Loriendil's Links
Books
Special Sites for SF/F Writers
Books:
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Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick
available in print and e-book -
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, ISBN: 020530902X
Elements of Style Online - Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition by Renni Browne and Dave King, ISBN: 0060545690
- Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, ISBN: 1592400876
- Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, ISBN: 3531310942
- Woe Is I by Patricia T. O'Conner, ISBN: 1594480060
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Chicago Manual of Style published by the University of Chicago Press
- ISBN: 0226104044, CD-ROM; ISBN: 0226104052, Cloth with CD; ISBN: 0226104036, Cloth
- Chicago Manual of Style Online
- ISBN: 0226104044, CD-ROM; ISBN: 0226104052, Cloth with CD; ISBN: 0226104036, Cloth
Special Sites for SF/F Writers
- Evil Overlord list by Peter Anspach
- The Fantasy Novelist's Exam by David J. Parker
There is no magic formula that will get you published. I take that back: there is. You can go through a vanity press or self-publish. Nothing is withheld these days. But many writers make the mistake of taking one of those routes too soon. To become a successful published author is hard work and can take a long time (if ever, because there are no guarantees).
So my advice: Take your time. Hone your writing. Nothing is worse than picking up a book filled with typos, grammatical errors, weak plots, one-dimensional characters, pages of exposition, and on and on. Learn the craft. Get writing partners or join a writers' group. Study writing. Study it some more. Rewrite. Get critiques. Rewrite again. Even if you self-publish, learn to do professional query letters, synopses, book proposals, bios, and blurbs. Go to conferences and meet writers, agents, and editors. Do market research. Learn to sell yourself and your work.
And... Good luck!
