Casco Bay Literary Services

Why Writers Should Go to Conferences

"Every writer I know who has gone to a conference and met with agents or editors has returned with at least one request to send material."

—Elizabeth Lyon, Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write: How to Get a Contract and Advance Before Writing Your Book, rev. ed. (New York: Perigee, 2002), 223

"If you've got the dough, go to the hot spots where agents and published writers lurk and linger. Workshops, seminars, and conferences are often free when they're presented at a bookstore or library, or when an agent is promoting her own book. The most famous writers' conferences, like Squaw Valley and Bread Loaf, cost a pretty penny—the quality of instruction is high and food and lodging are included. On top of that, you have to factor in your transportation costs, lost work time, maybe extra baby-sitting fees, and so on. Plus, while many are called to these seminars, few are chosen; the acceptance rate at the most prestigious of these conferences can be low. At their best, however, not only will you get to improve your writing skills, but you'll get to meet an agent, live in the same quarters with him for a week or two, take a class from him, go one-on-one and get up-close-and-personal with him. This is a good thing."

—Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, Putting Your Passion into Print (New York: Workman, 2005), 81

LINKS

These links are provided for the convenience of writers and others. Their inclusion here does not imply our endorsement of specific services or products.

Book Reviews (also see under "Publishing-Industry Information")

New York Times. Book reviews, author interviews, bestseller lists, and other information. A top resource. After signing in, go to "Books." www.nytimes.com
Women's Review of Books. Reviews books by and about women; highly recommended. The online version includes highlights of the print version. www.wellesley.edu/womensreview

Conferences, Seminars, Workshops

Association of Writers & Writing Programs. Provides information on writing programs and conferences. www.awpwriter.org

Maui Writers Conference. A major writers' conference, held annually in Hawai'i in late summer or early fall. Also offers other services, including a "Manuscript Marketplace," in which you can simultaneously submit a manuscript resume to dozens of agents and editors. www.mauiwriters.com

ShawGuides: Writers Conferences & Workshops. Has many conference and workshop listings. You can also search for conferences by month, topic, or location. www.shawguides.com

Directories

LMP (Literary Market Place). The "worldwide resource for the book publishing industry." Provides comprehensive information on agents, publishers, and industry services. www.literarymarketplace.com

WritersMarket.com. Online version of Writer's Market. Important source of information on book and magazine markets as well as on other topics of interest to writers. www.writersmarket.com

Intellectual Property Rights

Copyright Clearance Center. Offers copyright-related services and information. www.copyright.com

Copyright: An Overview. Information provided by the Legal Information Institute; includes basic definitions and useful links. www.law.cornell.edu/topics/copyright.html

U.S. Copyright Office. News, FAQs, forms, and other resources. www.lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

Organizations

Association of American University Presses (AAUP). A consortium of nonprofit scholarly publishers. The "Resources" section of the site includes an extensive bibliography of publishing-related items, a description of electronic publishing projects, and useful links. www.aaupnet.org

Association of Authors' Agents (U.K.). Association of British literary agents. www.agentsassoc.co.uk

Association of Authors' Representatives (U.S.). A "not-for-profit organization of independent literary and dramatic agents." Site includes guidelines for dealing with agents. www.aar-online.org

Authors Guild (U.S.). An important advocacy organization. Has several membership categories, but many features of the site are accessible to nonmembers. www.authorsguild.org

Canadian Authors Association. The organization's motto is "Writers Helping Writers." Provides services for both beginning and established writers. www.canauthors.org

National Association of Women Writers. Member benefits include a newsletter and access to many other resources on writing, publishing, and promotion. www.naww.org/blog/

National Writers Union (U.S.). Freelance writers' union. www.nwu.org

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Describes itself as "the only international organization to offer a variety of services to people who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature." www.scbwi.org

Writers' Union of Canada. Membership is limited to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who have published trade books, but various services are also available to nonmembers. www.writersunion.ca

Publishing-Industry Information, Book Reviews, Job Ads, Other Resources

Agent Query. Large, easily searchable database of literary agents. It's also free. www.agentquery.com

Authorlink. An "award-winning marketplace for the publishing industry, where editors and agents buy and sell unpublished and published manuscripts and screenplays." Offers wide-ranging services. www.authorlink.com

The Book Standard. Another comprehensive site on the publishing industry; offers news, book reviews, market analysis, job boards, and more. www.thebookstandard.com

Booktalk. "Book buzz" (industry news), agents' and publishers' listings, articles on publishing, and links. www.booktalk.com

BookWeb.org. American Booksellers Association site. Provides useful information and links to other relevant sites. www.bookweb.org

BookWire. A comprehensive site; provides publishing news, reviews, and statistics. www.bookwire.com

PublishersLunch.com. The book industry's "daily essential read." Features stories "of interest to the professional trade book community, along with original reporting, plus a little perspective and the occasional wisecrack added in." www.caderbooks.com

PublishersMarketplace. A service of PublishersLunch.com. There's a membership fee, but some areas of the site are available free—including profiles of agents and writers and information on book deals. www.publishersmarketplace.com

Publishers Weekly. Comprehensive source of publishing-related news, book reviews, statistics, job ads, and other features. www.publishersweekly.com

Publishing-Related Services

BookFlash. Offers publicity services for the publishing community. www.bookflash.com

BookMarket.com. Emphasizes book marketing, publicity, and related topics. www.bookmarket.com

BooksJustBooks.com. Provides a wide range of book printing and self-publishing services; offers useful resources for authors exploring the self-publishing option. www.booksjustbooks.com

EcoSpeakers. A speakers bureau specializing in environmental and sustainability speakers. A useful source of information and services for those interested in environmental and related issues. www.ecospeakers.com

Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency. The website of literary agents Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada. Offers valuable suggestions on how to prepare a book proposal. www.larsen-pomada.com

Para Publishing. Dan Poynter's site. Provides publishing services as well as information on many aspects of book publishing. www.parapublishing.com

Reference

Answers.com. A one-stop reference tool that offers efficient, integrated search results. www.answers.com

Bartleby.com. Mission statement: "The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge." www.bartleby.com

Bibliomania. Free online literature. www.bibliomania.com

British Library. One of the world's preeminent libraries, with more than 150 million items. The site describes the library's collections and services; copies of some documents can be ordered online. www.bl.uk

British Museum. One of the top museums in the world. The site provides information on exhibits as well as on lectures and other special events. www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Encyclopaedia Britannica. Online version of the encyclopedia. www.britannica.com

FactChasers. A research service. www.factchasers.com

HighBeam Research. Online library containing reference works, magazine and newspaper archives, and more. www.highbeam.com

Internet Public Library. A comprehensive reference site sponsored by a consortium of colleges and universities. Genealogy, biographies, magazines, encyclopedias, and much more. www.ipl.org

Library and Archives Canada. Preserves material by, about, and/or of interest to Canadians. The site describes services, research tools, and publications; it also offers many informative articles on Canadian history and culture. www.nlc-bnc.ca

Library of Congress. The research arm of the U.S. Congress; one of the biggest libraries in the world. The site features many interesting historical and cultural articles as well as information on the library's holdings and services. www.lcweb.loc.gov

New York Public Library. A top research institution. www.nypl.org

OneLook Dictionaries. Consult a thousand or so dictionaries in English and other languages. www.onelook.com

Project Gutenberg. Offers downloadable texts of literary works. www.promo.net/pg

Quotations Page. A quotation site with a large searchable database. www.quotationspage.com

Refdesk.com. Excellent source of factual information. www.refdesk.com

YourDictionary.com. Portal for language-related services; has more than 2,500 dictionaries and grammars in several hundred languages, as well as games that enhance language skills and a forum on language-related issues. www.yourdictionary.com

Writers' Groups

For a discussion of online critique groups and links to various groups, see Kate Reynolds, "Find the Right ONLINE CRITIQUE GROUP for You!", WritersDigest.com, February 2007, www.writersdigest.com/articles/reynolds_online.asp

For more listings of writers' groups, go to Yahoo! Groups (www.groups.yahoo.com) and search under the specific type of group you're looking for, or see ForWriters.com, www.forwriters.com/groups.html

Internet Writing Workshop. A structured writing community that includes critique groups on all genres. www.internetwritingworkshop.org

Mike's Writing Workshop. A Yahoo! group with thousands of members. www.groups.yahoo.com/group/mikeswritingworkshop/

The Write List. A moderated Yahoo! list for an eclectic group of serious writers. www.groups.yahoo.com/group/The-Write-List/

Writers' Resources

Absolute Write. A potpourri of articles, interviews, book reviews, educational resources, discussion forums, and other features of interest to writers. www.absolutewrite.com

Artslynx International Writing Resources. Provides extensive writing-related links. www.artslynx.org/writing

Fiction Addiction. Offers a wide range of resources geared to fiction writers. www.fictionaddiction.net

101 Writing Answers. A directory of resources that also allows writers to publicize their own resources. www.101writinganswers.com

Robin's Nest. Valuable list of links for writers. www.robinsnest.com/mainwriters.html

The Rose & Thorn. A literary e-zine containing a resource page for writers that offers an eclectic mix of reference tools. www.theroseandthornezine.com/Resources.html

The Writer. Lists writers' markets; offers writing tips and a calendar of upcoming writers' conferences. www.writermag.com

Writers.com. Writing classes and tips, writers' groups, a newsletter, and other services of interest to writers. www.writers.com

WritersDigest.com. The site is subtitled "The Online Guide to the Writing Life." Includes tips and other resources. An especially useful feature is the "101 Best Websites for Writers" page. www.writersdigest.com

Writers Write. One of the most comprehensive websites for serious writers. Offers dozens of resources. www.writerswrite.com

Writing-World.com. A comprehensive site featuring tips, classes, author services, marketing information, and other useful resources. Run by the former managing editor of Inkspot. www.writing-world.com