with humor and heart, I feel like I’ve laughed more listening to this podcast than any other show about publishing. Highly recommend listening to the back episodes, particularly the ones from Laekan Zea Kemp, Malinda Lo, and Wendy Xu.
First Draft: Another podcast that’s on hiatus, hosted by Sarah Enni, there are so many amazing episodes that dig into craft and process with numerous authors, from recent final episodes with Nina LaCour to chatting with John Cho and Seth Meyers.
AGENTS + EDITORS
A number of my colleagues in the business have personal websites that are just packed full of free tips and resources. Be sure to visit them, and see what you can learn there.
Maria Vicente: I’m lucky enough to work with this brilliant human, and Maria’s website constantly has great tips and resources on it. My favorites are her breakdown of how to query a graphic novel and what to include in your pitch.
Jennifer Laughran: Yes, yes, I already mentioned her wonderful podcast, but please go check out Jennifer’s Tumblr, which is PACKED full of resources. She breaks down comps, pitching picture books, and so much more here.
Beth Phelan: The astonishing resource that Beth has created is DVpit and DVcon, a pitch event and a free virtual conference that helps boost up marginalized writers. Follow her and order every book she works on. And also watch out for those events!
Janet Reid: Query Shark is one of those blogs that’s been around since I got into publishing, and goodness is it packed full of advice in the form of breaking down queries.
Dongwon Song: Dongwon’s newsletter, Publishing is Hard, is so wildly insightful and packed full of knowledge. Go subscribe to it. You’ll love it.
AUTHORS
A number of writers also have resources available on their respective websites. Yes, some of them have podcasts too, as you’ve seen up top, but these are text tips.
Aiden Thomas: Aiden’s resource for authors page is WONDERFUL. It’s a point by point breakdown of how to prepare to launch a career as a writer, both in the beginning (finding your people) and further in when you have a book hitting (stay off Goodreads!). I love it and share it with folks often.
M.K. England: I work with M.K. and have been lucky enough to see a bundle of their books through to publication. M.K. has a really honest and thoughtful breakdown of their journey to write full time on their website, explaining the steps taken to get there, as well as a list of resources they’ve found helpful along the way.
Dahlia Adler: I’m not even sure where to start here, as Dahlia is a walking wealth of knowledge, and actively gives it away to writers. Head to her website to learn about how to put together anthologies, for general pep talks, and for fun social media based promotions. She’s great. Buy her books.
Terry J. Benton-Walker: Terry’s writing resources page includes some really great tips, including a breakdown of writing a synopsis and downloadable novel planning kit as a .PDF! All free! Though please thank him by ordering his books.
Susan Dennard: Susan’s been providing writing tips for aspiring authors since before I even wrote my first book, and I leaned pretty heavily on her advice when it was my turn to dive in. Visit her website and subscribe to her brilliant newsletter. You’ll learn so much.
Chuck Wendig: Somehow Chuck manages to update his website almost daily, with interviews, tips, long rants packed full of advice and hilarious quips… I love it. He also writes really helpful books, but offers up a lot of stuff for free here.
Erin Bowman: From her expert newsletter to the advice peppered all over her website, Erin’s a great resource for aspiring writers and folks who have been in the business forever. Also Contagion is one of my favorite YA novels ever written please go get it.
Tess Sharpe: While Tess has a great newsletter, so much of her brilliant advice comes from following her on Twitter. It feels like every week she’s breaking down misconceptions and giving folks advice, all for free. Follow her and order her new books, please.
Amy Spalding: I say this all the time, but Amy’s book The New Guy is one of my favorite YA rom-coms ever written. And she dishes advice and tips about the industry and writing via her newsletter and on social media. Do follow her!
Ashley Poston: Highly recommend subscribing to Ashley Poston’s newsletter. Lots of great insight about the industry in there regularly. Also her books are great.
Delilah S. Dawson: One of my favorite authors, Delilah has a blog packed full of resources. A favorite of mine is her most recent and last post about writing I.P. for Star Wars. People always have questions about that, and well, here are your answers!