Resources for Writers

This is just a big ol’ running list of the best newsletters, google docs, websites, and anything else writers may need to do their best work. I add to the list when I find something really good.

(Want me to add something? Email me at lisa(at)allthingswords.com.)

And remember—always follow the golden rule of publishing:

Pay for knowledge, never access.

Classes, Connections, and Critique Groups

Absolute Write — The online water cooler for writers of all kinds. Forums, groups, and more. *Currently offline, but plans to come back soon.

Catapult Classes — Classes for poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and professional development. Based in NYC and online.

Gotham Writers — Creative writing classes in NYC and online since 1993.

Grub Street — Over 600 classes and events a year for writers seeking connection and development.

Hugo House — A place for writers in Seattle and beyond. Classes and events year-round.

Literary Arts — A community-based non-profit in Portland, OR to support writers and readers of all stripes.

Loft — A haven for readers and writers in Minneapolis.

NaNoWriMo — This is the hub for the annual challenge where writers attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in one month—November. Includes groups, forums, and shared tracking for social encouragement.

Penpalooza — A pen pal exchange for writers. Created during COVID-19.

Periplus Collective — A collective to mentor writers who are Black, indigenous, or people of color. Currently accepting applications.

Poets & Writers Groups — Brand new! A free platform for writers to chat, share files, create smaller groups, and do limited videoconferencing.

The Porch — Nashville’s independent literary center providing classes, author visits, and events for Nashville’s writers. Run by some of the best people around. (Yes, I work there.)

Sackett Street Writers — Small classes (no more than nine people) for those in NYC, LA, and online.

Women Who Submit — Empowering woman and non-binary writers to submit their work for publication. Has chapters all around the country.

Crowd-Sourced Reference Guides

The Big Artist Opportunities List — Grant-funding, contests, residencies, and more.

Freelancer’s Glossary Guide — A list of common freelance/editorial lingo and definitions. Not crowd-sourced but very helpful!

Freelancer Pay Gap — Rates by word count, notes on editorial process, and more whispery network needs.

Publications Paying $500 and Up — Exactly what it sounds like. (Double-check before pitching.)

#PublishingPaidMe — An aggregated list of book advances by genre and publisher.

Reference Desk — From Sonia Weiser to complement her Opps of the Week newsletter.

See Successful Pitches — A crowd-sourced database of successful pitches, the publication, relationship with editor, pay and more.

Who Pays Writers — A listing of pay received at publications and how quickly they pay.

Writer Beware — A listing of publishing scams and shady practices. Check out their blog as well.

Must-Subscribe Newsletters

All Things Words Newsletter — Yes, this is my newsletter. This is my website, what do you expect? That said, it is a very good newsletter and you should def sign up.

Counter Craft with Lincoln Michel — Really great thoughts on craft mixed with practical business advice. Free

Freelancing with Tim — From NY Times editor Tim Herrera, offering insight and guidance from industry veterans. Free

Get Published, Stay Published with Courtney Maum — Productivity tips, emotional stamina development, creativity during a pandemic strategies and more. Free

The Hot Sheet by Jane Friedman — Business intelligence for career authors, delivered biweekly by email, since 2015. $59/annual

Memoir Monday — The best first person writing from across the web, all in one place. (From Guernica, The Rumpus, Catapult, Granta, Narratively, and Lit Hub.) Free

Publisher’s Lunch Deluxe — Daily newsletter from Publisher’s Marketplace featuring a round-ups of book deals, career moves, and publishing industry news. Available with a membership to Publisher’s Marketplace (which I highly recommend.)

Rae Witte’s Approved Pitches — The emails and pitch processes that result in published stories and paychecks. $5/month

Sonia Weiser’s Opportunities of the Week — A weekly round-up of tweets from editors looking for writers, paid writing gigs, and more. $3/month or $36/annual

Story Club with George Saunders — The master himself offers the kind of craft lessons you get in an MFA with him, via free newsletter.

Study Hall — A media newsletter and online support network for media workers. (Cost varies.)

The Sunday Long Read — The best longform journalism. Every Sunday. By Don Van Natta, Jr. and Jacob Feldman. Free, but donations are welcome.

The Where to Pitch Newsletter — From Susan Shain. Tips and treats for freelance writers delivered pipin’ hot once a month. Free

Must-Subscribe Podcasts

Beautiful Writers Podcast — Conversations with some of the most well-known and renowned writers in the world.

Deadline City — A podcast from two New York City-based authors who share an office and work on multiple books at a time.

I Should Be Writing — From Mur Lafferty. Encouragement for “would-be” writers to get writing.

Manuscript Academy — Conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey. From literary agent, Jessica Sinsheimer.

Minorities in Publishing — Discussing the lack of diversity in publishing with professionals and authors. From Jenn Baker.

Missing Pages — This one’s just good gossiping fun. An all-new investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick.

Print Run Podcast — By agents Laura Zats and Erik Hane. Conversations about the book and writing industries too often glossed over by conventional wisdom, institutional optimism, and false seriousness.

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing — Writer Bianca Marais and agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra discuss books with hooks, great queries and opening pages, and interview authors on their paths to publishing.

The Writer’s Co-op — An audio career handbook for freelance creatives.

How-To Submissions

The Art of the Nudge — How to softly follow-up with editors regarding your submissions

How to Read Between the Lines of Your Rejections — On how to tell the difference between a form rejection, a higher-tier form reject (there is such a thing!), a personalized reject, and more

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Published in a Literary Magazine — Everything to know before submitting your stories

Where to Find Publication Homes

50 Best US Magazines — A database listing of excellent magazines by topic. Great for finding potential homes for specific work.

50+ Pitching Guides from Tim Herrera — Guides to pitch NY Times, NatGeo, Wired, WaPo, and more.

The Best American Series — Annual collections of the country’s best writing that year by genre and who’s publishing it.

Bookfox Rankings — A ranking of literary journals appearing in the Best American Series (Fiction and Nonfiction)

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses — Helping independent literary publishers thrive.

Duotrope — A database of literary journals, publishers, and agents, plus software to help you track your submissions. ($50/annual.)

Medium Verticals That Pay Flat Fees and How to Pitch Them — Exactly what it sounds like.

New Pages — A guide to literary magazines, publishers, contests, alternative presses, and more.

Poets and Writers Database — A searchable database of magazines, presses, submission guidelines, and more, all for free.

Pushcart Prize Anthologies — The annual best from the nation’s smallest presses.

Query Tracker — A database of agents and publishers, as well as a tracking system for your queries. Free, or perks with membership.

Writer’s Market — The mega-book of where and how to sell what you write.