Publishers, Agents, Presses, the Industry
Jane Friedman Reports on the Publishing Industry
A leading authority on all matters publishing, Jane Friedman provides a website that educates writers about the publishing industry, getting traditionally or self-published, writing book proposals, finding an agent, writing query letters, and more. You can also sign up for her twice-monthly newsletter, “Electric Speed.”
Here are some important blog posts to help you get started:
Key Book Publishing Paths … check out Jane’s classic outline of paths to book publishing
Guide to Literary Agents
The classic Guide to Literary Agents is published by Writer’s Digest Books. It is considered a starting place in your search for an agent. Available via Amazon, on the iPad, on Kindle.
Literary Marketplace
Literary Marketplace is a website with an old search engine but you can use it to help you find agents, publishers, illustrators, presses, and more. You’ll need a login account.
QueryTracker
Need to track down an agent who will help you find the right publisher? QueryTracker boasts that it’s helped thousands.
FirstWriter.com
FirstWriter provides details of thousands of literary agents, publishers, magazines, and writing competitions via its online databases. FirstWriter also publishes books and ebooks for writers via online and brick-and-mortar outlets. It also provides services to help writers self-publish.
The Book Designer
You can find just about anything about the mechanics of book design at The Book Designer. From designing your cover to the title page to the table of contents all the way to the index, this site covers it all. Their span is the “journey of the book,” including much more than the book itself—e.g., podcast interviews, blogs, you name it.
Duotrope
Duotrope is a resource for writers and artists who want to find publishers or agents. Duotrope claims their “publication and agent listings are up to date”; they send a weekly email in which they list agents they have added to their database and agents looking for writers. They also offer submission trackers, custom searches, deadline calendars, statistical reports, and extensive interviews. A subscription is just $5/month.
Writer’s Digest
You can’t go wrong here, as Writer’s Digest has a bit of everything. If you want to find resources (agents, publishers, etc.) or learn about writing techniques, check out this site.
Find relief on Writer’s Relief?
They must really think we need “relief.” (And of course, we do!) Writer’s Relief helps you find an agent and publisher; Self-Publishing Relief helps you go it alone; and Web Design Relief helps with the dreaded website. This company seeks to “offer a complete array of services to facilitate every step of an author’s path to publishing, from making targeted submissions to traditional publishing markets; to offering self-publishing guidance and marketing support; to building author websites.”
Authors Publish
You can sign up for a free email newsletter from Authors Publish. They track when publishers are looking for submissions and apprise you of those open periods. They send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books. You also receive a free copy of their book, Submit, Publish, Repeat.
How to Get Published: A Book’s Journey From ‘Very Messy’ Draft to Best Seller
The mainstream publishing industry is intimidating. How does a writer break in? Jessamine Chan, author of best-selling The School for Good Mothers takes you through the roller coaster of its creation in this Aug 25, 2022, article in the New York Times.
Sand Hill Review Press
What local press has published our Fault Zone anthologies and the work of our own members? It’s Sand Hill Review Press, of course!
The Stoneslide
Check out The Stoneslide, an online literary magazine published by our own member and branch past-president, Christopher Wachlin.
CWC Literary Review
Launched only a few years ago, The statewide CWC Literary Review is already a CWC institution—a juried collection of poems, stories, fiction, and nonfiction by members of the California Writers Club. If you’re a member of any CWC branch, you’re eligible to submit to the Literary Review. Pay attention to the CWC Newsletter to stay informed about deadlines.