Below you will find Rohan Salmond's digital publishing annotated links assignment!
It is on the theme of writing and getting published in Australia. I've included some foreign sources too though, because much of it applies to the Australian publishing industry as well.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Miscellaneous
Writer Beware
A very very useful site for an aspiring writer! Lists 20 agencies that you should steer clear of. None of these are Australian but it also outlines what kind of things you need to watch out for when choosing a literary agency.
Ms Snark
Although this blog is now dark, it still contains incredibly useful information in the archives such as this post about the confusing layout of publishing houses, this one about writing in obscure genres and this one about agent protocol.
101 Reasons to Stop Writing
A 'demotivating' site for authors. Designed to deter all but the most determined!
Bookseller Chick
A blog of a literary agent who gives tips, publishing news and advice to authors looking to get an agent/get published.
A very very useful site for an aspiring writer! Lists 20 agencies that you should steer clear of. None of these are Australian but it also outlines what kind of things you need to watch out for when choosing a literary agency.
Ms Snark
Although this blog is now dark, it still contains incredibly useful information in the archives such as this post about the confusing layout of publishing houses, this one about writing in obscure genres and this one about agent protocol.
101 Reasons to Stop Writing
A 'demotivating' site for authors. Designed to deter all but the most determined!
Bookseller Chick
A blog of a literary agent who gives tips, publishing news and advice to authors looking to get an agent/get published.
Australian Fiction Journals/Magazines - Speculative Fiction
Aurealis
If you write primarily science fiction or fantasy then Aurealis will probably be of interest to you. Aurealis is a paper-and-ink magazine which showcases the latest Australian speculative fiction. They take unsolicited submissions - take a look at their submission guidelines. The website also does book reviews and news.
The Specusphere
Again, science fiction and fantasy but this time in web-format. The Specusphere is just starting out and is looking for submissions.
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
A well-respected science fiction/fantasy magazine that does news, reviews and interviews. If you're interested in getting a story of yours published there check out their submission guidelines Also the advice contained in the "What we want (And don't want!)" article is useful for anyone, as is "A Comprehensive and Totally Universal Listing of Every Problem a Story Has Ever Had".
If you write primarily science fiction or fantasy then Aurealis will probably be of interest to you. Aurealis is a paper-and-ink magazine which showcases the latest Australian speculative fiction. They take unsolicited submissions - take a look at their submission guidelines. The website also does book reviews and news.
The Specusphere
Again, science fiction and fantasy but this time in web-format. The Specusphere is just starting out and is looking for submissions.
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
A well-respected science fiction/fantasy magazine that does news, reviews and interviews. If you're interested in getting a story of yours published there check out their submission guidelines Also the advice contained in the "What we want (And don't want!)" article is useful for anyone, as is "A Comprehensive and Totally Universal Listing of Every Problem a Story Has Ever Had".
Australian Writers' Centres
In Australia there are writers' centres for every state and territory as well as some sub-regions. Becoming a member of your local writers' centre is useful for keeping tabs on what's going on in the industry in your state and as a great networking tool between authors. All writers' centres run workshops, events and mentorship programs to benefit established and aspiring writers. Some, such as the Queensland Writers Centre, even publish a magazine. Membership of writers' centres usually requires a fee.
I'm also rather amused by the different uses (or lack thereof) of the apostrophe in the official names of the various writers' centres.
I'm also rather amused by the different uses (or lack thereof) of the apostrophe in the official names of the various writers' centres.
- Queensland Writers Centre
- NT Writers' Centre
- Victorian Writers' Centre
- writingWA
- Tasmanian Writers' Centre
- ACT Writers Centre
- South Australian Writers' Centre
- NSW Writers' Centre
- New England Writers' Centre
- Hunter Writers' Centre
- Northern Rivers Writers' Centre
- South Coast Writers' Centre
Publishing Links - Author's and Publisher's Blogs and Websites
Nathan Bransford's Blog
Nathan Bransford works for the publishing industry and has his finger on the pulse of publishing in America. His "This week in publishing" section is particularly interesting and useful if you want to know what's the latest news in the publishing world. His 'The Essentials' section (found in the sidebar) is invaluable for aspiring authors.
Ian Irvine's Website
This site is by one of Australia's best-selling fantasy authors. His site contains some incredible articles about writing novels and getting published. In particular look at his "The Truth About Publishing" article for a nasty wake-up-call about what the industry is really like. If this doesn't deter you, read his "'Guide to Success!'" article - it contains tips for beginning authors.
John Green's Blog
John Green is one of my personal favourite authors. While he rarely talks about the writing process he is currently on a book tour for his latest novel, Paper Towns. He is recording and promoting the tour from the blog.
Maureen Johnson's Blog
Maureen Johnson is a YA (Young Adult) author. Maureen only occasionally writes about the process of writing here, but she often tells day-to-day stories about deadlines and what it's like to try and meet them. Some exceptions to this rule are her post about what aspiring authors should study at university and her various question-and-answer posts. This blog is incredibly entertaining and well-written.
Libba Bray's Blog
Libba Bray only updates this blog occasionally (I suspect she spends most of her time raising her kids and writing books) but when she does it can be very entertaining and insightful. A notable and useful recent post is her "Writing a novel, a love story" article.
Justine Larbalestier's Blog
Justine is another Australian Young Adult author. Her blog is very interesting because she is familiar with both the Australian and American publishing industries. Interesting recent posts include information about how publishers organise book tours, honesty about the motivation for finishing a book and an interesting aside about sharpies and why they suck.
Insideadog
The site for The Centre for Youth Literature, State Library Victoria. It contains a blog helmed by a different author every month.
Nanowrimo
Not technically an author's or publisher's blog or website but I just had to include this. Nonowrimo is short for National Novel Writing Month. During the month of November every year thousands of people attempt to write a 50,000 word novel from scratch. The site contains tools to network with other people participating in your area and as a way to show off your word count. It's an excellent motivator for bashing out an idea.
HarperCollins Australia
HarperCollins Australia's author section contains interviews and essays by HarperCollins authors. This site can be a little difficult to navigate though.
Bookslut
A monthly e-zine about books. It has excellent reviews and a blog about the latest in the publishing world, but also interviews and topical features.
Penguin Books Australia
The latest from Penguin but also has some advice and guidelines for authors looking to get published. This includes a PDF of guidelines for writers and other helpful information.
Penguin Books UK Blog
A very casually written blog mostly promoting Penguin Books, but also giving news about what's the latest in the publishing industry.
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