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Resources

Helpful books, newsletters, databases, and more. Let's be writers.

Bookshelf

Books on writing, publishing, inspiration, creativity...and since inspo is not a straight line, here's a list-mix tape.

 

*Shop local, if you can. 

Bookshop.org gives full profits to your chosen indie bookstore.

If you can't shop full price,

[1] head to your local library (if they don't have your book on the shelf, request it through interlibrary loan) or

[2] shop AbeBooks. They even carry out-of-print. I've been using them for years. Seller ratings are accurate and most used books arrive looking better than described!

Stay Inspired: Finding Motivation for Your Creative Work, Brandon Stosuy, 9781419746529

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King, 9781982159375

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Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story, Ursula K. Le Guin, 9780544611610

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Bird By Bird: Some Instructions On Writing And Life, Anne Lamott, 9780385480017

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Writer's Market: The Most Trusted Guides to Publishing, Writer's Digest

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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Mignon Fogarty, 9781427204363

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The Pocket Muse: Ideas and Inspirations for Writing, Monica Wood, Vol. 1 9781582971421, Vol. 2 9781582974194

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Then Again, Diane Keaton, 9780812980950

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Yes Please, Amy Poehler, 9780062867841

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My Brain On Fire, Leonard Pitt, 9781593766344

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The Secret Lives of Color, Kassia St. Clair, 9780143131144

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Palette Perfect for Graphic Designers and Illustrators: Colour Combinations, Meanings and Cultural References, Sara Caldas, 9788417412944

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Shakespeare and Company Paris: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart, Krista Halverson, 9791096101009

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Death By Landscape, Elvia Wilk, 9781593767150

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Create Dangerously: The Power and Responsibility of the Artist, Albert Camus, 9781984897381

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Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, Austin Kleon, 9781523506644

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How to Relax, Thich Nhat Hanh, 9781941529089

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On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection, Susan Stewart, 9780822313663

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From the Tree to the Labyrinth: Historical Studies on the Sign and Interpretation, Umberto Eco, 9780674049185

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The Book of Legendary Lands, Umberto Eco, 9780857052964

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On Ugliness, Umberto Eco, 9780857051622

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On Beauty, Umberto Eco, 9780857050205

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Newsletters

Handy newsletters featuring calls for subs, funding, freelancing...

Funds for Writers, a free weekly newsletter that lists semi-pro or higher paying markets and contests as well as grants, crowdfunding, contests, publishers, agents and employers. An absolute gem.

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CLMP, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, updates in Indie Lit featuring new publishers, publications, calls for subs, jobs, and community info.

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HerStry, empowering women through storytelling.

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MSWL, The Manuscript Academy, insightful agents, supportive community, creative events, and writerly help every step of the way.

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The Gutsy Great Novelist Writers Studio, where serious creative writers gather to finish their novels with tips, talks, and contests.

Databases / Lists

Information collectors for all things publishing.

Chill Subs, 2000+ literary magazines, free

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Ralan.com, organized writing links and up-to-date listings of markets, which only accept submissions of speculative genres, or elements of these genres.

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Writer's Market: The Most Trusted Guides to Publishing, Writer's Digest

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Brecht De Poortere's Top 1000 Literary Magazines, magazines publishing fiction and/or creative non-fiction.

Lit Culture

Bookstores, authors, motivating talks, podcasts...

Literary Hub, an organizing principle in the service of literary culture, a single, trusted, daily source for all the news, ideas and richness of contemporary literary life. 

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Boswell Book Company, the independent, neighborhood bookstore of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Shakespeare and Company, Paris, Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame. Since opening in 1951, it’s been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution.

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City Lights, a landmark bookstore, publishing house, and literary meeting place in San Francisco known for their commitment to innovative writing and progressive ideals since 1953.

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Powell's Books, Portland, Oregon's independent bookstore promoting diverse perspectives, upholding the free exchange of ideas, championing the enduring power of books, and bolstering the great community of readers and authors.

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No Write Way, [podcast] host and best selling author Victoria V.E. Schwab chats with fellow writers about their creative processes, origin stories, hurdles, work-life balance, and, well, how *they* specifically write! 

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88 Cups of Tea, an online platform and podcast for creative writers looking for guidance in their storytelling journey and connection to a community, fostering year-round conversations around the personal and professional life of a writer.

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HerStry, unless she did something very incredible (or very, very bad) most women don't get named in history.  HerStry wants to rewrite the narrative and put women’s stories front and center.

Journals

Publishing speculative fiction, sci fi, fantasy, experimental...

 

*These are journals I've found that meet my writing styles. I offer them to help get you started. The best way to find submissions is to

[1] understand your style(s) and genre(s),

[2] do your research to find opportunities that match your writing (newsletters are a great way to begin funneling), and

[3] be bold. The worst thing that can happen when you submit is they tell you "no," and you keep going!

Luna Station Quarterly, stellar short fiction by women-identified writers since 2009.

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Tolka, a journal of formally promiscuous non-fiction.

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Soft Star Magazine, an online publication featuring stories of science fiction, futurism, and speculative fiction with a healthy dose of optimism.

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Brigids Gate Press, an indie press where new and established talents are refined and developed, and their stories shaped and tempered into beautiful, dark, mysterious, and thrilling tales that will delight readers.

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HerStry, empowering women through storytelling, featuring personal essays, theme essays, and the Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize.

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Dark Matter Magazine, promises to bring you the best in dark science fiction and horror.

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Brink Literary Journal, an in-print literary journal dedicated to publishing hybrid, cross-genre work of both emerging and established creatives who often reside outside traditional artistic disciplines.

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The Raven Review, based in Central Texas, The Raven Review is a literary magazine that publishes poetry and short fiction that explores the human experience through dark, atmospheric writing.

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Humana Obscura, an independent literary magazine that seeks to publish nature-focused poetry, prose, and art by new, emerging, and established writers and artists from around the world.

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Hexagon, an online speculative fiction magazine created to take readers to fantastic worlds and to meet incredible characters. They specialize in the weird, the wondrous, and the whimsical!

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Bloodletter Magazine, a feminist horror magazine showcasing personal and analytical perspectives of the horrific by women and non-binary writers.

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The Hunger, a journal of visceral writing that publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, hybrid work, and visual art in a yearly issue, appearing in the Spring. 

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Erato Magazine, named after the muse of lyric poetry, Erato Magazine is a non-profit, independent literary online magazine, seeking to explore and promote new and established writing. To write is to spill one's soul on the pages.

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The Lumiere Review, a literary magazine dedicated to shining the light on all voices through poetry, prose, and art. We are intrigued by the inextinguishable sparks of truth and connection, the effervescent meddling of narrative, and the luminous creations that expand on perceptions of genre, language, and form.

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Ampersand Press, a literary press specializing in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction which traverses genres through lyricism and narrative. Ampersand Press’s mission is to bring many authors of diverse backgrounds, styles, and experiences to publication. 

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Arboreal Literary Magazine, a not-for-profit, tree-like literary magazine produced for pure enjoyment—to encourage creativity, and a plurality of voices that embody creative risk-taking.

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Wyrd Magazine, is an independent quarterly magazine dedicated to the magic of word and image. Wyrd aims to highlight the invisible worlds of our experience, and promote the creation of new mythologies and symbolism for the modern era.

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Pile Press, an alternative publishing collective for women + non-binary creatives.

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