Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Web Treasures

by C.L. Phillips

After several years of working diligently on writing craft, exploratory reading, and the business of publishing, I though our Working Stiff readers might enjoy joining with me to exchange new Web Treasures.

Specifically, what are the treasured web sites that you read on a regular basis? 

I've discovered many of my now favorite sites after I started engaging with Twitter in July, 2011.  I've found that my twitter friends share some of the best information I've found on the web.  So here's a brief description of my new favorite sites

The Passive Voice - Lawyer and writer (anonymous) blogs about all things writing, writers, publishing, and most important - publishing contracts.  He summarizes other top blogs, netting out the key issue while still providing a link to the original source.  I read this blog before any other.

Book News Daily by Stacy Juba (a mystery and romantic suspense author) - a great paper using the Paper.li tool that aggregates book reviews from blogs, tools for writers, and industry news.  I caught this first issue from one of Stacy's tweets, and she helped me understand the power of the Paper.li tool.  This is a fantastic tool for bringing information together for your readers.  Maybe there's a paper in your future.

The #pubwrite Daily brought to you by the people of Twitter's #pubwrite following.  #pubwrite is a twitter hashtag used by writers seeking to participate in a virtual community.  The original premise was that you'd type a #pubwrite on your tweets when you wanted to hang out with other writers and have a virtual drink at a pub.  Writing can be a solitary pursuit, so you can imagine the popularity of a pub where you meet others sharing your struggle and interest and where drinking is optional.  A few of the key folks in #pubwrite collaborated to bring out this Daily paper, and the articles are both useful and entertaining.  And if you haven't monitored the #pubwrite tweet stream, do so.  The people are very open and sharing.

So those are my three new favorites.  What are yours?  Where do you go for a mental break from your writing?








5 comments:

Joyce Tremel said...

The sites I check the most are listed on our Working Stiffs sidebar. I don't hit them every day or I'd never get anything done!

Jenna said...

Don't know about mental break, but for writing craft and writing business advice, Jody Hedlund and Roni Loren have wonderful blogs. I also enjoy the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood, which is a blog made up of former RWA Golden Heart winners.

These aren't blogs I read every day - there are no blogs I read every day - but I stop in regularly. Same with Tawna Fenske and Joe Konrath and Bob Mayer (who usually tweets his new blogs and I catch them that way).

For anyone thinking of self-publishing, the Writers Guide 2 E-publishing is good, but since founding member Misa Ramirez left, they've gone a little left of center. Or maybe right of center. Misa was the voice of reason, the only traditionally published writer there, and without her, it too often devolves into mudslinging and namecalling. There's some interesting information, though, if you can let the editorializing roll off your back.

And as far as agent blogs go, Rachelle Gardner has a good one. She reps Christian authors, so probably none of us qualify, but she's full of great information.

As you can see, if I read all of these every day, I'd never get anything done either. And I have 7,000 words left to write this week.

Patg said...

I read the Writers Guide To e Publishing too. It has very interesting articles about Smashwords and Kindle. Haven't noticed the mud slinging, but they do not want anyone to believe tradional publishing is the top contender anymore.
I also keep up with Goodreads. I'm looking for readers.
Patg

C.L. Phillips said...

Wow - awesome. More great sites for me to check out. Thanks for mentioning these. :))

C.L.

Jenna said...
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