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Resources for writers on the web
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Resources on this site
These forms are in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader required
The Prose Book for running prose meetings
The Poetry Book for running poetry meetings
Feedback Form. An aid to preparing feedback
Feedback Hint List. Commom problems in writing to look for (almost entirely relevant to prose)
Resources on external sites
Writespread (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
(Posted by Madeleine 6 June 2011)
Yet another online writing resource you may be interested in. here's a VERY brief extract.(Perhaps members might like to submit their tips on concise writing...)
MP
Internet start-up WriteSpread.com aims to revolutionise how we share and publish writing online, while also maximising readers' enjoyment of the written word.
http://www.prlog.org/11522276-youtube-flickr-facebook-and-nowwritespread.html
Fade Poetry - new on-line outlet for poets (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
(While not actively recommending this website, I thought our poets might be interested in knowing about it.
MP 11 May 2011)
I am Richard Campbell, speaking on behalf of North Staffordshire Press-- a midlands based publishers. We have recently developed a poetry journal called Fade and were wondering if anyone in your group would be interested in submitting to the journal? We are inviting submissions from anywhere, and the reasoning behind the project is to give poets a platform for their work. The journal issues monthly, and is completely free; it can be downloaded in pdf format from our website. I have attached a copy of the first issue for your reference. At the moment it serves as a booklet on one sheet of A4 with three poems per issue, but we hope to publish more poetry per issue in the future, depending on success.
I hope this is of interest to your group, and we hope to hear back from you.
Best regards
Richard Campbell
Editor
Fade Poetry Journal
Henson Editorial &
North Staffordshire Press Ltd
Staffordshire University
72 Leek Road
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 2AR
--
http://northstaffordshirepress.com
fadepoetry.blogspot.com
fadepoetry@gmail.com
Opening Editions (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
(Posted by MP on 6 May 2011)
Opening Editions has two opportunities for writers and writers’ groups:
1. Monthly Short Story Competition
Free Entry – winners are published in one of our collections of short stories – details see http://www.openingeditions.co.uk/#/fiction-authors/4550912811
2. Writers’ Group Anthologies
We are keen to support active writers’ groups. To launch our service we are offering (at no charge) to publish and promote anthologies of group members’ work. Books will be available for purchase at a standard price.
In order for us to publish anthologies:
Collections should be compiled into a single Word document.
The document should start with a few paragraphs about each author and the group.
The book should be fully proof read.
We will:
Format the book into a standard size.
Design a professional cover.
Produce and promote the book.
Authors will retain full rights to their work, but grant Opening Editions the right to publish it.
Regards Nigel Wyatt 01908 565574
Firsty - e-book resource package (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
(Recommended by Madeleine Price on 5 April 2011)
I can't personally recommend this resource, I merely bring it to your notice... Madeleine
Firsty Author Package - Everything an author needs to create, promote and sell eBooks
The Firsty Author Package gives authors all the tools they need to create, promote and sell eBooks. There is no easier way to convert documents into eBooks, no simpler way to promote and sell eBooks, and no better value for money.
Specifically, the package offers:
*eBook conversion of an existing book or manuscript, FREE
a customised, professional and easily maintained website
*book promotion facilities on the site, including blog space and social media tools
*eCommerce facilities for selling eBooks from the site
*digital rights management (DRM) software for selling books securely
*book sales management by Firsty, with sales reports and commission payments
*eBooks uploaded by Firsty onto the major eBookstores
You can visit it now at www.firstyauthors.com
Author / writer associations, clubs and media: referring people to the package and writing about it will show that you're keeping up with the massive changes taking place in book publishing; and we'd love get feedback from you about the package and any changes that you think would improve it
After looking at the site, if you have any queries or comments about our Author Package, please call us on 01635 581185.
For more on the Firsty Group, and the comprehensive set of digital publishing services that we provide, do visit our website
Writing Raw - online magazine - open to ideas and contributions (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
The Evolution Continues – only on WritingRaw.com!
WritingRaw continues to evolve and grow - allowing more of everything to be on the site… more writing in all our categories, more book and publishing news (updated daily), more art (with daily updated cartoons), more interactive features (the Wall), and other informative and entertaining bits and pieces. Over the next few days and weeks we will be adding some other NEW features (including an interactive section that will allow all of us to create the longest running poem in history, a never-ending short story and a section where you - the reader - can post Shout-Outs about upcoming releases or other information you would like to share) to the site to make it more creative. So, sit back and open your mind… WritingRaw is stepping into the future of literature like no other site on the web!
The November 15 issue (ok, it’s a little late – but we offer an explanation on the home page) of WritingRaw.com is NOW online: Writing Raw is a FREE literary ezine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill.
WritingRaw also supports other sites that help writers: www.WritingRaw.com believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site! Or, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.).
Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.
Also, be sure to check out the NEW announcements on WritingRaw.com’s Home page from writer’s group and organizations worldwide. Discover meeting places, organizations offering fellowships, contests, and a variety of other useful websites all dedicated to writers of every level
Tutor Hunt (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
Here's a new one on me - I have briefly visited the website and it looks interesting for HBW members, whether they're seeking a tutor or offering their own tutoring expertise.
Feedback would be appreciated.
MP
We provide a completely free service both tutors and students to locate each other. We are used by thousands of parents/students and feel Tutor Hunt would be a useful resource for your readers.
Mark Smith
ADSL Print (self publishing company) (Recommended by madeleineprice@msn.com)
I can't personally recommend this company, but it may be of interest to some of our members.
Madeleine Price
12 August 2010
Dear Hog's Back Writers
We are a digital book printing and self publishing company based in Uxbridge, offering a full range of book printing and self publishing services to authors who would like produce their own books at an affordable price. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to pass on our details to any parties that may be interested.
Dale Burgess
Sales manager
Telephone 01895 811 710
Facsimile 01895 811 388
Mobile 07789 692 117
Skype daleburgess65
The Print Centre, 23/24 Sarum Complex, Salisbury Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2RZ.
e-mail: dale.burgess@adslprint.com
Web: www.adslprint.com
Creative Writing Ink (Recommended by Madeleine Price, HBW Sec)
(((I can't recommend this resource personally but I often get asked for details of creative writing courses, so here's one that arrived today (15 Jun 2010). If anyone has used this company, please send me feedback. Thanks.
Madeleine Price, Sec HBW.)))
Creative Writing Ink offers online creative writing classes, and a critique and editorial service, among other things You will find more details at www.creativewritingink.com
All our tutors are professional and published writers and they work with students at their own level. Our online creative writing courses allow students to develop their writing skills through one-to-one exercises, lectures and critiques. The courses are structured in such a way that will allow students to fit their writing in and around their own schedule. Students will also receive weekly personal feedback from the tutor.
Our online courses include beginners creative writing, poetry, how to blog, memoir writing and writing for children. Our upcoming courses include novel writing and screenwriting. For online courses, all you need is internet access, as any notes/exercises will be emailed to you. You will find a full schedule of our classes at http://creativewriting.ie/online-writing-courses/.
We also have a free montly email newsletter which includes the latest publishing news, writing competitions and updates on freelance writing markets. You can sign up at www.creativewritingink.com
In addition to this, we operate an editing service for novelists who would like feedback from award-winning author, Conor Kostick. Conor's twelfth book will be published this year. For his contribution to children’s literature in Ireland Conor won the 2009 Reading Association of Ireland Special Merit Award. Conor runs a popular course - ’Finish your novel’ – at the Irish Writers’ Centre and several of his former students have gone on to successfully publish their novels and, indeed, climb the bestsellers’ chart. For any queries on this service, please email info@creativewritingink.com
Course Schedule
Online Courses
The courses below are all on demand and on a rolling basis, which means you can start whenever you wish.
Poetry 6 weeks
Beginners Creative Writing 10 weeks
How to Blog 4 weeks
Memoir Writing 10 weeks
Our Writing for Children course starts on July 19th and runs for 6 weeks.
For further information, please visit www.creativewritingink.com or email info@creativewritingink.com
Warm regards,
Olive
Olive O'Brien
info@creativewritingink.com
www.creativewritingink.com
Tom Gauld's "Fiction Police" cartoon (Recommended by Mary Ellen)
Great cartoon! Don't fall afoul of the fiction police --
Bridge House Publishing (Recommended by Secretary)
Hi there,
Can your writing group help raise awareness in this special charity book? Perhaps you would so kind as to pass this on to anyone who might be interested!
Also check out our website as we encourage new writing. We publish short story anthologies and have over 100 authors- at least half of which made their publishing debut with Bridge House Publishing.
http://bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/newsubmissions.aspx
I also run the Bangor Cellar Writing Group in North Wales so it’s nice to contact other writing groups!
Debz J
WritingRaw (Recommended by Secretary)
The February 15 issue of WritingRaw.com is NOW online: Writing Raw is a FREE literary ezine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill.
We also support other sites that help writers: www.WritingRaw.com believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site!
Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book, a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.
Also, be sure to check out the NEW announcements on WritingRaw.com’s Home page from writer’s group and organizations worldwide. Discover meeting places, organizations offering fellowships, contests, and a variety of other useful websites all dedicated to writers of every level.
Alibi channel - crime short story competition (Recommended by Mary Ellen)
Do you fancy becoming the next Stuart MacBride, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie or Dashiell Hammett? Do you have the next great gumshoe detective or amateur sleuth character under wraps and just need an opportunity to tell the world? Now's your chance.
Alibi has teamed up with world-renowned publisher HarperCollins and Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate to unearth some of the country's hottest new crime-writing talent and we're starting by asking you to submit your very own crime fiction short story.
And it couldn't be easier to enter. We've enlisted the help of award-winning crime writer Stuart MacBride who has provided the first line of the story to help get you started. All we ask is that your story is between 2,000 and 5,000 words long. Otherwise you have free reign to express yourselves! Click on the link below to submit your story.
Three finalists will win tickets to Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate (with travel and accommodation included), where they'll get to the chance to rub shoulders with leading authors and agents of the crime writing world. The winner will be announced during the weekend and will win a Sony e-reader, a library of 100 crime books including a signed Stuart MacBride back catalogue and they'll also see their story turned into a special online, downloadable e-edition by HarperCollins.
Entries must reach us by noon on May 16th. Good luck!
Your first line provided by Stuart MacBride: In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it.
Punked Books (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
Authortrek.com are looking to publish new fiction writers under its imprint Punk'd Books. We do have a rather novel submission process, which is via our Authortrek Short Stories website:
If you submit a short story via Authortrek Short Stories, you could be named the Authortrek Writer of the Month! And the authors of the most popular stories will be given the opportunity to have a novel published in paperback! (See below for more details)
The rules are very simple -
There is a word limit of 10,000 words.
- Here endeth the rules! The stories can be of any genre.
Once you have registered on the site, you can post your story. Registration is free. Indeed, access to the whole of Authortrek Short Stories is free.
Each short story will have a voting button. So, once you have finished posting your story, forward the story link to your friends and ask them to read and vote for your story if they like it (i.e., don’t be shy!). Visitors will only be allowed to vote once per story. Your story will be open to feedback from other users of the site, which may be taken into account in the event of a tie (please ensure that you only ever engage in constructive criticism – the administrator reserves the right to bar users who abuse the comment box).
The 3 stories with the most votes from 3 different authors will form the shortlist for each month’s award, with Authortrek editor Kevin Mahoney choosing the winner. So it’s best to only submit 1 short story per month, or your votes may be split between all the stories that you have entered. It’s also a good idea for you submit your story as early in the month as possible, as votes will only be counted per calendar month (not from the date that you submitted the story). The winning author will not win any money or a prize, only the title of Authortrek Writer of the Month, but this is still a mighty fine addition to your writing CV. However, if your short gets over 30 votes, then you will be invited to submit your story to anthology, which you will be sent a free copy of. If your story gets over a 100 votes, then you’ll be invited to submit a novel for publication by our imprint, Punked Books. Editor Kevin Mahoney reserves the right to reject novel submissions if they do not fit Punked Books’ list, and also reserves the right to source novels beyond this site.
More details about how to submit to Authortrek Short Stories can be found on the following page:
http://authortrek.com/short-stories/how-to-post-stories/submission-guidelines/
For more details about being published by Punked Books, please visit our FAQ page:
http://authortrek.com/punked-books/faq/
Please pass on this email to any author you think will be interested.
Best wishes,
Kevin Mahoney
Publisher and Founder
Punked Books
Brit Writers Award (Recommended by Madeleine Price)
Awards categories
Submit your story, poem or song to the Brit Writers' Awards and be in with a chance of winning £10,000!
To give you the best possible experience from the Brit Writers' Awards, we're still working on this page! Please check back soon to read more detail about the writing categories you can enter your work within.
In the meantime, here's a preview:
Adults:
1. Poetry (collection of 5 entries)
2. Short stories (minimum 1,000 and maximum 5,000 words)
3. Novels
4. Non-fiction
5. Children's stories
6. Songwriting
7. Diverse Unpublished Writer of the Year (from people of black, minority or ethnic origin)
8. Published Writer of the Year (the only category for published writers)
Young people (aged 16 and under):
1. Poetry (collection of 3 entries)
2. Short stories (maximum 3,000 words)
3. Songwriting
These categories are open to Key Stage 1 (5-7 years), Key Stage 2 (7-11 years) and Key Stages 3 and 4 (11-16 years) age groups.
Transita Publishing - (women) writers wanted (Recommended by Sandy Humphrey)
This is an extract from the website of Transita publishing(click on the heding above for more)- :
"We’re looking for contemporary women’s fiction that reflects the lives of women aged 45 – 75.We are looking for 80-85,000 words but otherwise we are not prescriptive. The books can be as varied as women themselves are at this time of life! We are seeking what is most relevant to the lives of other women out there who are facing the challenges and opportunities of the exciting but often difficult later time of life.
...As well as publishing the work of established authors it is part of Transita's mission to discover new talent so if you are interested in writing for Transita please do get in touch with us."
It's not clear whether men are excluded from the world of Transita, but I would hope gender is less important than the ability to write convincing women characters.
elance (Recommended by Sandy Humphrey)
This is like e-bay for writers. Firms or individuals who need some copy written post their 'project' on the site, and writers bid to provide the 'service.' To win, you have to quote an acceptable rate, and sell your writing skills as well.
The site covers all sorts of skills from programming to graphic design, but within the Writing and Translation category you can find demands for copy-writing, proof-reading, editing, articles, and more.
It's not free. USD60 per year allows you 8 bids per month, and for any successful bids you get charged 8% of your earnings for that project. A lot of the writing projects are for web content, which don't pay very highly per word, but do offer repeat work e.g. a series of 20 articles on dogs, or 50 articles on women's footwear(!)
Writelink (Recommended by Sandy Humphrey)
Aimed at amateur and wannabe freelance writers, this is a useful resource with regularly updated sections on markets and competitions.
It is a money-making website, which means you have to join as a 'Writer' (£15p.a.) to enter the Arena competitions, join in the Forums and submit work to the feedback 'Arena' for peer review.
However, it is free to be a 'reader,' which allows you to read the articles and work posted by others, and generally get a feel for the site.
Yoda and Fluff (Recommended by Elliott)
Is your poetry full of fluff and Yoda-speak? This page offers mostly useful advice on "de-Seussifying" your poems. Such as: if place you words in order odd to rhyme achieve, 'tis best I think, to write again or laughter leave.
I say "mostly useful" because there is one rule that, if followed, would rule out most classical English verse including Shakepeare's sonnets. Can you spot which one I'm complaining about?
Print on Demand (Recommended by Elliott)
Advice to authors considering print-on-demand publishing. How to spot the signs that you might lose money and still not sell any books. A sad but balanced look at the realities of the market. US-centric but applies in general here too.
Jan Haag (Recommended by Elliott)
Want to know about poetic forms?
Jan Haag has set out to write a poem on the theme of desolation using every poetic form ever used in English and a few never before used in English.
gnod (Recommended by Gentian)
Marvellous site for linking to authors similar to those with whom you are already acquainted. Enter the author's name, and you will be fascinated at what transpires. Of all the names shown, those that are closest are the most similar. Please try it!
Rhyme - UVic Writers' Guide - Poetry (Recommended by Elliott)
A quick explantation of masculine/feminine, perfect/partial and end/internal rhymes
Silva Rhetoricae (The Forest of Rhetoric) (Recommended by Elliott)
This amazing site from Brigham Young University is a grammar geek's paradise. Do you know your apophasis from your apologue? If not, you need this site. I am distressed to discover that I've been confusing zeugma with syllepsis all my life.
Burgundy (Recommended by Elliott)
A lively and friendly poetry discussion board.
I found it hard to navigate and follow threads - but there's enough of interest here to keep me trying. There's also some excellent poetry and some interesting challenges. For example: can you write a sonnet that is not iambic, not in pent or tet and is not 14 lines - and yet is still recognisably a sonnet?
Literary and rhetorical terms (Recommended by Elliott)
Definitions of many terms such as 'conceit', 'point of view', 'poetic justice' etc.
Ty Newydd (Recommended by Joyce)
A programme of different writing courses and writers' retreats throughout the year. The courses run from Monday evening to Saturday morning.
Ty Newydd is set in stunning surroundings on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. It was Lloyd George's last house.
Sample courses: Drama; Fiction; Poetry and the Short Story; Crime Fiction; Comedy; Storytelling.
Writers' Circles: Competitions (Recommended by Elliott)
A long list of competitions. Looks like it's kept up to date.
Jacqui Bennett Writers' Bureau (Recommended by Gentian)
Packed with info for writers. Markets, competitions, advice - it's all here. Includes HBW in its resources.
Author.co.uk (Recommended by Elliott)
A British site with lots of links and resources for authors. Lists writers' circles - including us!
The-Phone-Book.com (Recommended by Elliott)
A site dedicated to very, very short stories. You write a tiny number of words - and get paid by the word! I found it unusual and inspiring.
Update: I've just had two of my stories accepted for the 1st Sept edition.
World Wide Words (Recommended by Elliott)
A rich source of interesting and amusing information on words and their usage. Covers new coinages, archaisms and unusual words. Who can tell me what "zenzizenzizenzic" means, for example?
There is also a mailing list you can join. Send an email to
listserv@listserv.linguistlist.org
with the following text in the BODY (not the subject line) of the email:
SUBSCRIBE WORLDWIDEWORDS Your-first-name Your-last-name
Bibliomania (Recommended by Elliott)
Primarily aimed at book lovers rather than writers but I am recommending it here because it has online versions of Roget's Thesaurus and Soule's Synonymes. They are available for free and seem to be the complete texts. I wonder how they deal with the copyright issues...
The Word Pool (Recommended by Valerie Wilding)
The Word Pool is a site full of links and resources, run by a children's author. It's used by children's writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, parents, publishers - anyone interested in any aspect of children's books. It is all info - no frills, and I've used it since it started.
Soho Theatre (Recommended by Elliott)
According to the site: "No other theatre company in Britain works with so many writers on so many different levels." The site describes what the theatre does to encourage new writers and gives details of workshops