Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing

As efficiently (dare I say effectively) as the Wordclay bloggers post, of course we can’t cover every single writing and publishing area. Maybe if we were chained to our desks, worked non-stop, hopped up on a coffee-drip, without bathroom breaks, and typed for a decade straight, maybe then all our readers would be satisfied.  

Imagine our poor writers! 

But writers and authors shouldn’t have to wait that long (and Wordclay bloggers shouldn’t have to suffer such cruel and unusual punishments either). 

Essentially, you want useful information without all the marketing ploys and incomprehensible techno-babble that would likely help you about as much as a lobotomy would.  

Here’s our solution: provide our readers with a list of the top 10 comprehensive blogs out there for your friendly, neighborhood lay-writer as well as lay-author. 

Maybe you can’t find your answers at Wordclay, and you aren’t in the mood to submit a question. Or perhaps you just have some downtime and want to bone up on the publishing industry. What then? Where does a writer go for a little inspiration these days? 

Look no further, my friend.  

Welcome to the publishing blog hall, where at least one site has your answer. 

1) Emerging Writers Network: Just an all-around amazing writing resource. From the very second you enter the site, you’ll be impressed with the wealth of information and links. In addition to the insightful posts, there are numerous widgets ranging from an invaluable list of author Web sites to an impressive chronicle of literary journals. And if you’re feeling particularly enthusiastic, you can always join the network and converse with your peers.

2) Advanced Fiction Writing Blog: 

Essentially, all the publishing and marketing business with none of the mess. AFWB boils down topics ranging from online publicizing to building a blog to obtaining a high-profile Web site. Blog manager Randy Ingermanson (aka “the Snowflake Guy”) is extremely mindful of his readers and willing to help commenters on any subject.

3) Nick Daws’ Writing Blog:

Inventive and insightful, this blog is a one-stop practical guide to promoting, blogging, designing and approaching new forms of media (online radio, video trailers, etc.) with your book. If you’ve got a modern marketing question or a general writing query, Nick has your answer.

4) Practicing Writing:

Just take a look, and you won’t regret it. You’ll find valuable updates on various writing and publishing opportunities. Plus, the blog holds the practicing writer’s observations on the literary world, book reviews, and other relevant news. Overall, the blog provides yet another resource complementing The Practicing Writer Web site.

5) WORD: The Official Blog of READ and WRITING Magazines: 

This is the blog we all envy, wishing we could have created it first. Nosing around inside, you’ll read some pretty amazing articles, you’ll gain access to writing tips and publishing advice, and last but not least, you’ll enjoy passionate ramblings from the editors of READ and WRITING Magazines.

6) Self Publishing:

Look - there’s just no better self-publishing blog around. Often times the self-published author finds himself smack dab in the middle of a foreign town, lost, hungry, not to mention the fact he can speak a lick of the language. Self Publishing hands the self-published author a Publishing-to-English dictionary and a detailed road map to boot, explaining issues such as self-promotion, copyright, pricing, contracts, reviews, printing, media exposure and online (guerrilla) marketing.

7) Big Bad Book Blog:

Really, the name says it all. This wolf of a blog is equipped with menus that transport readers to whole new areas of publishing, including Distribution & Sales, Marketing & Publicity, Design & Production, Publishing News, among others. Read up on podcasts for writers, social networking, book trailers, copyright and more – to name the rest would take hours listing off their valuable resources. Without a doubt, a five star blog.

8) Bookgasm: Reading Material to Get Excited About:

If only readers would be satisfied with the description “plain cool, rad, hip, smart and awe-inspiring,” then I’d use it for Bookgasm. In addition to the excellent book reviews and publishing news, you’ve got links to some powerhouse information sites as well as categories divided up by contests and genres. Now you don’t have to poke around for hours, only getting fragments of the information that affects you and your type of book.

9) Blog of Bookslut:

Maybe the title scares you, but it shouldn’t. Finally, here’s a site that isn’t afraid to jump from one book to the next, book-hopping of sorts. Its features, author interviews and countless book reviews should be enough to convince you of Bookslut’s devotion to good literature, but if you need an additional kick in the pants, check out their wham-bam blog that digests the meat, overblown topics and gives readers the essential publishing skinny.

10) Daily Writing Tips:

Sometimes you just need some tips, something like Victor Hugo’s “trigger” to grease the inspiration gears and get the creativity motor churning. Practical, yet imaginative, Daily Writing Tips not only answers those itsy-bitsy grammar questions, but gives some interesting prompts and insights into the creative process that some writers need to get back into character and the artistic juices flowing again.

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Fortunate for me, I limited myself to only 10 blogs, because we both have a good idea of the astronomical number of amazing blogs out there, floating in cyberspace.  

To squeeze in a few more, check out these other great blogs as well: Fab Freelance Writing Blog, DIY Publishing Blog, Publishing Trends, Bookblog.net, Book-blog.com, Readers Read and (before I start another list) Zyzzyva Speaks.

If you’re a frequenter of another useful publishing or writing blog, feel free to post yours here, give some advice on the ones listed above, or maybe just sing their praises (like I have, obviously). Once a fan, always a fan. 

This is Justin Dimos, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.