Places for Authors
By Amy Groening
Searching for some book reviewers? Need writing advice from other authors? Want to know what’s happening in the world of publishing today? We always encourage writers to network as much as possible, but where do you start? Here are a few great online resources that help keep writers (and readers) connected. And remember, if you have a question that you can’t find the answer to here, you can always ask us.
Networking Sites for Bibliophiles
GoodReads: Many people view this primarily as a destination for readers, but the online forums and discussion boards are a great place to connect with other authors. Any book processed by Ingram is automatically listed on GoodReads, so if you’ve published a book with us, your title should already be available on there. Encourage readers to drop in and rate and review your book. You can also host giveaways of your book and get connected with readers who offer reviews (usually in exchange for a free copy of your book)
LibraryThing: GoodReads’ little cousin, LibraryThing is even better-targeted towards independent and self-published authors. There’s an easy-to-use reviewer tool that helps you get connected with reviewers (just like GoodReads); you can add your books to the library site manually if they’re not already listed, too.
Amazon’s Meet the Author forum: here’s another great place to put out feelers for book reviewers.
Book Review Blogs
Book review lists: Some wonderful bloggers out there have compiled lists of online book reviewers. Here are a few we’ve found: Book Reviewer Yellow Pages, RPM Ministries’ Favourite Christian Book Reviewers List, The Indie View Prolific Book Reviewers List. Once you’ve exhausted these resources, take to the internet and track down some more; new material is being added every day!
Literary and Publishing News
Bookish news sites: There are thousands, but here are some of our favourites for up-to-the-minute news on what’s happening in the world of publishing: Publishers Weekly; Galley Cat; Quill and Quire
Literary magazines: Watch your local publications; they’ll give you a good idea of how other books are being marketed, what’s popular, and what the current hot button issues are. Seek out publications that focus on your genre; whether you write non-fiction or sci-fi, there’s probably a magazine out there for you. Magazine subscriptions are expensive; if you can only pick one or two, try tracking some others down on Twitter—they’ll keep you on the up-and-up without breaking your pocketbook.
About this Contributor:
Amy Groening is a project manager at Word Alive Press. She is a passionate storyteller with experience in blogging, newspaper reportage, and creative writing. She holds an Honours degree in English Literature and is happy to be working in an industry where she can see other writers’ dreams come to life. She enjoys many creative pursuits, including sewing, sculpture and painting, and spends an embarrassingly large amount of time at home taking photos of her cat committing random acts of feline crime.