Resources

Where to Find a Local Writing Group

MeetUp.com - www.meetup.com/find/writing

Local Library

Local Bookstore

Organizations listed below may have a local chapter near you

Organizations Open to Unpublished Authors

These organizations all accept published authors, but are also open to unpublished authors, often as Associate Members. (Please note that I don't edit books in all of these genres.)

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) - www.acfw.com

The Authors Guild (AG) - www.authorsguild.org

Historical Novel Society - historicalnovelsociety.org

Horror Writers Association (HWA) - http://horror.org/

International Thriller Writers (ITW) - http://thrillerwriters.org/

Romance Writers of America (RWA) - www.rwa.org

Romantic Novelists' Association - romanticnovelistsassociation.org

Sisters in Crime (SinC) - www.sistersincrime.org

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) - https://www.scbwi.org/

Organizations for Published Authors Only

American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) - asja.org

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) - mysterywriters.org

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) - www.sfwa.org

Western Writers of America (WWA) - westernwriters.org

Resources for Finding a Literary Agent

Literary Marketplace (LMP) - www.literarymarketplace.com (Also available in print at your local library)

Association of Authors' Representatives, Inc. (AAR) - aaronline.org

Publishers Marketplace - www.publishersmarketplace.com (membership required)

Writers Beware - General advice provided by SFWA about literary agents can be found here.

Resources for Independent Authors

Ingram Spark - www.ingramspark.com

Kindle Unlimited - kdp.amazon.com

BISAC Code List - bisg.org/page/BISACEdition

See my blog post How BISAC Codes Can Help Your Book

ISBNs - Bowker: https://www.myidentifiers.com/

Book Festivals & Conferences

This is a list in progress of significant book festivals and conferences for writers in the United States, with hyperlinks to their websites. I have only attended a few of these events personally, but have heard of many of them. I've tried to include a range of locations and genres. Most offer panels and workshops where you can learn more about publishing and develop your craft as a writer, as well as opportunities for published authors to promote their books through speaking opportunities and book signings.

February

San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA)

March

Association of Writers & Writer Programs (AWP) Conference (location varies)

Left Coast Crime Mystery Convention (San Diego, CA)

National Black Writers Conference (Brooklyn, NY)

Sleuthfest (Boca Raton, FL)

Tucson Festival of Books (Tucson, AZ)

Virginia Festival of Books (Charlottesville, VA)

April

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (Los Angeles, CA)

The Muse & the Marketplace (Boston, MA)