The links below go to resources related to author tools for all the stages of your project (writing, editing, promoting, searching for an agent, etc.) If you know of a tool not listed here, drop it to Angel wherever you prefer to reach her. Indie Author Tools: This comprehensive list of apps and downloadables says…
List
Randomizers can help you brainstorm and break out of habitual thinking. They can inspire new ideas and free you from any boxes you’re trapped in. Browse these randomizers when you’re looking for ways to buff up your story and characters. Want / Need / Secret Randomizer Morality / Job / Hobby Randomizer Love / Hate…
Looking for a theme for your next anthology? Browse away! For the Wily anthology series, one way we can make submitting easier would be to combine two themes, such as “Love and War” or “Courage and Cowardice.” 7 Deadly Sins Greed Sloth Lust Vanity/Pride Envy Anger Virtues humility kindness abstinence chastity patience liberality diligence love…
The following people have uploaded content and a request for assistance with promoting their work! Wily members can feel free to scavenge it and share and post about the author and their works. It’s excellent content! And don’t forget, you can always ask the author for an interview to further boost the value of your content to your followers.
The most recently updated are at the top.
- Allie Yohn
- Joan De La Haye
- E.S. Magill
- Lisa Morton
- Lee Call
- Angel Leigh McCoy
- Alan Baxter
- Weston Ochse
- Jennifer Brozek
- Bill Bodden
- Yvonne Navarro
- Loren Rhoads
If you’d like your name on this list, visit this page and fill out the General Author Promotion form.
Tips on Reviewers
Reviews can boost your sales if they’re good. If they’re bad, they can hurt your sales. Requesting a review is a risk worth taking.
- Don’t be shy about cold-contacting them.
- Look to see if they’ve posted review guidelines on their website (many have), and if so, follow them to the letter.
- Familiarize yourself with their reviews so you know whether they’re in sync with your style.
- Maintain a list of which ones you’ve contacted. Wily Writers has created an Excel spreadsheet for you to download, customize, and use: Wily Writers Reviews Tracker
- Over time, you’ll build a list of trusted reviewers who enjoy your work and recognize your name. You might consider sending hard copies to these reviewers.
- If sending to a reviewer who requires a hard copy (some places do), don’t expect any more from them. They may or may not actually do a review, and it may or may not be positive.
- It’s okay to send advance-reading copies (ARCs) of your book to reviewers even if your book is out—unless you made extensive revisions to the final version.
- Do share the review via your social media once it’s live. Share and share again later. This helps both you and the reviewer.
- Let Wily Writers know if you got a good review, and we’ll post about it in our public newsletter.
Etiquette
- Be on your most professional behavior with all reviewers.
- Remember that reviewers receive a TON of requests, so don’t be surly with them if they don’t review your book. Never let them see you sweat.
- Make it clear up-front that you’re offering an ebook version of your book if you’re not willing to send a hard copy. To make it easier on them, include a link to the download in your email to them. An excellent site for setting up a free download of your ebook is Bookfunnel.com.
- Never argue with a reviewer who has given your book a negative review, especially not in public. Bad juju.
- Never publicly berate a reviewer who has given your book a negative review. Burning bridges burns you more than them.
A comprehensive list of all the video tutorials created for Wily Writers. You can also browse and subscribe to our Youtube channel if you find that more efficient.
Image Editing
- How to Download Gimp’s Free Image Editing Application
- How to Use Gimp to Add a Banner to an Image
- How to Resize and Crop an Image with Gimp
Spreadsheets
In this repository, you’ll find spreadsheets and other documents you may find useful. Click the link to download the file.
OF NOTE: Even if you don’t have Excel, you can import .XLS files into Google Spreadsheets. Watch our quick video tutorial to learn how (How to Import an Excel Spreadsheet into Google Sheets).
- Convention List Template (Excel spreadsheet, walkthrough video)
- Word-count Tracker (Excel spreadsheet, walkthrough video)
- Review Tracker (Excel spreadsheet, notes in headers)
If you’ve read any great resource books that you’d like to share, note it in the comments. If you’ve read one of the ones listed and have insight into how useful it is, please comment (put the title in brackets at the beginning for easy scanning).
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There are many interesting podcasts out there about dark arts, but there are few that specifically serve writers. Here’s a list of those we currently know about. If you’ve listened to any one of them, leave a note/review of it in the comments so others know what to expect. Also, if you know of one that’s not listed here, let me know in comments and I’ll add it to the list.
Each of these presents an opportunity for self-promotion. You may contact the podcast and offer to appear. Many are actively looking for guests.
NOTE: Just because a podcast is dead, doesn’t mean it’s gone. The episodes of all those listed here are still available for listening.
For Dark Fiction Writers
| The Horror Writers Podcast (dead, 77 episodes) | |
| This is Horror (alive, 396+ episodes) | |
| Bizzong! The Weird and Wacky Fiction Podcast (alive, 239+ episodes) | |
| Horror Writers Channel from Horror Writers Association (alive, collected videos, including interviews & readings) |
About Dark Fiction
| Books in the Freezer (alive, 93+ episodes) | |
| Dead Headspace (alive) | |
| Faculty of Horror (alive, 94+ episodes) | |
| HorrorAddicts.net (Emerian Rich, alive, 194+ episodes) | |
| Horror Rewind (alive, 98+ episodes, mostly on movies, but some fiction) | |
| Ink Heist (alive, 5+ episodes) | |
| Ladies of Horror Fiction (dead, 9 episodes) | |
| Vox Vomitus (Jennifer Anne Gordon, alive, interviews, 47+ episodes) | |
| Stephen King Boo Club (alive, discussion of Stephen King’s work, 60+ episodes) | |
| Stephen King Podcast (alive, discussion of Stephen King’s work, 110+ episodes) |
Dark Fiction Author Readings
| The Outer Dark (alive, 98+ episodes) | |
| Nightlight (alive, 411+ episodes) | |
| Campfire Radio Theater (alive, audiodrama, 30+ episodes) |
Writing in General
| Writing Excuses (alive, hundreds of episodes) | |
| I Should Be Writing (alive, hundreds of episodes) | |
| Grammar Girl (alive, many episodes) | |
| The Hope Writers Podcast (alive, 50+ episodes) | |
| Story Studio Podcast (alive, self-publishing, 50+ episodes) | |
| Authorpreneur’s Almanac (dead) | |
| Eight Questions (dead, many episodes, interviews) | |
| Iterate and Optimize (dead, many episodes, interviews) | |
| Self-Publishing Podcast (dead, many episodes, interviews) | |
| the Smarter Artist (dead, many episodes) | |
| Roy’s Writing Tools (dead, 50 episodes) | |
| The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience (alive, many episodes) | |
| Creative Writing Career (became “Creative Writing Life”, many episodes) | |
| Creative Writing Life (alive, 40+ episodes) | |
| The Creative Penn (alive, many episodes) | |
| The Bestseller Experiment (alive, many episodes) | |
| The Book Marketing Show with Dave Chesson (dead, 65 episodes) | |
| Reading and Writing Podcast (alive, 400+ episodes) | |
| Write Now with Sarah Werner (alive, 200+ episodes) | |
| Helping Writers Become Authors (alive, many episodes) | |
| The Self-Publishing Show (alive, many episodes ) | |
| Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach (alive, 230+ episodes) | |
| Longform Podcast (alive, 400+ episodes) | |
| Write Minded / She Writes Podcast (alive, many episodes) | |
| Magic Lessons Podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert (dead, 200+ episodes, interviews) | |
| Authors on the Air (alive, collection of podcasts about writers & writing, interviews) |
Keep your mind fresh. These videos will challenge you, inspire you, and maybe teach you something you didn’t already know. Share your thoughts in a comment or discuss them in the forums. Have a suggestion for a video that moved, changed, or inspired you? Let us know in the comments.
Denzel Washington, risk, courage, faith, persistence
❖
Elizabeth Gilbert, success, rejection, fear, creativity,
❖
Neil Gaiman, art, imagination, innovation,
❖
Carrie Green, clarity of vision, willpower, boldness, visualization
❖
Peter Dinklage, hardship, comfort, risk, people helping people
❖
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, storytelling, culture, preconceptions
❖
Ashley Stahl, inspiration, imperfection, fear, perfectionism
❖
Jim Carrey, manifestation, success, determination, fear
❖
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, hardship, failure, ambition, commitment
❖
Brené Brown, Oprah, vulnerability, courage, shame
❖
Seth Godin, Marie Forleo, creativity, productivity, inspiration
❖
Lori Gottlieb, change, self-talk, letting go
❖
Logan LaPlante, innovation, courage, ingenuity, nonconformity
Few events energize a writing career more than going to a writers conference or a fandom con. This year, we have a unique opportunity. Most of the conferences are virtual, which means you can attend them without having to pay for flights, restaurant meals, or hotels. Broaden your horizon each month with a virtual trip to visit a different group of your peers.
Keywordsfan: primarily for fans/readers |
This is a living list and will continue to change over time. The keywords in parentheses will help you decide if the con is right for you.
Have a con you’ve attended? Click on the star rating, then tell us why it was good for you in the comments below. (REQUEST: Put the con name at the beginning of any comment about a particular one so it’s easy for others to read through them.)
Organize your convention list with a spreadsheet template for either Excel or Google Sheets.
2021
April
-
- April 21-25 | The Muse & the Marketplace – Virtual
(live, on demand, trade, workshops)
- April 21-25 | The Muse & the Marketplace – Virtual
-
- April 23-25 | Pike’s Peak Writers Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- April 23-25 | Pike’s Peak Writers Conference – Virtual
-
- April 24-May 1 | Northern Colorado Writers Conference
(live, trade, workshops)
- April 24-May 1 | Northern Colorado Writers Conference
-
- April 24 – May 2 | Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival – Virtual
(live, workshops)
- April 24 – May 2 | Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival – Virtual
May
-
- May 13-15 | StoryMakers
(hybrid, trade, workshops)
- May 13-15 | StoryMakers
-
- May 14-15 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – San Diego
(live, trade, workshops)
- May 14-15 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – San Diego
-
- May 15-18 | Kachemak Bay Writers Workshop – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- May 15-18 | Kachemak Bay Writers Workshop – Virtual
-
- May 20-24 | Writers Hotel Weekend – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- May 20-24 | Writers Hotel Weekend – Virtual
-
- May 21-23 | StokerCon 2021 – Virtual, Horror Writers Association
(film, live, on-demand, specific [horror], trade, workshops, pitches)
- May 21-23 | StokerCon 2021 – Virtual, Horror Writers Association
-
- May 28-31 | Balticon – Virtual – Baltimore
(fan, gaming)
- May 28-31 | Balticon – Virtual – Baltimore
-
- May 30-31 | Book Con – Virtual(?)
(trade, workshops)
- May 30-31 | Book Con – Virtual(?)
June
-
- June TBD | Alice Munro Festival – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- June TBD | Alice Munro Festival – Virtual
-
- June 6-12 | Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Workshop Series – Virtual
(moderated, live, scholarships, trade, workshops)
- June 6-12 | Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Workshop Series – Virtual
-
- June 12 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Florida
(live, trade, workshops)
- June 12 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Florida
-
- June 17-20 (in-person) & June 24-26 (online) | New York Pitch Conference
(trade, pitches)
- June 17-20 (in-person) & June 24-26 (online) | New York Pitch Conference
-
- June 18-20 | 4th Street Fantasy Convention – Virtual – Minneapolis
(fan)
- June 18-20 | 4th Street Fantasy Convention – Virtual – Minneapolis
-
- June 21-26 | Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- June 21-26 | Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference – Virtual
-
- June 27 – July 31 | New York State Summer Writers Institute – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- June 27 – July 31 | New York State Summer Writers Institute – Virtual
-
- June 28 – July 10 | Thrillerfest – Virtual
(live, pitches, specific [thriller], trade, workshops)
- June 28 – July 10 | Thrillerfest – Virtual
July
-
- July 9-10 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Colorado
(live, trade, workshops)
- July 9-10 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Colorado
-
- July 9-11 | Imaginarium Convention – Louisville, KY
(film, hybrid, trade, workshops)
- July 9-11 | Imaginarium Convention – Louisville, KY
-
- July 14-18 | Southampton Writers Conference – Virtual, see site for application deadlines
(live, moderated, trade, workshops)
- July 14-18 | Southampton Writers Conference – Virtual, see site for application deadlines
-
- July 15-17 | 10-Minute Novelist Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- July 15-17 | 10-Minute Novelist Conference – Virtual
-
- July 19-24 | Port Townsend Writers Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- July 19-24 | Port Townsend Writers Conference – Virtual
-
- July 22-25 | Writer’s Digest Convention – New York, NY
(in-person(?), pitches, trade, workshops)
- July 22-25 | Writer’s Digest Convention – New York, NY
-
- July 28-31 | Midwest Writers Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops, on-demand for a limited time)
- July 28-31 | Midwest Writers Conference – Virtual
August
-
- August 1-6 | Napa Valley Writers Conference – Napa, CA
(in-person, moderated, trade, workshops)
- August 1-6 | Napa Valley Writers Conference – Napa, CA
-
- August 5-7 | Mendocino Coast Writers Conference – Virtual, registration closes 6/30/21
(live, trade, workshops)
- August 5-7 | Mendocino Coast Writers Conference – Virtual, registration closes 6/30/21
-
- August 7 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Tennessee
(live, trade, workshops)
- August 7 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Tennessee
-
- August 8-21 | Bread Loaf Workshop Series – Virtual
(live, moderated, scholarships, trade, workshops)
- August 8-21 | Bread Loaf Workshop Series – Virtual
-
- August 19-22 | Killer Nashville
(in-person, specific [mystery/thriller/crime], trade, workshops)
- August 19-22 | Killer Nashville
-
- August 26-29 | Orlando Reads Books
(in-person, fan)
- August 26-29 | Orlando Reads Books
September
-
- September 10-11 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Washington, D.C.
(live, trade, workshops)
- September 10-11 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – Washington, D.C.
-
- September 15-19 | Pacific Northwest Writers Conference – Virtual
(live, pitches, trade, workshops)
- September 15-19 | Pacific Northwest Writers Conference – Virtual
-
- September 17-19 | Agents & Editors Conference – Austin, TX
(in-person, trade, workshops)
- September 17-19 | Agents & Editors Conference – Austin, TX
October
-
- October 1-3 | Write on the Sound Workshop – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- October 1-3 | Write on the Sound Workshop – Virtual
-
- October 7-9 | Horror Conclave – Las Vegas
(live, trade, workshops)
- October 7-9 | Horror Conclave – Las Vegas
-
- October 8-9 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – San Francisco
(live, trade, workshops)
- October 8-9 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – San Francisco
-
- October 9-10 | Kansas Authors Club Convention – Virtual
(hybrid, trade, workshops)
- October 9-10 | Kansas Authors Club Convention – Virtual
-
- October 15-17 | Emerald City Writers Workshop – Virtual
(live, pitches, scholarships, specific [romance], trade, workshops)
- October 15-17 | Emerald City Writers Workshop – Virtual
-
- October 18-24 | Vancouver Writers Fest – Vancouver, BC
(fan)
- October 18-24 | Vancouver Writers Fest – Vancouver, BC
-
- October 22-24 | Surrey International Writers Conference – Surrey, Canada
(in-person, trade, workshops)
- October 22-24 | Surrey International Writers Conference – Surrey, Canada
-
- October 22-24 | La Jolla Writers Conference – La Jolla, CA
(trade, workshops)
- October 22-24 | La Jolla Writers Conference – La Jolla, CA
-
- October 23-24 | Self-Publishing Advice Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- October 23-24 | Self-Publishing Advice Conference – Virtual
November
-
- November TBD | Romance Writers of America Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- November TBD | Romance Writers of America Conference – Virtual
-
- November 8-14 | Kauai Writers Conference – Kauai, Hawaii
(in-person, pitches, trade, workshops)
- November 8-14 | Kauai Writers Conference – Kauai, Hawaii
-
- November 13 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – North Carolina
(live, trade, workshops)
- November 13 | Writer Day Workshop – Virtual – North Carolina
December
-
- December 15-19 | DisConIII / WorldCon / World Science Fiction Convention / Hugo Awards
(in-person, fan, specific [science fiction/fantasy], some trade)
- December 15-19 | DisConIII / WorldCon / World Science Fiction Convention / Hugo Awards
2022
February 2022
-
- February 17-20 | San Francisco Writers Conference 2022
(in-person, trade, workshops)
- February 17-20 | San Francisco Writers Conference 2022
-
- February TBD| Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference – Virtual
(live, trade, workshops)
- February TBD| Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference – Virtual
March 2022
-
- March TBD | Sleuthfest Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America
(specific [mystery], pitches, trade, workshops)
- March TBD | Sleuthfest Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America
-
- March TBD | Atlanta Writing Workshop
(pitches, trade, workshops)
- March TBD | Atlanta Writing Workshop
-
- March TBD | Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
(trade, workshops)
- March TBD | Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
-
- March TBD | Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference – Virtual(?)
(trade, workshops)
- March TBD | Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference – Virtual(?)
April 2022
-
- April TBD | Las Vegas Writers Conference 2022
(trade, workshops, pitches)
- April TBD | Las Vegas Writers Conference 2022
-
- April TBD | Nebraska Writers Guild Conference – Virtual(?)
(trade, workshops)
- April TBD | Nebraska Writers Guild Conference – Virtual(?)
June 2022
-
- June TBD | Odyssey Fiction Writers’ Workshop, applications due in April,
(moderated, trade, workshops)
- June TBD | Odyssey Fiction Writers’ Workshop, applications due in April,
September 2022
-
- September 1-5 | ChiCon8 / WorldCon / World Science Fiction Convention / Hugo Awards
(live, trade, workshops)
- September 1-5 | ChiCon8 / WorldCon / World Science Fiction Convention / Hugo Awards
One of the most exciting truths about being a writer—and maybe about everything—is that you can never perfect your craft. As a writer, maintaining a “beginner’s mind” is critical to keeping your creativity and your work fresh. Your understanding of wordsmithing will continue to evolve right up to the very last word you ever put to paper.
Not only deeper insight into wordcraft, but technologies, new and old, may appear on your radar to make your work more efficient; and even the industry itself continues to evolve in surprising ways as evidenced by the rise of ebooks in the last decade or so.
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KEYWORDS
free: free to all indie: for indie authors live: scheduled live classes on-demand: recorded videos scholarship: offers scholarships specific: specific to a system varied: offerings change |
Online Course/Seminar List
Have a course you’ve taken? Click on the star rating then tell us why it was good for you in the comments below. Put the course name at the beginning of the comment so it’s easy for others to read through them. Note any we failed to list, especially if you recommend it.
- So You Want to be a Horror Writer?, Sephera Giron
(live, on-demand, Udemy) - Highlights Foundation Workshops
(live, on-demand, varied) - Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, Cat Rambo, et al.
(live, on-demand, varied, scholarship) - Save the Cat Novel-Writing Course, Jessica Brody
(on-demand, specific) - Self-Publishing Formula, Mark Dawson, et al.
(indie, on-demand) - Scribophile Academy
(on-demand) - ProWritingAid Online Lectures for Writers
(on-demand, free)
For more workshop options, check out the Conference List.
Youtube Videos
Marketing 101 for Writers
Financial Planning for Writers from StokerCon2021
Concepts of Horror – Writing Tips
Writing in the Dark from theCreativePenn podcast
Creative Writing Advice from Stephen King
on The Write Channel with Nicola Monaghan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhOd65gGoY
How to Write a Horror Novel with Joe Hill
10 Screenplay Writing Tips from Stephen King
On Writing Dark Fiction from Lenn Woolston
Writing a Horror Protagonist from Daniel Stamm
How to Write Faster and Never Get Writer’s Block
Michaelbrent Collings on theCreativePenn podcast
How to Make Your Story 100% More Scary on MidnightXCross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF6LlV-MpkM
5 Tips for Writing Dark Fantasy
10 Best Tips for Writing a Horror Book
How to Write Dark Fantasy Jenna Moreci
on the RebelAuthor podcast
8 Horror Writing Tips
How to Be Successful Writing Horror
Iain Rob Wright on theCreativePenn podcast
The Perfect Horror Protagonist
on the Extra Credits podcast
Writing Horror and Making a Living with Your Writing
Michaelbrent Collings on theCreativePenn podcast
Writing Dark Fiction Alan Baxter
on theCreativePenn podcast
How to Add Suspense to Your Writing from Danyal Fryer
How to Write Horror – 5 Quick Tips
from Richard Fairgray on the Holiday House vidcast
How to Make Your Writing Suspenseful
Victoria Smith on TED-Ed
10 Best Tropes in Paranormal Fiction
on Writing with Jenna Moreci vidcast
Writing Dark Fantasy with T. Frohock on Fictitious vidcast
5 Tips for Writing Scary Stories
from the By the Dying Fire vidcast
Writing Tips from Stephen King
on Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Finding Ideas for Horror Stories from Brandon McNulty
What is the Difference Between GrimDark and Fantasy?
Why Reading and Writing Dark Fiction Can Be Healing
with J Thorn on theCreativePenn podcast
GrimDark Reader’s Guide
How to Write Paranormal Characters
on writers2writers vidcast
How to Write a Supernatural Novel
on Jason Arnopp’s Terrifying House Of Obsession
How to Write Effective Horror at ReedsyBlog vidcast