Saturday, January 27, 2018

My Ten Favorite Blogs



My Ten Favorite Blogs

            If you’re anything like me, your inbox is inundated daily (hourly!) with emails and blog posts from writers around the world. Sometimes I need a blog post that’s going to take me out of my writing; sometimes I need one that gives writerly advice; sometimes I need one that gives inspiration; and sometimes I want to read about the publishing business. Sometimes I just need an idea for dinner.

            With that wish list in mind, I thought I’d share with you my favorite blogs to visit when I want to read about writing and when I want to read about literally anything but writing.

1.      Anne R. Allen. This blog is a treasure-trove of writing and publishing information. Topics in the recent past have included everything from dealing with the monster that is social media to Charles Dickens’ impact on the way we celebrate Christmas to the correct way to take advantage of the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon.

2.      The Creative Penn. I visit The Creative Penn for advice on marketing and self-publishing. There is so much information available on this blog that it’s hard to cull my favorite posts, but under The Creative Penn logo on the home page there is a drop-down menu that includes blog posts. I encourage you to visit and take a look around.

3.      BookBub Partners Blog. I’m sure most, if not all, of you are familiar with the importance of BookBub to readers, writers, publishers, marketers—in short, everyone who has anything to do with books. The blog comes out weekly (most of the time) and in each blog post you’ll find a ton of information about selling books. Almost every one of them will involve a BookBub campaign of some sort, but that’s to be expected. In addition to the information about BookBub campaigns, you’ll find articles on metadata and search engine optimization (SEO) as well as tips on launching books, backselling books, and setting up preorders. It’s an invaluable resource for authors.

4.      Elizabeth Spann Craig. In my opinion, this blog is like a cross between Anne Allen’s blog and The Creative Penn. There are posts about self-publishing, newsletter effectiveness, and book signing takeaway lessons. There are posts about the new Goodreads giveaway rules and writer productivity. Spann Craig also compiles lists of Twitter writing links that are useful and interesting.

5.      Jane Friedman. I never miss a post from Jane Friedman. Her blog is an essential part of my writing routine. She and her guests touch on everything from traditional publishing contracts to recaps of huge publishing conferences to digital media tools to how to write a query letter. If you haven’t visited her blog yet, do it NOW. After you read the rest of this post, that is.

6.      A Blue Million Books. This is author Amy Metz’s blog, and she showcases some great talent. Her interviews range from funny to just plain fascinating and I love to read them. She’s also got a great resource page for indie authors, plus the blog is a good starting point to learn about Amy’s books, which are wonderful.

7.      Kate Brauning. Kate Brauning is an editor/agent with a wealth of information and tips to share about writing crisp, tight pieces that get noticed by industry professionals. She addresses social media, her responses to synopses and query letters, and the rules of revising, among other things. I don’t visit this blog on a daily or even weekly basis, but when I do, I’m always glad I did.

8.      3 Dogs in a Garden. I love this site because I like to imagine what my yard and indoor plants could look like if I had an ounce of gardening ability. The author of the blog has great tips for plants, soil, herb gardens, and the list goes on and on. And the photos are gorgeous!

9.      Smitten Kitchen. This is a cool site because recipes are organized by ingredient. If I look in my fridge and see an abundance of eggs, I can visit Smitten Kitchen to find recipes that use eggs. I’ve tried several of the recipes from this site and they’ve all been hits at the dinner table.


10.  Walking with a Smacked Pentax. This is a site that doesn’t have a lot of words—just photos that the owner takes on his walks in northern England, Scotland, and Wales. It only takes a moment to read the posts, but I like to linger over the pictures. They evoke a serenity that I appreciate and crave.

And what about you? Do you have some favorites you'd like to share?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Writers in Residence. 7 or 8 women post, each taking a turn weekly. Lots of good advice, experience, and insight about writing topics.

authorlindathorne said...

Novel Spaces (of course), Make Mine Mystery, and Writers Who Kill. These are my favorites. I run on to others from time to time and really enjoy them, but these are my three steadfast true friend blogspots.

Liane Spicer said...

I began reading blogs in 2006, began my personal blog in 2007, then became co-founder and administrator of Novel Spaces. I was also admin of a conference blog for a local VS Naipaul literary event. During this period I used to read 30-40 blog posts a day, including industry blogs by literary agents and prominent writers. I also read blog posts by Novel Spaces members when they were guests on other blogs.

I think I burned out. These days I don't get much further than Novel Spaces. When I do read blogs now they're either travel blogs, gardening blogs or cooking blogs.

PS: Walking with a Smacked Pentax sounds like just my sort of thing. I'm heading over there right now. As a matter of fact, I wish I could head there physically right now. I too crave that kind of serenity, these days more than ever.