The Novelwriter's Toolkit
Page 32
The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain is the trade union representing writers in television, radio, theatre, books, poetry, film and video games. In television, film, radio and theatre, the Guild is the recognized body for negotiating minimum terms and practice agreements for writers. It campaigns and lobbies on behalf of all writers, and is influential up to government level. Its voice is listened to and its views are respected. Any writer who has received payment under a contract in terms at or above the Writers’ Guild minimum terms for at least one piece of work is entitled to become a full member.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Writer’s Sites
ABC Writers Network
W www.abcwritersnetwork.co.uk
A free, international writer’s forum, originating from Ireland.
All Books Review
W www.allboo kreviews.com
A review site, largely for self-published books.
Ascriber/Writers Eyes
W www.writerseyes.o rg
A showcase site for unpublished or self-published writers. For a small fee you may display your work on the site, which the team claim to promote actively. The site also has sections for news, competitions and events, all of which are free to post in.
Ask About Writing
W www.askaboutwriting.net
A site containing information on writers’ awards and competitions. There is also advice on aspects of writing, and advertisements for other services of use to writers.
Ask Oxford
W www.as koxfo rd.com
A spin-off from the Oxford English Dictionary. Includes tips on spelling, grammar and producing better writing, as well as stories of interest from around the globe.
A uthonomy. com
W www.authonomy.com
A peer review site, run by HarperCollins, where the top-rated authors for each month receive a free critique from a HarperCollins editor. Several authors have secured publishing deals through Authonomy.com.
Author Network
W www.author-network.com
A site with articles, tips and resources for writers.
Author’s Den
W www.authorsden.com
A free community site. Content includes book reviews, articles, e-books and more. Members get a free biography page.
Chapter One Promotions
W www.chapteronepromotions.com
A writer’s site, which is also a literary agency and consultancy. Authors and illustrators may display their work on the site for a fee. There are details of events and competitions, as well as a section on resources for children.
Characterization Tool for Novelists
W www.synergise.com/p4
A process and tool, available for a fee, that helps novelists to create realistic characters quickly and intuitively based on accepted psychological types. Works both online and offline.
Classic Short Stories
W www.classicreader.com/short-stories.php
An online resource containing complete short stories from a wide range of authors spanning several centuries, including authors such as Honore de Balzac, Anton Chekhov, Edgar Allan Poe and many others.
East of the Web
W www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories
East of the Web is a British site dedicated to new, previously unpublished fiction, as well as to classic short stories from well-known authors. Genres include children’s, crime, general fiction, horror, humour, non-fiction, romance, science-fiction and hyperfiction. See the website for full submission details.
Freelance Writing Organization International
W www.fwointl.com
A Canadian-based members site, which is free to join. Contains many resources for writers, including forums, markets, research resources and more.
The Frontlist
W www.frontlist.com
A site where users can upload samples of their work, and in turn provide several critiques of others’ work. Once the critiques have been done, their own work will be put up for critique. Pieces scoring above a certain threshold will be put forward to specialist editors and agents. The Friday Project has published recent high-scoring additions to this site in print. A £10 charge is made to view the critiques of your own work. You do not have to view them if you do not wish to, but they will still be sent forward if they score highly enough.
Great Writing
W www.greatwriting.co.uk
Great Writing is a volunteer-run online community that was formed after the closure of the BBC’s ‘Get Writing’ service. It is free to join and offers members a chance to submit their own writing to the site for peer review, as well as providing writing forums and chat areas, articles, news and the occasional competition.
Hackwriters
W www.hackwriters.com
A free internet magazine which accepts submissions of travel writing, fiction, lifestyle and social comment, but does not pay any fees.
Horror Writers UK
W www.horrorwriters.net
HorrorWriters.net was specially set up for all writers of horror fiction and screenplays. As well as giving writers the opportunity to post their work and receive valuable and constructive feedback, the site also features many other topics of interest relating to the whole craft of horror writing, such as book reviews, articles and much more. Membership is free.
JBWB Writing Competition
W www.jbwb.co.uk/writingcomps.htm
A detailed list of writing competitions, compiled by the Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau.
National Novel Writing Month
W www.nanowrimo.com
US site that challenges people to write a 50,000 word novel between 1 and 30 November each year. If you make the deadline, you are a ‘winner’. The idea is to encourage fast writing and not necessarily to focus on quality.
Novelists Inc
W www.ninc.com
US-based membership site with advice and practical help for fiction writers. Members’ only sections include an agent guide and an email list.
NthPosition
W www.nthposition.com
A free online magazine/e-zine with politics and opinion, travel writing, fiction and poetry, reviews and interviews.
One of Us
W www.oneofus.co.uk
A resource site with articles, writing tips and a discussion forum. Free to access.
Preditors & Editors
W http://pred-ed.com
Preditors & Editors’ sole purpose is to provide writers, artists, composers and game designers with information and contacts for the purpose of seeking publication of their work. P&E also maintains a ‘Warnings’ page, listing known scam artists, vanity publishers and literary fraudsters. They are always seeking information from writers who have been badly treated by agents, publishers or the like.
Prize Magic
W www.prizemagic.co.uk
A site that contains a useful directory of writing competitions and links to them.
Proof Positive Writing Contests
W www.proofpositive.com/contests/writecontests.php
A US site advertising many writing contests, including those that are open to UK residents.
Pulp.net
W www.pulp.net
Pulp.net is a not-for-profit organization that aims to advance the art and practice of literature, promote the art of literature for the public benefit, and encourage greater participation in literature creation. Pulp.net functions in a similar way to a monthly e-zine, but also hosts a variety of talks, literary events and workshops at venues such as courses, writing conferences and festivals. Pulp.net accepts open submissions of short fiction and will publish as many as three new short stories per issue, from both established and first-time authors.
Six Sentences
W www.sixsentences.blogspot.com
Six Sentences is a flash-fiction site where each story is told in six sentences. The editor publishes everything that is submitted, and usually publishes six new stories per day.
Slush Pile Reader
W www.slushpilereader.com
A site that showcases authors manuscripts to an audience of online readers. The readers vote upon whether or not the manuscript should be published, and give reviews and criticism. Slush Pile Reader will also publish the most popular submissions.
Trace
W http://tracearchive.ntu.ac.uk
A free online resource linked to Nottingham Trent University. Trace provides a space for writers to meet, communicate, discuss work and be creative. Also offered through the site are courses, a consultancy service and a children’s area.
WordCounter
W www.wordcounter.com
A site that allows you to copy and paste text into a field and check for repetitions. In a separate field you may also check your writing for political leanings.
The Workhouse
W www.fictionworkhouse.com
An online literary writer’s forum. Registration (free) is required to use the forum.
Write Away
W www.writeaway.co.uk
A membership site, which offers a writers’ community forum, access to editors and library information staff, plus the option of paying for appraisal services. The team can also advise on self-publishing and sell your books through the site. Lifetime membership costs from £27.45.
Write Link
W www.writelink.co.uk
A membership site where work in progress is rated by other members. Once the work is at a certain level it gets linked to the resources area, which contains information on paying markets. Each piece published in the resources area earns £20. There is a discussion forum and subscription is free, although if you want the chance to submit work for review you must pay a fee.
Writer Beware
W www.sfwa.org/beware
Writer Beware is the public face of the Science-Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America’s Committee on Writing Scams. The site contains discussions of a variety of literary schemes and deceptions, information on how to identify them, advice on how to avoid them, and links to useful online resources. It has been designed so that it can be used by any writer, regardless of subject, style, genre or nationality.
The Writer Gazette
W www.writergazette.com
Provides free writer-related articles, job listings, contests, resources, tips and more – all of which are designed to help improve and promote your writing career. Updated on a weekly basis.
Writers’ Circles
W www.writers-circles.com
A directory of writers’ circles across the country that is also available to buy in print. The site links to other resources, such as writing competitions, and contains small market directory sections, including agents and magazines.
Writers Free Reference
W www.writers-free-reference.com
A free portal site containing links to many other sites, resources and articles of interest to writers.
Writer’s Market (US)
W www.writersmarket.com
A subscription-based site with access to thousands of frequently updated US writing markets, plus advice, tips and resources.
Writers Net
W www.writers.net
A US site containing information for writers, editors, agents and publishers. The site contains lists of US contacts and has a discussion forum.
WritersServices
W www.writersservices.com
A very full site with information, services and advice for writers.
Writing World
W www.writing-world.com
A US site full of articles on writing and publishing. There are also links to freelance job opportunities and a bookshop.
YouWriteOn. com
W www.youwriteon.com
A peer review site where the top five authors for each month receive a free Arts Council-funded critique from top editors and leading literary agents and publishers, including Curtis Brown, Orion and Bloomsbury. The site aims to help new writers develop, and to help talented writers get noticed and published.
BURSARIES, FELLOWSHIPS & GRANTS
The A uthors ‘ Foundation
The Society of Authors, 84 Drayton Gardens, London, SW10 9SB
T 020 7373 6642
F 020 7373 5768
E info@societyofauthors.org
W www.societyofauthors.org
Grants are available for writers who are already commissioned by a British publisher to write a full-length work of fiction, poetry or non-fiction. There are also grants for those that have been previously published and can demonstrate a strong likelihood they will be published in Britain again. Money is designed to assist with the research, travel and living costs that a publisher’s advance may not cover. The twice-yearly grants, awarded in April and September, are normally between £1,000 and £2,000, and rarely exceed £4,000. Applicants should include: a brief history of their writing career; details of their current work; size of advance (if any); names of publishers already approached, or working with; overall financial position and why the grant is needed; details of past grants; and copies of past reviews (if any). Full application details are available on the website.
Charles Pick Fellowship
School of Literature and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia, University Plain, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
T 01603 592810
F 01603 507728
E charlespickfellowship@uea.ac.uk
W www.uea.ac.uk/lit/awards/pick
A six-month bursary of £10,000 in memory of Charles Pick, a publisher and literary agent. Applicants must be unpublished writers of fictional or non-fictional prose (excluding reports from academic research). Winners will be picked on the strength of their writing proposal and references from editors, agents or accredited creative writing teachers. Fellows must reside at the University of East Anglia. Shared office space and computer facilities will be made available for the Fellow in the School of Literature and Creative Writing. The Fellow will be required to submit written work to a nominated mentor and take part in creative writing research seminars, however there are no teaching duties.
David TK Wong Fellowship
School of Literature and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia, University Plain, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
T 01603 592810
F 01603 507728
E davidtkwongfellowship@uea.ac.uk
W www.uea.ac.uk/lit/awards/wong
An annual grant of around £26,000 to enable a writer to spend a year based at the University of East Anglia writing a work of fiction incorporating an aspect of life in the Far East as a subject matter. Applicants may be of any nationality, and can be a published or an unpublished writer.
European Jewish Publication Society
PO Box 19948, London, N3 3ZL
T 020 8346 1668
F 020 8346 1776
E cs@ejps.org.uk
W www.ejps.org.uk
Contact Dr Colin Shindler
The society supplies grants of up to £3,000 to publishers seeking assistance in the publication of Jewish interest books, both fiction and non-fiction (£1,000 for poetry). Assistance is also given with the marketing and promotion of the title once published. Potential applicants must first approach a publisher, and then the publisher must contact the society. Recent examples of books include: Photographing the Holocaust by Janina Struck and The Arab-Israeli Cookbook by Robin Soans.
Hawthornden Literary Institute
Hawthornden Castle, International Retreat for Writers, Lasswade, EH18 1EG
T 0131 440 2180
F 0131 440 1989
Hawthornden provides a quiet retreat for up to six writers to concentrate on their work. Writers who win access to this facility are known as Hawthornden Fellows. They become guests of the retreat once they have arrived, but no travel expenses are paid. Application forms can be requested by telephone or fax and must be returned by the end of November for retreats the following year.
North East Literary Fellowship
Arts Council England North Ea
st, Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 3PJ
T 0845 300 6200
F 0191 230 1020
E Online form
W www.artscouncil.org.uk/regions/north-east/
A fellowship in association with the University of Durham and the University of Newcastle. Contact the North East branch of Arts Council England for more details and how to apply.
Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Fellowship
The National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
T 0131 623 3700