Writing a Book? Sites You Will Want To Check Out

Article by Wendy McCance

It’s been quite a while since I have been writing a post for this blog. So what have I been doing all this time? Well, I began writing my first book. I started writing it in April of 2017 and am now about two chapters away from finishing the rough draft. Why is it taking me so long? It’s a memoir and I am waiting to find out what happens next before I can finish my the draft. (more to come on the books I am working on in future posts). In the meantime, I started working on a second book in November for NanNoWrite month. The second book would be classified as a women’s fiction book and it has a huge dose of 70’s nostalgia within the pages.

During my time off from writing on the blog, I spent a lot of time getting to know the writing community through websites and Facebook pages. I found some amazing information and would like to share what I have found with you. If you are writing a book or are thinking about writing one, you will be quite happy to look over the websites I have listed below. I am directing you to my favorite page from their site to get you to some of the best stuff quickly. Just know there is much more to explore that you will find valuable on these sites.

The reason I decided to put this list together and will be creating more lists in the future is that I have found that as you write your first book, you will face a lot of doubt and a ton of questions. Having access to some quick answers will make you feel a lot more confident about what you are doing. The last thing you need when taking on a big project like writing a book is to get bogged down in self-doubt and fear of doing the wrong things.

Here is the list with some comments on why you should check each link out:

Writer’s Digest

The entire site is incredible as I am sure you know, but this particular link takes you to a page that shares 101 Best Websites for Writer’s. It’s a pretty fabulous link to have available in your arsenal of informative sites.

The Creative Pen

The whole website is fantastic, but this particular link will send you to a page titled, Writing a Book: What Happens After the First Draft? This is where I am just about to be at with my own book and the information really has helped ease my mind about what comes next.

Jami Gold

Scroll down past the middle of the page for a ton of helpful writing tools, resources and posts on all aspects of writing your book and working with agents and publishers.

Writers Helping Writers

Writers Helping Writers shared the article I am linking to, but I also highly suggest checking out their website at: http://writershelpingwriters.net/. If you are writing a fiction book with love interests in the book or even need to understand the ways in which people show their love to one another within a family unit, this post covers the love languages for each Myers-Briggs personality type. A really interesting read.

The Element Trilogy

This has been one of my favorite sites to visit! The link you will be sent to covers additional links to an enormous amount of writing techniques, advice from authors, marketing, writing resources, helpful writing books you should read and so much more!

Published to Death

Here is an unusual but fascinating way to get a book contract. Advice on how to win a story contest that leads to a publishing contract.

Jody Hedlund

This link takes you to a page titled, 4 Ways to Hook Your Reader and Keep Them Wanting More

Helping Writers Become Authors

A checklist of the 5 things you need so you can create a solid foundation for your book. The best part is each point goes into great detail.

Leigh Shulman

Another favorite site where every article is so good! This link will direct you to an 8-step process for writing your book. The post breaks down each step very well and takes a lot of the stress off of going through the book writing process.

The Write Life

This website provides an endless supply of amazing articles for writers. This particular link will send you to an article titled, How to Format a Book: 10 Tips Your Editor Wants You to Know. A good piece of information to know as you begin to do your writing.

Author Marketing Experts

Looking to go the self-publishing route? Or, maybe you want more information about self-publishing? This post shares 50 resources for those looking to self-publish their work.

Bang 2 Write

Learn what mistakes writers get wrong in their first draft and how to fix it.

How to Write a Book Now

Learn the basics of getting your book published.

The Write Life

I know, I already have this site marked down, but this article is worth another mention of this website. If you have ever wondered about how long your book should be, this post shares the word count for 18 different book genres.

I hope this list is long enough to give you a good start in your book writing pursuits. If you want to stay on top of the latest information about sites I find that have fabulous information, please check out my Facebook page.

Coming soon:

Find out what a writer’s residency is and get a list of places to apply for one.

A list of writing contests.

Where to submit short stories.

Inspiration for writers.

The best Facebook writing groups to join.

and, so much more!

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: mccance.wendy@gmail.com