Hi Piers

The Official Website of Piers Anthony and Xanth

Piers at Oasis 19
Piers at Oasis 19
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This survey has no authority other than my own ornery wish to help aspiring writers make progress; I'm really a writer, not a surveyor. I am Piers Anthony, known primarily for my Xanth fantasy series, though I also do serious writing. I've had a good deal of experience in the publishing school of hard knocks, hence my interest in making it easier for others. Updates directly from publishers are welcome, and so are comments about those publishers from those who use them. I have no agenda other than reasonable clarity, accuracy and relevance. I take publishers' claims on faith until learning otherwise; then I tell truth without much concern for consequences. I do not check with publishers before running positive or negative feedback on them; this survey is of the nature of a review, and anonymity of sources is maintained. If I may summarize the general gist of publisher responses to bad reviews, it is "You're a liar! We'll sue! Tell us who blabbed so we can destroy them. Who the hell are you to make such judgments anyway?!" To which I reply "Tough feces, folk. Clean up your act." But when, on rare occasion, the publisher turns out to have the right of it, I will grudgingly amend my entry next update.

I posted spot updates called to my attention, as shown in color. Routine checking of sites is getting so slow on my dial-up that I have had to stop it, and just update as I learn about things. January 2022 update: two new entries. Those who encounter dead links are welcome to let me know; I'll check and either get them corrected or noted as defunct. This time there are a slew we are in the process of handling. October 2018 update: Thanks to Ara Seferian for vetting the entire list here to point out invalid links. These were disabled, although we leave the original address for reference. I received a plea for publishers to get together and standardize their submission guidelines. Some accept single-spaced documents, some want 1.5-spaced, some double-spaced. Some want MS Word .doc, others .rtf. Some want no page numbers, some want chapter breaks, some want no words in CAPITALS, some want nothing underlined. Some want one space after each sentence, others require two spaces. I've seen publishers state that if their particular formats are not followed to the letter, submissions will be deleted unread. What to do? My inclination is to do it my way, which was good enough for traditional publishers for 40 years, or moderately adapted for electronic format, and any electronic publisher who objects can do without my business. Let the publisher change the format to please itself. If someone cares to offer a standardized format, I'll be happy to run it here. Then maybe publishers will start saying "Standardized Format Accepted" and the problem will fade as uncooperative publishers stop receiving submissions.

SERVICES:

This is the second part of the Survey of Electronic Publishers, this part devoted to Related Services. I had to divide the larger file (on my computer) because it got too cumbersome for my system to transmit. This was updated as of May 1, 2015, with spot updates as called to my attention.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M
N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

10 BEST BLOGGING SITES FOR WRITERS — https://websitesetup.org/best-blog-sites/. This is an article by Nick Schaferhoff doing a detailed comparison of the ten most popular blogging platforms an author needs to know about. It starts with a general discussion on why and how to start blogging, then gets into the list with pros and cons for each site, followed by a concluding discussion and followup from others. I have some blog sites in this survey, which I picked up hit or miss. I'm sure they're competent, but you should start with this article to get a good grounding before you take action, because this guy knows infinitely more about the subject than I do.

1 PLACE FOR ROMANCE — http://1PlaceForRomance.com. This is the new name for 1 RomanceEbooks. September 2012 update: Closed.

1STAUTHORINTERVIEWS — 1stauthorinterviews@gmail.com. This is a new site, launched June 1, 2011, aimed at getting authors more attention. All authors are welcome, whether print or ebook, new or established, and the interviews are free. August 2011 update: They will be introducing a Premium service, but will always have the free service too.

360RESEARCHPAPERS — www.360researchpapers.com/. They offer complete editing, peer-reviewing, formatting, translating and proofreading services for research scholars looking to publish their research papers in Impact Factor journals. They also offer innovative Art Work Designing services.

3POORTEN — www.3poorten.nl/links. See De Drie Poorten. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

A&A PRINTING — www.printshopcentral.com. I received a flier. This seems to be a print shop that is expanding into other services, such as web page, warehousing, coqver design, ebook publishing, and book marketing. They cater to self published authors.

ADRON J SMITLEY BLOOGSPOT — www.adronjsmitley.blogspot.com/. This is actually a book you can read on the site, A Stranger Comes to Town, by Adrion J Smitley, subtitled The 13 essential steps for plotting your novel. It proffers advice intended to be comprehensible, so that you will know what to do.

AJW CELEBRITY SERVICES - www.ajwcelebrityservices.com. I received a solicitation to enlist with them to make public appearances. They are booking agents. Fill out a form, send it in. They take 15% of what they make for appearances and 10% on any production services they book. I did not respond, but list them here in case anyone else is interested. September 2012 update: Not found. August 2013 update: they are back in good order.

A-W PUBLISHING - www.a-wpublishing.com. September 2012 update: All Chinese symbols. My guess is it is no longer in the business it was.

ABIKA.COM - www.abika.com. September 2014 update: Now the link leads to a search engine, USSearch.com.

ABLE MUSE/ERATOSPHERE 30 DAY WRITING PROGRAM - www.ablemuse.com “Looking for a dirt-cheap but highly effective writers' workshop/conference/retreat? Here comes, online, the Able Muse 30 day writing program (for poetry, fiction & nonfiction), designed to (re)kindle your writing?" Course date: September 1-September 30, 2011. So you're already late for this one, but maybe there will be others hereafter. There are three addresses: www.AbleMuse.com, www.AbleMusePress.com, http://eratosphere.ablemuse.com. February 2012 update: Their current course runs from February 1 to March 10, 2012. September 2012 update: They would like donations to support their efforts. April 2018 update: The deadline for their Able Muse Book Award (for poetry manuscript) has been extended 5 days to Thursday, April 5, midnight PST. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ABINTRA PRESS - http://abintrapress.com/. This is a personal site by Ed Howdershelt, and I am listing it for two reasons. The official one is that it has useful advice on the Epublishing Info page on marketing your manuscript, including on ISBN numbers and registering copyrights. The unofficial reason is that Ed came to my house, installed a modem, and enabled me to get online at last and this is the first entry verified and done on my own system instead of on my wife's Windows system, Mayhem 28, 2008. I'm free of Windows at last, at least for browsing. So click his link, visit his site, and thank him or bawl him out, depending on whether you are pleased that he helped me get better access. You might even consider buying one of his books. September 2012 update: Interesting note about the pirating of his books: seems there was a $2 trial-for-one-day membership to download pirated books free. But that $2 was upgraded to $40 without notice and those who tried it now have their email addresses used to promote sex-aid scams and outrageous charges on their credit cards. He didn't do it; he was a victim. But there's a certain smugness about those so eager to steal books who got shafted themselves. “What's the word for thieves ripping off other thieves?" he suggests “Funny." September 2014 update: Still there with pithy comments about This & That, of interest to self publishing authors.

ABOUT.COM - www.about.com/. This really isn't a writing site any more. It's a general advice site. September 2017 update: I am advised that this is now Dotdash.com, a business which hyperlinks to other websites where articles are authored on various subjects. No mention if authors are getting paid.

ABSOLUTE WRITE - www.absolutewrite.com/. They offer on-line courses in all manner of writing, and say they have a list of more than 180 agents. They have a newsletter, offer editing services, and so on, for a price. This could be good for a writer who is not sure how and why to proceed. June 2012 update: I heard from their administrator: my entry was well out of date. The site was founded in the 1990s by Jenna Glatzer, who sold it to MacAllister Stone in 2006. In 2007 she ceased publishing the newsletter and also ceased offering classes. They do list them, but are neither affiliated nor paid for them. There are several thousand legacy pages that are being curated as rapidly as possible. The primary purpose of Absolute Write is to provide a community for writers via the Absolute Write Water Cooler forums. So now it is a comprehensive informational Website for writers of all levels, with articles and information about fiction, nonfiction, screen-writing, freelancing, and copyrighting. They also provide information about editing, publishing, agents, and market research, with links to other services. In sum: this is a likely place to visit first, to get your bearings. Yet there is also a negation: it seems literary agent Barbara Bauer sued, and the MacAllister residence turned out to be a storage unit. The charge is that the site is making money by pretending to run an honest critique board and garnering huge traffic, running hundreds of Google ads, and that instructors are not being paid. But some charges are from anonymous sources and the truth is uncertain. September 2012 update: They remain in business, no sign of any problems. But caution is in order. August 2013 update: This time they have among other things the Seven Deadly Sins of Freelance Writing: Not Following Up, Being Ignorant, Being Careless, Being Self absorbed, Unoriginality, Close Mindedness, Social Aversion—that is, don't treat fellow writers as competition, but as peers, teachers, and friends. August 2014 update: A report that some very bad things are happening at this forum, and I understand that a number of other sites have sprung up to address them. September 2014 update: I am advised that they now have a complaint forum that lists about a dozen sites folk have complained about. February 2015 update: a report of cyber bullying at their Water Cooler. January 2020 update: a complaint from a publisher, Solstice Publishing, which see.

A CAPPELA - www.acappela.com/. Advice on all aspects of writing, directing the aspiring author to various fee-charging services. September 2012 update: They remain in business. “Get published in 2012." August 2013 update: Now it's get published in 2013. Plus other resources for writers.

ACAPELLA BOOK COVER DESIGN - www.acapellawebdesign.com. Jennifer Givner is a book cover artist and illustrator with over 14 years experience. Reach her at acapellabookcoverdesign@gmail.com.

ACME IT SOLUTIONS - Sillayas@gmail.com. They do data conversion, data entry, data pnrocessing, image scanning and indexing. They say they have 25 experienced staffers.

ADULT FANFICTION - http://FANFICTION-www.adultfanfiction.net/. September 2012 update: All I got was Internal Service Error. August 2013 update: Ditto. This is not a good sign. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

AGENT RESEARCH & EVALUATION - www.agentresearch.com/.  This is a paid service for locating the right agent for you. For $75 you can get their New Agent List containing 40 agents appearing since 1998. For $210 you can get a complete report on five agents who handle work like yours. For $330 they'll research the best agents for you and give you the information. Or ask them about a particular agent and they'll give you the poop on it, free. There are other services. They don't guarantee you'll get an agent, but at least your search will be well informed. At first blush, I'd say this is worthwhile, because finding the right agent may be more important to your future than finding the right spouse, if you are a serious writer. If I were looking for an agent, I believe I would try this service. October 2004 update: They say their agent database includes more than 2,000 active agents, none of whom charge reading fees, and they have information on the $ made on deals. October 2008 update: Now the fee is $360. The right agent would certainly be worth it. September 2011 update: They are still there. I still don't need an agent, but if I did, I think I would try these folk; I'm curious what they would come up with. September 2014 update: However, their site has not been updated since 2011. That doesn't mean they're out of business; maybe they got it exactly right the first time. But it's a caution.

ALLBOOKS REVIEW- www.allbookreviews.com. September 2014 update: Server Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ALLIANCE DATA - www.alliance-data.org. They are based at Union Territory, a former French colony on the shore of the Bay of Bengal in South India. They provide mass data entry and typesetting. They say they have 25 years experience, with 99.99 percent error free delivery, promptness, and attractive rates. They can handle any text, including mathematically. They have an impressive list of publishers for whom they have digitized text, starting with the Oxford University Press. September 2010 update: I got the message that additional plug-ins are required, so I couldn't verify it, but the site does seem to still exist. September 2011 update: this time I had no trouble reaching their site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ALLZONE DIGITAL - www.allzonedigital.com. This provides a complete range of digital publishing needs such as typesetting, ebook conversions, fixed-layouts, ebook enhancement, e-learning and customized Apps. Plugins are needed, so I was unable to verify the site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS - www.allromanceebooks.com. February 2017 update: newspaper article says they shut down their site December 31, 2016, with no prior warning, leaving half a million customers in the lurch. They have no money to pay 4th quarter royalties. So if you're with them, you're screwed. Yes, there is a lawsuit, maybe class action.

ALTPUBLISH - www.altpublish.com/. See publishing section.

AMAZON - www.amazon.com/.  Known primarily as a bookseller, Amazon now does do some publishing of its own. I don't yet have reports. February 2008 update: I understand the Amazon Kindle program started in November 2007, downloading to the Amazon reading device. Author receives 35% royalties on books sold this way. April 2008 update: They are making a gross power play, refusing to sell the POD books that are not printed by their BookSurge subsidiary. Authors and small publishers are generally outraged. October 2008 update: for their publishing program see Create Space in the Publishing section. It seems to be the best self publishing deal extant. February 2009 update: Amazon has a feature, Sponsored Links, that is a service to readers, providing links to additional sources or information about the authors. But some authors are upset, because some of those links violate their privacy by providing personal addresses, phone numbers and such, and Amazon will not remove them when requested by the authors. I checked Piers Anthony, and a Sponsored Link was for Docks and Piers supplies. No joke; you can check it yourself. Just be advised that I endorse no Docks or Piers; buy them at your own risk. That does not violate my privacy, but does show that this is an automated thing, not necessarily relevant. So authors should be warned that more than their books may be for sale here. I certainly don't want my street address or phone number available for any kook who figures to erase me and take my place, figuring that no one will know the difference. My ghost would be really annoyed if no one noticed, though. September 2010 update: an author can now get 70% royalties if he makes the right deal. July 2012 update: I heard from them. They allow users to list, sell, and collect payment on products all on one platform. This could be handy for writers interested in selling their books online. They also provide a list of resources and how-to guides.

AMES ON-DEMAND - www.amesondemand.com. September 2011 update: it has become a general purpose site.

AMI - Author Marketing Ideas - www.authormarketingideas.com. I received an email brochure, so am listing it, though I'm not sure I should get into straight promotions outfits. They say they can really help you promote your book. September 2015 update: I received another flier. “Got a great book? Then match it to the perfect book launch marketing plan!" Just keep in mind that such promotions may cost more than they bring in via increased sales; nobody can guarantee success. July 2016 update: Another flyer: “Book Marketing, Book Marketing! We are sharing FREE Ideas with you." Go to the site and check out over 20 free marketing ideas. September 2016 update: they now offer Book-to-Film services for authors looking to market their novels for film production. They can do a critique of your book and assess its potential, or even write a screenplay based on it. All for a price, I'm sure. December 2017 update: Another flier: “Want a UNIQUE way to promote your book? Host a giveaway on Goodreads..." They will tell you how to do it. In fact they will even set it up and manage it for you. They are waiting for your email. June 2018 update: their flier says that reviews sell books, and you can get a good review for your book for $295 to $325, depending on its type. January 2019 update: This time their flyer offers to research to find the perfect contests for your book, dong the entry forms, covering the entry fees, and ordering the book cop4ies needed. They take care of everything for $750. but I say yet again, legitimate contests will have hundreds or thousands of entries, and your chances are likely to be low. June 2019 update: Another flier. This one recommending a Book To Film treatment. “A treatment is a cross between a synopsis and an outline that shows what your future screenplay will be. It is a framework that presents the most cinematic version of your book... They will handle this for you, if... December 2019 update: Their flier says that reviews sell books. They will get you a good review for $295 up. They also ask “How can people buy your book if they don't know about it? Good question. But there is no guarantee they will buy your book if the do know about it, so be cautious. January 2020 update: Another flier, similar content. February 2020 update: another flier. “Our authors are receiving five star reviews! Take a look!

An Insider's Guide - see PUBLICIZE YOUR BOOK

APEX BOOK MANUFACTURING INC — nyki@apexbm.com. I received an ad inviting me to explore the benefits of digital printing. I haven't done so, but am listing them here for the benefit of those who want the books printed in quantity. They have a 15% off sale on orders of 75 books or more.

APHELION - www.aphelion-webzine.com/ This is an online magazine that doesn't pay for material but should be a good market for exposure of your fiction. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or Poetry. Stories under 7,500 words are sent to one editorial office, and longer ones to another. They have a "Mare Inebrium" category; I don't know whether there's any connection to Xanth's Mare Imbrium, who brings daydreams. October 2008 update: I learned something I didn't know: "Fan Fiction" is not fiction written by fans, as I had thought, but is anything that involves copyrighted characters or institutions from Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. That is, fictionalizing about copyrighted characters or settings. September 2014 update: They are still there is good order.

APOLLO'S LYRE - www.apollos-lyre.com/ September 2010 update: Server Not Found.

APOYO CORP - www.apoyocorp.com. Professional ebook formatting—conversion services for all small to large publishers, authors, etc. They convert all manuscript file formats into all requisite formats like mobi, epub, ibooks, etc. Their ebook conversion services start from $0.30/page. You can check their conversion quality by providing a sample. They will process it for free. www.apoyocorp.com/ebook-conversion-quote.

ARTIST FIRST NETWORK - www.artistfirst.com   I received an email flier promoting this. It says that ArtistsFirst World Radio is offering a new show series exclusively about independent and undiscovered authors, entitled Authors-First. They are a Web Radio station sending out a constant worldwide FM signal. They will do a pre-recorded one hour program about your book. There is no fee, but you are requested to make a donation whose size you determine. This looks very  August 2004 update: they invited me to do a series of one minute opinions for them to broadcast. I pondered and passed it up, as I have my own site for opinions.  October 2007 update: The site was slow loading, then played music. Obviously it is functioning. September 2010 update: They are still there in good order. September 2014 update: Additional plugins required, so I didn't check them, but they are obviously still there.

ARTPAC - www.artpac.co.kr. "We are a leading printer in Seoul, South Korea and are specialized for printing of all kinds of paper products." Contact them for a quote.

ARTS AND EDIT- www.artsandedit.com.   October 2007 update: And now it's a search engine. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

A.R. YNGVE HOMEPAGE- http://clik.to/pankrator. - September 2010 update: Domain may be for sale. September 2011 update: This time I got persistent ads that would not close down. So it has become a nuisance site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ASCOT MEDIA GROUP — www.ascotmedia.com. I received an invitation to use their promotional services for my books. It costs $3,500 per month. I think I am not in their league, but I list them in case you are. April 2009 update: Now they have an "intro" plan for authors: $2,000 reduced to just $750 a month. In fact Viral One can be had for one month only for $700. November 2009 update: They are repeating their $750 offer for the months of November and December, 2009. February 2010 update: They say that some of their clients hit the New York Times best-sellers list in 2009, and they hope to do better in 2010. June 2010 update: "We have put several authors on the NY Times best-sellers list and are continuously booking our clients on national television and radio and getting them in national print." February 2012 update: I continue to receive promotional emails from them; they remain active and positive. "We do not lock you into long term agreements. You sign on a month-to-month basis—which says a lot. We are also a member of the BBB, which says it all."

ASK ANN - www.speculations.com/rumormill/archive/arc200.htm. October 2008 update: they are no longer in the business of publishing market information for writers. SPECULATIONS will go dormant a while, then presumably revive. September 2010 update: It seems to be reviving now. September 2011 update: They are still working on reviving. September 2012 update: Still working on it. August 2013 update: Still working on it. I suspect they are really still dormant, but dreaming. September 2014 update: Still not active. I fear this is a coma that will end in death.

ASSOCIATION OF AUTHORS' REPRESENTATIVES (AAR) - www.aar-online.org. These are the legitimate agents, the ethical ones who won't rip you off. You don't want any other kind. Good general information here, but it may not help you much if you want to get an agent. August 2005 update: Now they invite you to search their database if you are looking for an agent. So I typed in my own agent, and they couldn't find him. Okay, not every agent belongs, not even every legitimate agent. October 2008 update: But their general advice about agents is good, and this is a site worth checking for information regardless whether you are currently seeking an agent. They say most agents will answer only snail queries. In my experience, many don't even do that; it's a wonder how they ever find clients. If I ruled the world, there would be stiffer standards for agent attitudes. September 2014 update: Site was slow loading, but they are evidently still functioning. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

@VENTURE - www.atventure.com. "@VENTURE is a site where comic book writers can publish prose fiction, and where readers can find it."    UPDATE: this now seems to be a search engine.

AUTHOR & BOOK PROMOTIONS — www.author-promotion.com. They promote literary works by best-selling and new authors wanting greater online book publicity. They are also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorpromotion. November 2011 update: "Our mission is to bring as much publicity to Authors of all stages and expose their books to readers around the world.!"

AUTHOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST UNDESIRABLE PUBLISHING COMPANIES - Authorscampaign@aol.com. Membership of 98 authors who investigate publishing companies that do not pay due royalties. The notice I received discussed Cool Publications, listed in the Publishing section. No Web site yet, but they are working on it. If you are suspicious of your publisher, this seems to be a place to check. September 2014 update: connection was reset.

AUTHOR CONNECTION -   see The Author Connection

THE AUTHORS DESK - www.theauthorsdesk.net/.  October 2008 update: Now it seems to be an ad site for furniture. It wants to sell an author a desk, literally. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

AUTHOR DIRECTORY - www.authdir.com/. This is a listing of a squintillion writers, artists, and models in alphabetical order, listing birthday, age, and site and email addresses, with links. It lists four Anthonys but missed Patricia Anthony. For me it listed an AOL email instead of my real one; curious, I clicked it, as I never had that address. Sure enough, it gave an error message. It lacks the age for some writers. It also listed a second site address which leads to the Xanth Thread, which does not appear to be fully operative. So this list may not be complete, or completely accurate, but it's a dandy way to locate writers. I list it here though it's not a publishing service, as folk might want to check the sites of their favorite authors to see where they get published. October 2008 update: Now it has six Anthonys, including Patricia, but still does not have my correct address. So it's a big list, but sloppy on detail. September 2009 update: I tried clicking an author link, but it told me I did not have permission to access it. It actually said FORBIDDEN. Curious, I then tried clicking on my own name. Same response. So as a public service, this site has a bad attitude. What are they up to?

AUTHORLINK - http://authorlink.com/. This seems to be a general publishing information site worth checking out. It has news, information, and marketing service for readers, writers, editors, and agents. October 2007 update: But to get that information, you have to subscribe for $7 a month. October 2008 update: Now it's $15 a month, after a $30 first month. September 2009 update: I tried clicking on an article, but apparently my system is too old to get it. September 2014 update: They continue with relevant news items, and are current.

AUTHOR NATION - www.AuthorNation.com. August 2013 update: “This domain has just been registered for one of our customers!" I suspect this is no longer an author community. September 2014 update: The domain has been registered to one of their customers, and is under construction.

AUTHORS DEN - www.author'sden.com/. An authors' promotion site, with membership dues. September 2009 update: Server Not Found.

AUTHORS-SPEAKERS - www.authors-speakers.com/services.html. October 2004 update: gone October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

THE AUTHOR'S ASSISTANT - www.authorsassistant.com. UPDATE: Got an "Unknown Host" message, so it's gone.

AUTHORS GUILD - www.authorsguild.org. This is a traditional writers' organization that you can't join unless you are selling traditionally, but I'm listing it because it has a web site and some online writers might qualify. It just issued a Model Trade Book Contract and Guide that includes Electronic Rights Clauses, so can be relevant to electronic publishing. It is a fine guide. The site has news of interest to writers. UPDATE: Announcement of their quarrel with Amazon.com about the way it offers used books for sale cut-rate almost as fast as the new ones, depleting new sales. This fracas has made the NEW YORK TIMES and WALL STREET JOURNAL, with hot accusations relating to free speech, lawfulness, and misrepresentation. I suspect Amazon is already sorry it took on Author's Guild without weighing its words. So who has the right of the case? I would say technically Amazon, but it's a shitty thing to do to writers. August 2003 UPDATE: Clicking this link made my browser crash, thrice. Does a hacker have a grudge against this legitimate organization? October 2004 update: This site still makes my Konqueror browser crash. I assume Author's Guild still exists, as I just renewed my membership by snail mail. December 2006 update: the site seems to be working now. October 2008 update: I am now using the Firefox browser, and it didn't crash. The site seems functional and informative. September 2012 update: They really don't like the Justice Department's ebook antitrust lawsuit, because it will make Amazon the master of the publishing universe. My own feelings are mixed: traditional publishers have bullied authors for centuries, but do we want to put in place a new bully? I wish it didn't have to be one or the other. August 2013 update: The site is running daily news updates relevant to writers' interests.

AUTHOR SHADOW — https://authorshadow.com/promotions. I received an email offering to boost my book Hair Peace. They are evidently unaware that this is the conclusion of a trilogy. However, they might help others. “We provide different social media ads, Book Listing, twitter post & Content Writing for your book.”

AUTHORS OF LITERARY EROTICA - www.mindcaviar.com/literotica.html. September 2014 update: Server not found.

AUTHORWEEK - https://www.authorweek.com/. I received a flier congratulating me on my book Jest Right and offering to help me with my book promotion. It appears they don't know that this is the 43rd novel in the once bestselling Xanth series. So their promotion may be effective, but their knowledge of publishing seems limited.

AUTHOR ZONE- www.authorzone.com. August 2013 update: Now it's a search site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BABY NAMES - www.babynames.com/. So why is this listed here? Because coming up with character names can be a hassle. I have a collection of baby names books I use. This online collection should be convenient for those who don't want to invest in physical books. My Konqueror browser crashed twice trying to look at this; maybe that's coincidence. December 2006 update: It is working now, at least with the Windows browser, so I tried looking up my own name. It has a phenomenal list of names, including Pierce, Pier, and Peers, but not Piers. Hmm. October 2008 update: Their listing is very pretty, with boys in blue, girls in red, and unisex in green. September 2010 update: Now they have Piers, in blue, meaning I'm a boy. May 2012 update: Also see EBABYNAMES.com, farther along, under E.

BABY NAMES 4 ME — I am unable to run the site address as such, which is web dot babynames4me dot com, because several times it has trashed my file. This site has 34,000 names all with meaning and origin. I did find it difficult to navigate; you have to tediously stair-step to get where you want.

BABY NAME TRAIN — www.babynametrain.com/. The proprietor called my attention to this one in April 2011. It seems to be a competent list which does include “Piers." They have a special service for writers: a random name generator that pulls up 5 boys and 5 girls names at a time, first, middle and last. I tried it and it worked. They also list the most popular names. At the moment that's Jacob and Isabella, based on 2009. September 2014 update: Now the most popular are Jacob and Sophia, at least as of 2011. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BABY NAMES WORLD- www.babynamesworld.com/. Another list of baby names, with 11,000 names you can use to name characters, and maybe even a baby or two when the occasion demands. This one includes "Piers." October 2008 update: It no longer includes Piers. Was it something I said? September 2011 update: This took a long time to load on my dial-up system; they seem to have half a slew of sections, and it's much more than just a names site now. They do have Piers. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BARNES & NOBLE — www.barnesandnoble.com/. They are primarily a bookseller, but they bought Fictionwise, so are evidently now also a publisher, though their site doesn't seem to say so. So I'm compromising by listing them in the Services section. I will list reports as I receive them. They used to run iUniverse, so have been in publishing before. November 2009 update: they seem to be censoring the material they sell, by deleting the works of some erotic publishers, like eXcessica. Yes I have a personal interest, as my story "Serial" seems to be among those deleted. April 2018 update: See Barnes & Noble Press in the publishing section.

BART BAGGETT'S INTERNET MARKETING FOR AUTHORS, SPEAKERS, & PUBLISHERS - www.internetbookpublishingsecrets.com/. This is a hard sell for a $297 online course and books the author says can make you duplicate what he made last month: $11,989, or $144,000 in a year. His discussion is interesting, but I take it with a ton of salt. My guess is you'll be fortunate if you make back the course fee. But who knows?  December 2006 update: I don't know whether the site has changed, but certainly it has worthwhile points for writers to ponder. October 2008 update: He lists myths: that the Internet doesn't sell books, that your book will sell itself, that your books must be available in bookstores, that you really believe that being on Oprah will make you an overnight bestseller, that it takes luck to be a bestseller, that you should advertise Amazon on your site (because Amazon will not share customer information with you). Buy his book and prosper. September 2010 update: Site not found. September 2012 update: But it's back now.

BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL - BeachBookFestival@sbcglobal.net. BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL-BeachBookFestival@sbcglobal.net. Call for entries in their 2008 annual program. $1,500 first prize and a flight to Atlantic City. Many genres.

BEMOP - www.bemopub.com/. Stands for Be My Own Publisher. September 2010 update: This is now a banking information site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BEST CLOUD TOOLS - www.bestcloudtools.com/. I was contacted by the proprietor Janz Nordman, who has expertise as a web developer. It offers additional help on how to choose the best website builder, e-commerce builder, or any other cloud tool for any specific project.

BETTER FICTION - www.betterfiction.com. I clicked the link, and the connection was refused. Then they gave me on alternate link and I got there. This is a collection of forums relating to improving your writing. I agreed to contribute a spot essay, but haven't tried to look at it online because I'd need to be a member to get there. The other comments I saw seemed to be informed and relevant. Aspiring writers need feedback so they can tell whether they are on the right track. This is a way to get it. March 2010 update: but I am informed that the link seems dead for the past year or so. September 2010 update: The site is there, but no longer seems active. September 2011 update: Now it's there, and says their anthologies will be published by Marion Margaret Press. The Forum is open to anyone pursuing growth as a writer.

BLACK ON WHITE- www.blackonwhite.on.ca/. September 2010 update: It's hard to tell what's what here, but the site does not seem active. September 2012 update: Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BLOGS: The theory is that a good blog makes good promotion for your book. See Build Your Own Blog, Start A Blog, Start Blogging Online, Start Up Your Blog, Start Your Own Blog and Wise Startup Blog, below. July 2019 update: And be sure to check “10 Best Blogging Sites For Writers, an article listed at the beginning of this Services section.

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTS - www.bookannouncements.com/. September 2009 update: Now it seems to be assorted other announcements, like wedding or baby shower.

BOOKBUZZ — www.bookbuzz.net. I received a flier saying that if I want to continue receiving their emails I need to let them know. I didn't answer, but I am letting you know they exist. September 2018 update: This time I received their newsletter. They promote print and e-books and offer targeted marketing campaigns to fit your budget. For one deal, they are offering a promotion package for $199, saving you $100. November 2018 update: For $99 they will advertise your book in three magazines, potentially reaching 100,000 readers. The magazines are SOUTHERN WRITERS, IND'TALE MAGAZINE, and UNCAGED BOOK REVIEWS. February 2019 update: this time their newsletter says you can exhibit your book at Book Expo America 2019 May 29-31 and BookCon June 1-2, 2019 if you sign up with them. But of course it costs you. March 2019 update: “Build your own marketing package and save up to $250. You can choose the services you want, not paying for those you don't want. But they offer additional savings if you bundle a number of services. I recommend you check equivalent services elsewhere to see what suits you best. But don't expect to get rich from any of them. November 2019 update: They have Holiday and New Year advertising specials. For $99.95 they will advertise your book in their Holiday Book Blast to over 2,000 Booksellers, 3000 librarians, and over 10,000 readers, plus making the book available to 250,000 librarians, booksellers, book reviewers, and media professionals online for 5 days. December 2019 update: If you catch their limited time offer you can get their ultimate book promotion blitz for only $200, saving $149. August 2020 update: their Newsletter provides all manner of services at assorted prices. March 2021 update: They are pushing several packages from $125 up. This mailing includes Author Advice: Are beta readers worth the trouble? Conclusions are mixed.

BOOK CANDY STUDIOS — www.bookcandystudios.com. They help authors promote their works through trailers, blogs, review boards, top social networking sites, newsgroups, and even author tours. "We offer a wide range of promotional services—none of which will break the bank." But when I clicked their site, it had music, colored blank books, and a message "Get Ready." Otherwise it was blank. August 2008 update: I received an email saying that this fall they will publish the "Book Candy News Wrapper," a media communications platform that will go out to more than 68,000 magazine editors and multi-media producers. Their goal is to help authors get the word out; there is no charge. Unfortunately, all submissions had to be received by July 31, the day before this update. Maybe there'll be another push at a later date. October 2008 update: got music with a blank screen. Then a push for their program: $400 for two days. June 2009 update: They inform me that my last update is in error; it related to a temporary client they no longer represent. "We are a viral marketing company. We produce very nice trailers." They seem to be very enthusiastic about their projects, such as Brenda Novak's annual fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research. They are now offering short-form trailers in 3-, 6-, and 12-pak configurations that can be time released or run all together for an added burst of marketing. September 2010 update: the site is active, with a number of entries discussing books. I don't know how effective this is for promoting sales.

BOOKCROSSING - www.bookcrossing.com/.  This is a book club, a reading group that makes the whole world a library. Book reviews, ratings, recommendations. 61,000 members, 23 million hits a month. October 2004 update: now they have 293,755 members and 1,432,845 books registered. October 2007 update: Now it's 591,353 people in more than 130 countries. October 2008 update: Now it's 711,322 people. September 2009 update: 800,697 people. September 2012 update: They don't seem to list their membership any more, but my guess is it's over a million.

BOOKEMON - www.bookemon.com/. “Create your own beautiful custom book!" I think it is a self publishing facility.

BOOK ENTREE - www.bookentree.com. September 2009 update: site disabled. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BOOKHABIT - www.bookhabit.com/. September 2011 update: Now it's about getting better CD rates and handling money. That's a different kind of books.

BOOKHITCH - www.bookhitch.com. A new marketing alternative for authors and publishers, who can list an unlimited number of books free. December 2006 update: Premium service is $19.95 per book per year. September 2009 update: Now a message: "bookhitch.com is a search engine for books." You can still list your book there.

BOOKMAN MARKETING- www.bookmanmarketing.com/. December 2006 update: "You are not authorized to view this page."  September 2011 update: Gone. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BOOK MARKETING NEWSLETTER — see Substance Books

BOOKMATO - http://bookmato.com/. I received an email promoting this as a user-friendly, hassle-free platform to sell your books online. You can post your book free, and receive 80% of proceeds from sales. You can set chapters to be free or non-free. August 2013 update: Got a blank screen. September 2014 update: connection timed out. That could be mischief.

BOOKPROMO - https://bookpromo.net/advertise-books/. I am wary of trying to list all the promotion sites, fearing that many are virtual scams, but I do erratically list some. This one says that there are more than 850,000 self published books on Amazon, so the competition is rough. They will provide a free listing of book excerpts on their site, with a buying link so that visitors who are impressed can buy your book immediately. You might get some impulse sales.

BOOK PROMOTERS — see The Book Promoters

BOOK RALLY - http://bookrally.com/. “The newest way for authors to launch their book to their tribe and keep all the profits." They say it's a kind of KickStarter for books, complete with fixed fee cover design, typesetting, ebook, printing, and fulfillment services. They are aiming to bring the Renaissance to the book industry and reward authors in the process.

BOOK REVIEW BUZZ - www.BookReviewBuzz.net. I received a flyer. It says reviews are a great way to reach readers, and that every week they email over 20,000 bloggers, readers, and reviewers with information about their books available for review. You can sign up for $25.

BOOK REVIEW SERVICE - www.burlingtonnews.net/. This is a paranormal site strong on UFO information. I received an email saying it has a new free book review service, but I did not find it at the site. September 2009 update: Now the link leads to BUFO RADIO, hosted by Mary Sutherland. September 2014 update: still does.

BOOKREZZ - “We will feature your book in our weekly newsletter on Monday, giving our 25,000 members a newsletter. We'll also promote your book on our social media channel. And give you two years book listing.” That's all I know about them.

BOOKS2MENTION MAGAZINE- www.Books2Mention.com. "We are currently offering authors six months of advertising for $25.00 per book." Authors are encouraged to visit their site to learn more about their magazine. December 2007 update: they now have other offers, ranging from $10 to $125. August 2008 update: Now they have a joint venture with Ulban echoes entertainment, the parent company of Ghostwriter Extraordinaire, GWE, which is becoming a leader in video trailers for authors to promote their books. $99. September 2010 update: Site needed additional plugins. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS - www.booksandauthors.net. For $250 you get a personal interview page with your photo, bio, book summary, short book reviews, etc. They will send press releases to 1,000 booksellers. December 2006 update: This now seems to be a collection of links relating to writing.

BOOK SERVICES - www.eBookServices.com. They are located in India. They cater to both organizations and individuals. They have multi-lingual typesetting, page composition/design/layout, Desktop Publishing in almost all international languages, format conversion, formatting of manuscripts, keying in, scanning, and OCR,XML coding, Website Design and Development. They indicate that you can cut your costs by at least one third without compromising quality. September 2010 update: But when I checked E Services, it led me to Loans. September 2011 update: But not it is book related again. August 2013 update: It continues relevant.

BOOKS JUST BOOKS - www.booksjustbooks.com. This says it is the #1 self-publishing site on the Internet, with over a hundred million books in print. But it seems complicated to get information on costs. I gather you sign up for assorted services you choose, rather than getting a package deal. August 2005 update: Now there are per-book prices starting at $3.41 each for 100 copies and descending to $.71 for 3,000 copies. Color printing costs more.

BOOKSNIFFER - https://authors.booksniffer.com/promote-your-books-on-booksniffer/. They are an emerging major platform for book lovers. At present it's an invitation-only thing, but I trust that will change in due course. February 2021 update: I have two solicitations from them. One says they are raising $250,000 to launch their platform to the world, and they would like me to invest. I am not doing so. The other asks whether I have an Amazon Author profile, and whether I know that I can have as many as ten genres assigned to each of my books? My answers are no and no. but if you want to invest, or to glean their information, or to promote your books, perhaps they are for you.

BOOK TO FILM - www.booktofilmco.com. See AMI Author Marketing Ideas.

BOOKS TO FILM - www.bookstofilm.com. September 2010 update: The account has been suspended.

BOOKTWEEP - https://booktweep.com. They solicited me for promotion service for my novel Jest Right. I am not looking for separate promotion, but if you are, they offer 300 tweets per month, 120,000 tweet impressions, 1.000 to 3,000 clicks per month, everyday tweet to 250,000 readers and more. They did not say what they charge.

BOOKVIEW - http://hometown.aol.com/bookviewzine. September 2009 update: It has been shut down.

BOOKWHIRL - www.BookWhirl.com. I received an email solicitation for this service, which says their company has many great ideas. I haven't actually clicked the link, but list it for anyone interested. October 2008 update: I received an advisory from Xlibris: this company has been soliciting their authors for promotional services. That must be why I heard from them. Xlibris researched them and found that the address listed on their website does not exist; it's a vacant space. FedEx can't deliver to them for that reason. Xlibris recommends exercising caution. For sure. Naturally their site does not mention this caveat. June 2009 update: I received another solicitation for their services. September 2009 update: I have heard from others who have been solicited. Be cautious. October 2013 update: I received a To Whom it May Concern email from them asking to be listed. I replied that I have listed them for five years, and their reputation is not good.

BOOK WORLD - www.bookworld.com/. This appears to be a general search engine for book related topics, including online publishing. I list it because it may be getting flak that is actually directed at BookWhirl.com, above, because of the similarity of names. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BOOK WRITING - http://www.ability.org.uk/book_writing.html. September 2010 update: Now it's a list of sites relating to book writing. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

BOOKZONE - www.bookzone.com/. September 2014 update: now the link leads to Atlas Books, a division of Bookmasters, Inc. Seems to be a bookseller.

BOOKZZIE — https://bookzzie.com/book-promotional-services/. They promote fiction and nonfiction books through their site Bookzzie.com.

BOOM ESSAYS - http://boomessays.com/writing-services/additional-services/editing. This is an editing service.

BOOST SOCIAL MEDIA - info@boostsocialmedia.net. They enable you to buy Facebook likes, Twitter followers, Google +1's, YouTube views, Pinterest followers. I'm not sure I approve of this sort of promotion, but it's an available service.

BRIEFSMART - www.briefsmart.com. October 2004 update: I got an Unknown Host message. August 2005 update: Now it's Men's apparel.

BROAD LINK ENTERPRISE LIMITED - www.brolink.com. I received an email from Jane Yi, marketing executive, describing their services. This is a printing and bookbinding manufacturer in China with an administrative office in Hong Kong. They do a wide range of books, including board books, puzzle books, flip-up books, picture books, and game sets.

BRIEN JONES, Author Consultant - www.bookmanmarketing.com.

BRYONY ALDOUS - dunresearchin@yahoo.co.uk. If you don't have the time to do your own spot research, he will do it for you. His services are free at this time, but will be charged when he has more experience.

BUILD YOUR OWN BLOG - www.buildyourownblog.net/how-to-start-any-type-of-blog/. If you feel that blogging would help promote your books, this may be where you can learn how to do it.

BULLYING - www.bullying.org/ - This is not a publisher, but a site dedicated to awareness of bullying and the related problems, trying to help eliminate it. I list it here because you can send stories, poetry, images, music, audio stories, animations or videos here to be posted. They don't divulge author's names. So if you have something to say about bullying, you can say it here, anonymously. December 2006 update: lovely quote there: "Whoever said 'Don't run from your problems' never faced a bully." September 2011 update: Now it addresses cyberbullying too. I did not see information on submitting material here, though. October 2012 update: they announce the tenth annual Bullying awareness Week, November 12-17, 2012. The theme is Stand Up to Bullying. But when I clicked their Submissions link I lost the site.

BUSINESS COACH DAILY - https://businesscoachdaily.com/. Tips on how to start a business and what business idea to start. Since publishing is a business, I am listing it here.

BY DEFINITION - http://www.daniellefine.com - She does free lance editing, e-book cover design, and creates trailers. I was unable to check her site directly, as it requires Flash, which never works for me, but my information was from the proprietor.

CANADIAN E AUTHORS - http://ceauthors.com. This is to feature, showcase, and promote Canadian writers who have published electronically. October 2008 update: Notice that this site was last updated in July 2005. October 2009 update: unchanged from a year ago. I'd say this site is not active. October 2011 update: Ditto. I'm giving up on it.

CANDLELIT MAGAZINE - http://candlelitmagazine.wix.com/candlelitmagazine/about-page. September 2013 update: No site.

CANDLES OF CREATIVITY - creativitytoexcel@firemail.de. 2003 UPDATE: Gone.

CAN WRITE WILL WRITE — www.canwritewillwrite.com/. This started out as a service to showcase books in the hope that publishers will see them, be impressed, and buy them. Now they are branching into publishing themselves, so look for them in the Publishing section.

CARNIVAL OF WICKED WRITERS - http://freezenerve.proboards.com/. It promotes Horror and Dark Fantasy, and wants to create a serious writing forum for writers to share ideas and information. There is relevant material here, and it seems worthwhile. It lists Horror fiction markets, and really sharp screenwriting information.  October 2007 update: Now you have to log in if you want to see anything. I don't do that, but presume the site remains functional for those who do. October 2011 update: Site remains, so if you care to log in, go to it.

CASCADIA AUTHOR SERVICES BLOG - How To Self Publish Your Book In 7 Steps: a Guide For Nonfiction Writers. This is an in-depth article about nonfiction self publishing.

CATALYZER ONLINE JOURNAL - http://www.catalyzerjournal.com.  October 2009 update: Not Found. September 2010 update: Now it leads to Economy Bites, with cooking recipes.

CHEAP BOOKS - http://www.easybooksearch.com. This compares the prices of books at more than 100 bookstores. As a general rule, I list publishers and services for writers, rather than for readers, so this and Fetch Book may be as far as I go here. December 2006 update: "This page cannot be found."  October 2007 update: It is back in business. September 2010 update: It's back. October 2014 update: They remain in good order.

CHEGG STUDY- www.chegg.com/study. This is a self-guided learning outfit with step by step tutorials monitored by professors and trusted subject experts. It's really a study aid for students, to get better grades, but it occurred to me that it might also help those who want to write better manuscripts for publication. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CHILDRENS LITERARY AGENCY - http://www.childrensliteraryagency.com/.   This is said to be a somewhat shady outfit, but some writers do have positive experience there. December 2007 update: a writer showed me their response. I have to say this was a well reasoned statement of their service and expectations. They use an independent critique to evaluate a manuscript, and go on from there. Since the great majority of amateur -- and many professional -- manuscripts have some problems, this makes sense. They talk the talk; whether they walk the walk remains to be seen. October 2011 update: Fill out their form, and they will decide how to represent you. This makes sense, but I still have no feedback on their actual performance. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CHIMAERA'S WRITER'S PARADISE- http://pub18.ezboard.com/bchimeraeswritersparadise. A reader asked me about this, so I checked it. Unfortunately it seems to be chimerical as far as writers are concerned, being a forum whose topics may have no content. "Career" turned out to be spam-type ads. No paradise here. UPDATE: this time I found some content. It's a discussion group, with many genres of fiction represented. October 2007 update: the link took me to Yukufind, a search engine. October 2008 update: All I got was a list of the most common tags in the last 7 days. This does not seem useful. October 2009 update: unable to connect. October 2011 update: Ditto. October 2012 update: This time I got a notice that the address request was being redirected in a way that will never complete. I take that as a review of the value of their service: it leads nowhere. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CHERRY CREEK DESIGN GROUP - www.cherrycreekdg.com. September 2010 update: Now it's in Chinese characters. October 2012 update: Ditto. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CLIPPING IMAGES - www.clippingimages.com. “We are a world class graphics design outsourcing firm with 200+ skilled digital artists. We offer 24X7 live support to attain any sorts of queries related to graphic design, multimedia, creative design and Prepress service. We are capable of handling 3000+ images daily at a price you really can afford."

CK MARKETING - http://www.authors-speakers.com. September 2010 update: Another Chinese characters site. October 2012 update: Ditto. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CLAY TABLET PUBLISHING - www.claytabletpublishing.com. October 2007 update: It's a search engine.

COLORSPLENDOR PRINTING CO LTD - www.colorsplendor.com. October 2011 update: Site not found.

COMMIAB - www.commiabindia.com   October 2007 update: It seems to be a dead link.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS BOOK RENTAL GUIDE - www.consumeraffairs.com/education/textbook-rental/ ConsumerAffairs' Book Rental Guide compares nine different book rental companies, along with reviews for those seeking the best deal on books.

CPS WEBMART - see BOOK POD

CREATEWRT.NET- www.createwrt.net/. "Housebound and Disabled Writers—Children's Section and Surfers all Ages—Stockport Creative Writing was formed to help in writing and poetry etc. Originally to help over 50s we found that many requests came from Housebound Disabled who could not attend our meetings so we set up Createwrt.net, so we can all keep in touch. We now welcome Writers of all ages plus Disabled Groups and now cover all U.K. plus Overseas being read in over 60 plus Countries. As we expand please remember we are all volunteers." October 2012 update: I tried to sample their offering “Odd Thoughts of a Septuagenarian" because I'm one—that is, in my 70s—and got it after a couple of tries. The thoughts are fun. Such as “If I had wings I too would fly south for the winter." “She wasn't built like the Titanic, she was built like the iceberg." “Money isn't the root of all evil, evil is the root of all evil." So if you're housebound or disabled—and even if you aren't—this may be a fun site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CREATIVE COMMUNICATION - www.poeticpower.com. They work to motivate young poets. They have a free newsletter for teachers on tips for teaching poetry. They have a poetry contest for students in grades 4-12. They award over $70,000 in prizes for each contest. Contest deadlines are December 1 and April 5. Poems submitted should be 21 lines or less. No entry fees. They do reject poems; there are editorial standards. So if you're a young poet, check this out. UPDATE: They are expanding to include grades K-3 and Adults. That would seem to make any poet eligible. October 2009 update: This time I got a partitioned blank screen. It may be that my system is not able to read their site. September 2010 update: They are back in good order. October 2011 update: Now they also have an essay contest. October 2014 update: they remain, and their mission statement makes sense.

CREATIVE SERVICES- http://creative-strategies.com/. This is a book publishing consulting company. They offer a wide array of services to aspiring authors, from coaching on writing to self publishing, for a price. They will give a price quote to interested writers. If you have a book, and money, and no idea what to do, this could be a place to start.  October 2007 update: There's a little circular diagram labeled Energy Critique Creativity and nothing else. October 2008 update: Now there's a description of how it will teach students to be creative. October 2012 update: They are still there in good order. September 2013 update: “Error establishing a database connection." October 2014 update: that message remains. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CREATIVE TECHNOLIGY - www.creative.com.np/. This is a data conversion service based in Nepal. I gather they can take your manuscript and render it into other formats.  October 2007 update: This time a got a blank screen. October 2011 update: Got the notice that additional plugins are required. October 2012 update: This time I get this message: “Oops!!!! The page you are looking [for] is not present." I wonder where it is? September 2013 update: Server not found.

CREATIVE WRITING HELP —www.creative-writing-help.com/. This is run by Tracey Tressa, to provide creative writing tips. It features an interview with me and other information. October 2011 update: There's a lot of information here for new writers. For example, it lists the top ten ways to become a writer, such a read and write a lot, set daily goals, study and practice your craft, find a mentor, believe in yourself, and #10 is never give up. Speaking as a writer who has been the full route, I say these are good advices. Um, I see that I am quoted in #6, Find Support, where I say have a working spouse. Well, it's still good advice. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CREATIVITIY WORKSHOP- www.the-creativity-journey.com.  December 2006 update: Not found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

CRESCENT BLUES - www.crescentblues.com. I learned of this online magazine when it requested an interview. In the past it has interviewed Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, Kevin Anderson and others, so should be of interest to fantasy genre readers/writers though it is not limited to that. So I list it as a service, on the assumption that the opinions of established writers may help hopeful writers. They pay ½¢ per word for 300-500 word reviews of books, movies, videos, CDs, games and such, and buy first electronic serial rights for one year. This would be chicken feed for pro writers, but a chance for amateurs to get into useful print, if your reviews are accepted. Many reviews; I checked the one for The Dastard and got the impression that the reviewer doesn't like puns and takes it out on the novel. All he sees is panties and puns, and isn't aware of any story in the novel. Par for the reviewer course; don't blame the magazine.  October 2007 update: They are no longer making regular updates, but are maintaining the magazine as an archive. October 2012 update: They remain there, five years later. September 2013 update: they are no longer making regular updates, but plan to maintain the magazine as an archive.

CULT OF THE GREAT OLD ONES - vicky@communalconstruction.com. I don't have a site address for this yet, so give the address of the one who contacted me. They plan to have visitors submit chapters to an unfolding story. Each month three chapters will be posted and the chapter with the most votes is chosen as the next installment. They hope to create a novel of publishable quality. They asked me for feedback, but I have participated in such projects before, none of which have succeeded, so I didn't comment. I hope it works out; it should be good experience.

CUNE - www.cunepress.com/. Founded in 1994 to explore innovative ways of bringing superior writing to public attention. The name derives from "cuneiform," as in ancient script. Yet, oddly, they misspell "Sumer," where that script was used. They propose that writers, independent presses, and mission-oriented large publishers make common cause to lift public taste.   2003 UPDATE: One of their goals is to publish thoughtful books by Arab, Arab-American, and American authors. They seem to have a strong pro-Arab, and perhaps anti-Israel stance. This would seem to be a convenient site to get the other side's version of current history. October 2011 update: The site is there, but when I clicked About Us I got Page Cannot Be Found. However there are subsections that are functional, ans they do seem to remain in business. October 2012 update: This time About Us was there in good order.

CURTIS - www.curtisagency.com/. This is a Parnassus agent who is worth reading. I know him from way back. He's got an attitude somewhat like mine. He has always fought for the rights of writers and tried to get improved and sometimes innovative contracts. He is Richard Curtis.This site is spare, no longer containing provocative articles on the business. Curtis is no longer accepting fiction queries from new writers. Thus he joins the closed shop, to my regret. August 2005 update: They are now considering only non-fiction submissions. Responses take 4-6 weeks. October 2008 update: Now not even non fiction. You have to be an already established author. September 2010 update: Blank screen. October 2011 update: Ditto. I know Curtis still exists, because I am doing business with him, but he may be out of the agenting business. October 2014 update: That blank screen remains. I fear Curtis is gone.

DAWN TUCKER - www.geocities.com/skyclad@ameritech.net/writestuff.html?1068080775260.  Dawn Tucker is a freelance writer who does ghostwriting, brochures, fliers, greeting cards, personalized "on hold" messages and such. Her site has information on writing contests with no entry fees, writing groups, and projects. I would hesitate to take all this on faith, but she says I'm her favorite writer, so how can I resist?  December 2006 update: Page not found. Darn; I liked her.

DE DRIE POORTEN - www.3poorten.nl. They have a printing service. I did not look them up, so don't know their terms. October 2011 update: This time I did look them up. The site is in German, and though I took two years of German in high school, I almost flunked out because of it, so I can't translate. But I gather they have many types of printing. October 2014 update: They have moved to www.practicum.nl. The site remains in German.

DER SKORPION — I received a solicitation to let them send me a sample issue free. Apparently they are an international magazine with more than 25,000 subscribers, but they don't pay their authors. I did not find a viable web site.

DEARBORN SYSTEMS - www.dearbornsystems.com.   Typesetting, Information Technology, and Data Conversion. They promise instant communication and response. October 2008 update: gone. October 2009 update: They are back, but I did not find any content on the site. October 2011 update: Gone again. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

DESIGN THE WAY - http://www.designtheway.com/how-to-make-a-website-from-scratch/ This is a beginner's guide to making a website, showing multiple platforms, not just Wordpress.

DEVIANT ART - www.deviantart.com.   I haven't looked at this yet, but am told it has a massive repository for creativity of all kinds including an active and supportive critiquing and writing community. It includes free and paid membership, with the usual restrictions. It is said to be a great help to authors and artists.  October 2007 update: This time I looked at it. A site full of pictures, some odd, not sexy or ugly, just odd.

DEWAR EMPIRE FILMS - www.dewarempirefilms.com.    They are in the business of creating motion picture book trailers (short promotional films) for literary authors based on their fiction or non-fiction books. An innovative new form of marketing and promotion. But I suspect it costs.  October 2007 update: it played music and gave another button to enter. It offered to download a Quicktime player: I declined, being on slow dialup, so was unable to watch anything. I presume these are samples of what the company produces. October 2011 update: I got the additional plugins message.

DIGITAL PUBLISHING - DigitalPublishing@yahoo.co.uk. I received this ad: "PageWhiz the 3D page turning eBook wizard easily create professional 3D page turning eBooks, eBrochures, eServices, photo albums, invitations. Much, much more PageWhiz--Simplicity has never been so powerful." No Web site given.

DIY BOOK FESTIVAL - www.DIYConvention.com. The letters stand for Do It Yourself. They consider books in many genres for awards, charging a $10-$50 entry fee for each book. They have regular contests, so if you miss one deadline, try for the next. Anything published from 2005 on is eligible, including self published (POD) books. Their grand prize for the Book of the Year is $1,500.

DO IT YOURSELF PUBLISHING - www.livingbeyondreality.com. This is a book, by Diane Lau, subtitled A Blueprint For Publishing Your Own Books. The author has been freelancing erotic romance anthologies, Soulful Sex, for nearly three decades, got screwed (pun intended) by the system, and decided to do something about it. As she says, if you are an aspiring author you may be frustrated by lack of success in finding a publisher, and appalled at the charges of self publishers, and wish you could just do it yourself--this is the book for you. She did it for herself, and is spelling out the process for you. Her writing is clear and her points are accurate, in my experience. Even if you're not contemplating true self publishing at this time, this is worthwhile material that may affect your outlook. It costs a pittance, $2.99. I heartily recommend this book.

DOCUMENTARY FILM - www.ara-production.com. I received an email describing this. “Documentary Film represents a highly effective medium to deliver your communication messages effectively to a large group of audience."

DRAGONCUB - www.dragoncub.com. "We can promote and sell your books of all kinds to the general public over the internet." Their usual charge is 20% of your retail price for their Internet marketing service. But for 2009 it will be free, as they build their reputation. July 2009 update: now they can set you up with your own book selling site complete with shopping cart and other features you may want. October 2012 update: They say they will not charge any commission on your book sales until June 2010. Their site remains, but obviously needs updating.

DreamE Info Network - http://mirror.dreame.cc/search/infonet.html. 2003 UPDATE: It is now advertising the domain name for sale.

DREAM WRITERS — www.dreamwriters.org. October 2011 update: Gone.

DYSLEXIMEDIA — http://dysleximedia.com/. The folk at TheCelebrityCafe got 20 years experience and now have formed this consulting firm for publishers. I'm not sure this relates closely to the needs of writers, but am listing it just in case. “You've got your funding? Now what?" Whatever it is, they stand ready to provide it: creating a website, marketing smartly. “Basically if you have a need in your business, we can fill it." They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

EBABYNAMES — — www.ebabynames.com. Another site for names. Their lists are comprehensive, but they do not have Piers, just Pierson. October 2012 update: They still don't have Piers, but I could add it if I wanted to make the effort, so I can't complain, technically. September 2013 update: I tried to find the page where Piers might be listed, but got the message that there was no such page. Sigh. October 2014 update: Still no Piers.

EBOOKAD - www.ebookad.com/.   Bankrupt. October 2008 update: Yet it is still selling books. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

E-BOOK ARCHITECT - www.zizzoo.com/guides/ebook/index.php.    This site is devoted to an ad for a book and program for $39.99: "How to create, publish and sell your ebook online for large profits." Good deal, if it works. October 2009 update: You can get a lower price if you order by October 12, 2007. Since that's two years ago, I'd say this site is not getting updated often. October 2010 update: Uunchanged. October 2012 update: The domain name has expired.

EBOOK EXPLORER - www.ebookexplorer.com.  "We are the first and only site to offer a summarized directory of niche ebooks and how-to-guides on hundreds of specialty topics." I regard this as a peripheral call, but hope it is useful to writers.   December 2006 update: I was unable to connect. October 2007 update: But it's there now. October 2011 update: Still there in good order. September 2013 update: some of their niche books sure look interesting, such as How to Become an Alpha Male and have first date secrets that lead right to sex, or What Husbands Can't Resist, telling wives how to seize power in the marriage. If I were a girl I'd read the first before that first date, so as to know what was coming, and ditto for the second, as a husband. But these books are way too late for me.

E-BOOK EXPRESS - www.m-pro.demon.co.uk.   UPDATE: Gone.

EBOOK LAUNCH - www.ebooklaunch.com. They bill themselves as a professional fast and affordable ebook and print book formatting and book cover design service. They give a testimonial by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.com: “Ebook Launch has been working with Smashwords authors since way back in 2009 (a lifetime in digital years!) They're always professional, ever reliable and competitively priced. I highly recommend working with these guys !" I generally take testimonials with grains of salt, but this is a potent one.

EBook: Marketer's Guide to CTV and the evolving TV landscape. This appears to be a book. I received an email ad for it from Verizon Media Advertising Insights, at b2b@verizonmedia.com

EBOOKS4KIDS - www.ebooks4kids.org. October 2012 update: Server Not Found.

EBOOKSNBYTES - www.ebooksnbytes.com/. October 2008 update: gone.

EBOOKSTAND - http://ebookstand.com. See Publishing section.

eBool (formerly pFind) - This is a list of various outfits which authors can use to publish their books. It includes self publishing companies like Kobo Writing Life, Ingram Spark, CreateSpace, Lulu, Blurb, Smashwornds, BookBaby, Lightning Source, and more. Yes, it includes Xlibris, the one I was involved with a decade ago ... it gives their web sites, and dates of origin. August 2020 update: Name and domain changed from pFind to eBool.

EDITING MARKET - www.editingmarket.com. “A unique website platform which lets scholars, PhD and Master's candidate compare prices of various editing services/editors and order online. Also, all editing/proofreading services at a discount when ordered thorugh out website" This is pitched to universities and journal publishers.

EKONVURS- “We specialize in Content Digitization for all types of clients." They are based in India. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

EDUBOOK - www.edubook.com/. October 2011 update: Now it is selling laptops. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

EGGPLANT PRODUCTIONS - www.eggplant-productions.com/. See Publishing section

ELECTRONIC AUTHORS GUILD INTERNATIONAL - www.eguild.org. UPDATE: Seems to be gone; the site now leads to a Casino.

ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE, by Karen Wiesner - Available from Avid Press, www.avidpress.com. - August 2005 update: This is an excellent book, but at present I don't know who publishes it. October 2010 update: Theoretically, Avid Press does, but that domain is for sale.

ELFWOOD FANTASY ART GALLERY - http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/elfwood.html. This is a site for display of works, both art and writing in science fiction and fantasy. It's not really publishing, and not intended for making money, just as a way to get comments from viewers/readers on your work. Lovely art, though of course it takes time to load. There are a huge number of guided tours. I checked #231 Bad Girls of the Woods (I can't think why such a notion should interest a dirty old man like me) - ouch! It shows a busty virgin running a sword through the head of a unicorn. I conjecture that he tried to devirginate her with his horn, and she would have none of that. Ah, well.
UPDATE: still there, letting creative people show their art to the world.  October 2007 update: They had to close for a week or so for maintenance, but are now moving ahead. October 2011 update: They remain there. I turned off my pictures, because they take forever on dial-up, but bet there are some beauties there. October 2014 update: Server Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ELITE SKILLS - www.eliteskills.com/writing_scams/. This is an aspect of a larger site featuring various things like handwriting analysis; this link is to their section on publication scams. For example they really don't like Poetry.com, but they do list other fraudulent outfits too. They urge folk not to link to such sites, because links increase their presence on search engines. I have a bit of a problem with this, as I call a spade a spade, but put links so folk can go there if they disagree. Non-listing can also be used against legitimate sites, and whistle-blowers; its been used against me. So check this site, and make up your own mind. October 2004 update: They sure don't pull their punches. Scams seem especially prevalent in poetry publishers. But their writing advice sections seem scant. October 2010 update: The link now leads to Jimmy Ruska's Video Tutorials. I presume the Elite Skills site annoyed someone and now it's non-listed. October 2011 update: Not Found. September 2013 update: Back in good order. October 2014 update: Still there, still naming names.

ENAGO - www.enago.com. This is the world's leading English editing company for scientific and academic papers, offering services to authors whose native language is not English. September 2020 update: they remain in good order, helping authors get published in international journals. They say that since 2005 they have worked with researchers in more than 125 countries, helping them achieve success in publication.

ENCHANTED ARTWORKS ARTIST ASSOCIATION - www.enchantedartworks.com/. They have a magazine, and run interviews, among other things; I agreed to be interviewed, though I'm a writer rather than an artist.  October 2007 update: I got a page cannot be found message. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

eONLINE BOOKSTORE - www.eonlinebookstore.com/. They are dedicated to promoting online business. They offer Internet marketing ebooks at low cost. If you do a newsletter, they may wish to publish it for their readers to access, with a link to your site. October 2009 update: could not be found. October 2010 update: But now it's there in good order. September 2013 update: Not Found, again. October 2014 update: Back again. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

EPIC--Electronically Published Internet Connection - www.epicauthors.com. This is a nonprofit professional organization for electronically published authors and print authors interested in electronic publishing. They have annual EPPIES awards for the best fiction in several categories. This Survey received a special plaque as "Friend of EPIC" for 2003.   UPDATE: now they have their Model Contract available for anyone to see. It's a kind of choose-your-clause, fill-in-blanks document that is well worth perusing, especially if you have been offered a contract and want to know how it rates. And yes, the Model has a good audit clause. This is a good site for writers; check it, and consider joining EPIC. (No, I haven't joined, trying without much success to remain an objective outsider.)   October 2004 update: Now they also have a "Red Flag/Yellow Flag" list of contract clauses you should be wary of, whether doing electronic or traditional publishing. This is well worth reviewing. They mention some stunts that even I have not encountered, such as the author having to pay a "kill fee" for failing to renew the contract when it expires naturally, or the author being required to buy the books of other authors from the same publisher as a condition for earning royalties on his own book. Maybe we need a Royal Turd award for such outrages. October 2007 update: it is now located at .com instead of .org, same address. October 2011 update: Still there in good order, this time with a list of the finalists for the 2012 eBook Awards. Winners will be announced in March 2012. October 2012 update: But this time the site is simply a page saying that the material is coming soon. This is not a promising indication. It may mean it is going soon. September 2013 update: Now it is in Chinese characters. Damn; I'm afraid EPIC has foundered. October 2013 update: I am told I have the wrong website; it changed. So I corrected it. They are still there.

ePUBCO - www.epubco.com. I received an email from Roger Hayes at this address with a provocative discussion. Are e-books safe for authors? Are they too easy to pirate? This says that just 1% of UK (that is, United Kingdom, or Britain) internet users aged 12 and over read at least some ebooks illegally between March and May 2012. Compare that to 9% accessing music illegally, 7% TV programs, 6% films, and 2% computer software and video games. So no, it's not dangerous, relatively. Um, as a writer who has been widely pirated, including even my self published titles, I look askance at this. 1% of internet users might represent a much larger percent of speculative fiction readers who are on the internet. At any rate, having reassured you, ePubce.com and SBPRA (Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency) will be happy to promote your book for a fee, or even to publish your manuscript. I recommend caution.

EQUILLBOOKS- http://www.equillbooks.com. They offer free manuscript conversion, authors' websites, Equill email addresses, along with a written critique of the author's work during their first month of business, ending September 1, 2007. Thereafter their rates will be among the lowest in the industry.  October 2007 update: Now they are a small publishing house. October 2008 update: Now they are listing investment books. October 2010 update: I glanced at the review for How To Become A Billionaire, in case I should ever want to do that. It says that luck is a huge factor. Wow! That's the same as it is in marketing novels. November 2010 update: Yes, I am told these are per title sales. October 2012 update: But the most recent comment I found is almost four years old. This site may not be currently active.

EREC site - http://www.erecsite.com. The proprietor is compiling and listing sales figures for erotic romance publishers, as well as warnings about publishers behaving badly. October 2008 update: It says the average erotic romance ebook sales are 222 copies the first month, 404 in the first year. October 2009 update: Now they have the average monthly sales for a number of electronic publishers this year. For example, if I understand it correctly, Ellora's Cave is 675 copies of 58 books; Samhain is 287 copies of 26 books, and Loose Id 210 copies of 50 books. That suggests about 10 copies sold per title for Ellora's Cave and Samhain, and 4 for Loose Id. I must be misunderstanding, as this is chicken feed. If they mean those sales are per title, that's better. October 2010 update: Their survey of sales continues. Now the average first month sales of erotic romance books is 280 copies, and 619 the first year. Ellora's Cave and Samhain remain first and second. But compared to traditional print publishing, this remains minuscule. October 2011 update: Now this seems to be a publishing search site. September 2013 update: Connection was reset. It must be gone. October 2014 update: It continues as a publishing search site. It's gone.

EROTICA READERS & WRITERS ASOCIATION - www.erotica-readers.com. This is an international community of those interested in erotica of all types. They have a monthly newsletter, an email discussion group, and information. The interest of this HiPiers listing is in markets for writers rather than pornography, but for those interested in browsing, there are some nice pictures and pieces here. This strikes me as a cut above dirty pictures; there is intellect here too. I did not find an actual listing of erotic publishers, but am told it is a thorough one. It certainly seems to be a nexus for those interested. UPDATE: This time I found the listing, thanks to the help of a reader: click Author Resources, then Call for Submissions, and it's there on the left side. Many Gay and Lesbian markets are included. It's not completely up to date, but comprehensive. October 2008 update: This time I couldn't find Author Resources, but the site has a lot of listings, including movies. October 2009 update: Okay, now it's Writers Authors Resources, also Call For Submissions, listing similar markets. October 2012 update: Still going strong. October 2014 update: Still there.

EROTIC ROMANCE BLOG - http://www.eroticromancepublishers.com. The proprietor is compiling and listing sales figures for erotic romance publishers and posting results. This seems to indicate that a typical erotic romance will sell about 100 books in the first month, and 300 in the first year. Such sales wouldn't even make the chart for traditional print, but may be good for electronic. October 2008 update: Now it says that the first month is 180, first year 360. But some publishers do better than others. Samhain and Loose ID seem to sell 600-700 in a year. October 2010 update: Not Found. August 2013 update: I had an outdated site address, now corrected.

ESCMAGAZINE - www.escmagazine.com/. The PDF version of this magazine is available for $3, with older issue free to download. It's for amateur writers and artists of all kinds. They get paid only in one hard copy of the magazine. So this would be a showcase for aspiring artists.   August 2003 Update: Gone. October 2004 update: They're back, and are now accepting submissions for future issues. Fiction from 2,500 to 5,000 words, poetry, and artwork. October 2011 update: They're still there. October 2014 update: connection reset.

ESPAN--The Electronic and Small Press Author's Network- http://espan-rwa.tripod.com. August 2003 Update: Gone.

ESSAY WRITING - www.essay-writing-1.com/. I received an email ad for this one, with an invitation to exchange links. I didn't answer; this is not a links-exchanging site, but a service to aspiring writers. Nevertheless, the subject may be of interest to writers, so I'm listing it here. October 2014 update: The link now connects to GET HEALTHY GET FIT, a general advice site. No essay advice.

EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES - http://www.event-management.com/.   This is a publicity firm whose stated purpose is to help companies become well known. Presumably this would apply to publishers too. Unfortunately it was called to my ,attention as a site that collects email addresses for spam distribution.  October 2007 update: it locked up my system. October 2008 update: I'm using Firefox now and it didn't lock up. October 2010 update: Now the link is http://emsincorporated.com, but it seems to be the same outfit. September 2013 update: connection reset. October 2014 update: The connection took so long I gave up on it. But the site is evidently there, surely accessible to those not limited as I am to dial-up.

eWritingCenter.com - www.ewritingcenter.com. "Our premier website with a collection of stories written by authors all over the world. It is a free service for young, amateur, and professional writers. It is also a site for avid readers."
UPDATE: I think this has changed its nature; now it offers many services, I presume for fees, such as "How to write a book in 14 days or less... Guaranteed." In my book, the point is not velocity, but quality; unless it's a very short book or a tight formula, if it is done in two weeks it's bound to be bad. October 2004 update: It offers links to self publishers. October 2008 update: Now it is a Yellow Pages phone book.

EXPERT EDITOR — www.experteditor.com.au. An Australian based editing company that is about launching a book editing service, with talented freelance editors on the team, available for both Australia and international writers. October 2014 update: Still there is good order.

FABSOLUTE WRITING FORUM - http://absolutewrite.com/forums. This is a general public input discussion group relating to electronic publishing. As I understand it, anyone can start a topic with a statement or question, and others respond with positive, neutral, or negative input. They rake some publishers over the coals, and entries can be fascinating. For example one person asked if a given publisher had any legitimate reviews of its books. A response listed a number of very impressive reviews. A response to that indicated that there were no such reviews; the listing was bogus. Well, now. If you are pondering publishing your opus, go here and look around; you are bound to find something interesting, and you might change your mind about some prospective publishers, or have some input if you have experience with one that others are pondering. This seems like a great service for writers in doubt, or for those who have no doubt and need it. December 2004 update: I randomly checked their feedback on an agent, and was impressed. This is exactly what a new writer needs to know. October 2005 update: they have moved to ABSOLUTE WRITE at www.absolutewrite.com/forums/. October 2012 update: Still going strong, with a huge number of forums. I checked one more or less randomly, and all the entries were in 2006, so obviously it's not current. Probably they shut them down after a term, leaving them for archive reference. October 2014 update: It is current now.

FANFICTION - http://www.fanfiction.net. "Unleash your imagination and free your soul." This seems to be a site where short amateur fiction is run without charge and displayed for anyone to read. I couldn't find a description of its nature on the site, just listings of many stories. It is theoretically ad-free, but ads popped up when I checked it. I received an email from a writer who objected to its policy of deleting all "lemon" pieces. I gather a lemon is a story that is rated R or worse, having elements your maiden aunt would not care for. The email spoke of freedom of speech, but it seems to me that a site can run what it wants, and if it doesn't want lemons, it can legitimately delete them. I speak as one who would much rather read a lemon than a sanitized story. I had some trouble at this site because my system was not equipped for protocols it employs. See also www.adultfanfiction.net for the R rated stories; this may be the naughty companion site. December 2004 update: They report that a serious bug corrupted many of their entries, but they are working to recover, and have just done a large technical upgrade. I sampled randomly, and their material seems good.  October 2007 update: The site now seems to consist of news updates on their upgrading, bug fixing, and features. October 2008 update: I tried to fathom what this site is about, and conclude it may be a review site. October 2010 update: They are performing upgrades again. October 2012 update: They are there in good order now. October 2014 update: they remain in good order.

FANSTORY - www.fanstory.com/. This appears to be a site devoted to publishing fiction and nonfiction in a number of genres by members for reviews and feedback. They have a system of ratings, but I was not willing to sign up as a member so don't know exactly how they operate. It should be good for new writers looking for exposure and reader feedback, however.  October 2007 update: They list a number of poems and stories, with reader ratings, all of which are Excellent or better. So I clicked on one, and learned I would have to buy it to see more. So I'm not sure I understand their system. October 2008 update: All the rankings still seem to be Exceptional. So I still don't understand it. October 2010 update: Everything they show is still listed Excellent or Exceptional. Either there's a whole lot they aren't showing, or this is puffery, because I have read some amateur fiction myself, and it is seldom better than mediocre. October 2014 update: Site remains active.

FANTASIA FROG DESIGNS - http://fantasiafrogdesigns.wordpress.com. They do cover art, mainly for ebooks as well as for blog headers, blogskins, bookmarks, postcards, etc, pretty much anything the author comes up with for new promotional material. Custom designs as well as premade designs. October 2011 update: It no longer exists. August 2013 update: We had the website wrong by a letter; the owners of the site alerted us to our error.

FANtasy today - www.fantasytoday.com/. October 2014 update: Unable to Connect.

FANTASY WRITERS WANTED- www.FantasyWritersWanted.com. October 2014 update: Server Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

FEAR OF WRITING - www.fearofwriting.com/. This is a book by Milli Thornton for anyone who suffers this malady. It has cute graphics and seems sincere. It is self published at Xlibris; I list it because it has its own web site and could be a help to nervous writers. There's a message board, a sample chapter, and other things. I looked at the sample Chapter One, which concludes "Writing is a torture chamber invented specifically with you in mind." Exactly. October 2007 update: Now there are a number of pieces by other writers, all on the subject of the challenge of writing. This remains worthwhile for anyone nervous about writing. October 2011 update: It is still there, still looking good for writers who hesitate to start. Good company here. Sampling entries I find an apt comment about the standard advice to just keep writing: what if what you write is not as sharp as you want? What if writing has become work rather than fun? Well, there are ways. “I LOVE the idea of using my fear for something other than self loathing," says Jenni Bartels. I'd like to kiss her, though I don't suffer from the syndrome. October 2014 update: Still there, still encouraging uncertain writers.

FERRET & DOVE SANCTUARY - www.myspace.com/ferretanddove. This isn't a publisher or related service, but I'm adding it because its a volunteer-created page for folk who love small animals, and folk might want to see what's going on, including publication of a children's book. October 2011 update: Now additional plugins are required, but some information remains.

FETCH BOOK - www.FetchBook.info/. This is a price finding service for buyers who want to locate the cheapest edition. I tested it by typing in my own novel Key to Havoc with no other information and it immediately gave me a listing of prices at various online bookstores, ranked in order of cheapness, as well as providing the author's name and the book number, and making it easy to click to order it at any of the listed stores. I believe there were even links to reviews. No complications at all; this service works. October 2014 update: Still there, still performing. February 2018 update: I am told that this site no longer exists. However, see Consumer Affairs Book Rental Guide, below.

FICTION PRESS - www.fictionpress.com/.  "What is FictionPress? FictionPress is a growing network of over 144,000 writers, hundreds of thousands of readers, and home to over 890,000 original works. As a writer, this is a place to showcase your creativity and for a reader, FictionPress is an opportunity to feast to your heart's content."  December 2006 update: now it is half a million writers/readers and 900,000 original works. October 2008 update: The site took so long to load -- about 10 minutes -- that I gave up on it. October 2009 update: but no problem this time. October 2010 update: Now it's a growing network of over 1 million writers/readers, and home to over 1,200,000 original works. October 2014 update: Still there in good order.

FIRST EDITION DESIGN EPUBLISHING - www.firsteditiondesignebooks.com. I received a note from the publisher. They convert and eformat files, and distribute to thousands of points including libraries and schools and top Internet retailers worldwide. They also provide other author services. October 2014 update: Still there.

FIRST SITE GUIDE - http://firstsiteguide.com. This is a site for Web beginners. “We constantly create in-depth guides with PDF's, Video Tutorials and other helpful blogging tools to assist people who are ready to start an online presence on their own."

FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS — http://floridabookawards.wordpress.com/. "Did you have a book published in 2010? you may want to consider submitting it to the Florida Book Awards!" They began in 2006 and are committed to celebrating the amazing Florida literary community. They are the most comprehensive state book awards competition in the country, and the only one with a Spanish-language category. Deadline for 2010 entries is Monday, January 3, 2011. Soon they will have author interviews, reviews and other features. They are also on Facebook and Twitter. October 2011 update: Yes, it's an annual event. Current deadline for submission is December 1, 2011. October 2012 update: Still there, and listing further submission dates seems pointless, as they are a continuing operation. October 2013 update: there is a $50 entry fee. October 2014 update: Still going strong.

FLORIDA BOOK FESTIVAL — www.floridabookfestival.com. They have issued a call for entries for 2019 to celebrate the best books of the winter. Their grand prize is a cash appearance fee and flight to their gala awards ceremony. The entry fee is $50. The deadline is December 15, 2018. They have many fiction and nonfiction categories. Check their site for details. As a general rule I distrust contests you have to pay to enter, but judge for yourself.

FLORIDA WRITERS ASSOCIATION, at www.floridawriters.net/. "Welcome to Florida's first and only statewide, nonprofit, 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to the support and networking of both aspiring and published writers in any genre." They will strive to encourage and inspire writers throughout the state with group workshops, meetings, panel discussions, book fairs, bimonthly magazines and annual conferences. They have a slate of directors and committees. They say they are the fastest-growing writer's organization in the south, and are looking for new members and leaders. December 2006 update: I participated in their FWAConference November 10-12 in Orlando, Florida and found it good. See my Conference Report in my December 2006 HiPiers column.  August 2007 update: Their Royal Palm Literary Awards Contest deadline has been extended to August 1, 2007. Unfortunately this update just misses it, but maybe there will be other times. October 2008 update: No, my update continues to miss their deadline. October 2009 update: Ha: this time I'm in time to mention their 8th annual Florida Writers Conference, October 23-25, 2009, at Lake Mary, Florida. October 2010 update: This year it's Oct 22-24, 2010, I think in Orlando. October 2011 update: They continue in good order. September 2013 update: And continuing.

FONER BOOKS, at www.fonerbooks.com/. Last August I was told of this, and promised to get right on it-and lost it in my chronic shuffle. So, belatedly, I looked it up, and there's some interesting material here. Such as "Interview with a Vampublisher" and "Print-On-Demand Book Publishing." I'm listing this in the Services section as it seems more informational than practical, but I understand he does have advice on how to start a self publishing company. October 2012 update: Now they lead off with computer troubleshooting and laptop repair, but they do have information on publishing.

FORMAL SITE — https://formalsite.com/guides/web-design/make-website/ Formal Site is a digital marketing company offering "a complete guide about how to make a website for business owners," according to their email.

FRANKFURTER BUCHMESSE— Seems to be the same as PODG.

FREE FICTION - http://www.free-fiction.com. Gone.

FREELANCE WRITERS - www.freelancewriters.com. December 2006 update: yes, it's gone. 

FREE SOFTWARE - freesoftware-1136n08@yahoo.com. I received an email ad from this address for digital publishing tools. I don't know how useful it might be.

GET BEST SELLER STATUS — getbestsellerstatus.com. I got an email from Hannah Evans, hannah@getbestsellerstatus.com, interested in partnering with me to connect me to a literary agent or investor to help me make the right decisions for my (unnamed) book. I acquainted her with my pen name, and did not hear back. But this not to say that you would not find her service useful.

GET BOOK REVIEWS - www.getbookreviews.com/. They will help a writer to find book reviews, and have a book review newsletter. When I checked they didn't have many reviews, but presumably they'll be expanding.   August 2003 Update: They show six featured books that do look interesting, such as Seduce Me and The Cult Around the Corner. If I had more time I'd love to get free copies to review. But I'm not clear how many readers will see such reviews. The cost for an in-house review is $275 per book; they post the review online and distribute it to the media, but that doesn't necessarily mean the review will be published or widely read. December 2004 update: Introductory package for $175.  October 2007 update: Now they have a Rapid Review Service for $150. December 2008 update: they have a Press Release Special for $99. A Rapid Review is $150. the Combo Package of all their services is $350. November 2011 update: Combo package is now $299. September 2013 update: You can list your book, making it available for review, for $25.

GET STARTED — www.getstartedbooks.com. I heard from Sarah Jones, one of their publishing coaches. “Our marketplace is the only bookstore that allows the author to independently publish their books, sell them directly to book readers, and get paid instantly when an order is made. Plus, if you sell your book here at Get Started, you'll be in full control of your book's journey, have direct access to communication with your book readers, and be fully non-reliant to any publishing company again.” I'd be interested to hear from authors who try this.

GHOST FOREST - www.ghostforest.com/. This is actually a fantasy novel for children, available free for downloading, for now, with pictures and a history of the project. Perhaps of interest to those who want to see how a fantasy novel can come to be. October 2007 update: I got a notice: This Account Has Been Suspended. December 2008 update: It remains in business, and should be of interest to children. October 2009 update: This time I got a blank screen. October 2010 update: Still that ghostly blank screen. September 2013 update: Now it is there in good order.

GLOBAL ENGLISH EDITING - http://www.geediting.com/. A professional editing company that provides specialist book editing services to authors seeking publication. They also have an active blog that aims to help writers of all descriptions develop their craft.

GLOBAL SALES - globalsales@isla.net. George Rodriguez & Associates translate books from and into 29 languages. This is a email address, not a web site, so I didn't check for prices and have no way to know competence. So if your manuscript is in Greek and you want to translate it to Basque, there's the service.

GLOBAL TALK RADIO - www.globaltalkradio.com/ I received a notice that they have launched a new promotional service. You can get your own URL, a professional 5 minute interview available for on-demand listening, your picture, a 1-3 paragraph description about yourself, your mission, or your book. December 2008 update: They have a special Host Your own Talk Show for $99 per month. October 2012 update: Still there and current.

GRAMMARLY — www.grammarly.com This is an online tool that corrects and explains grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes that abound in self published works. The proprietor offered to send it to me so that I could try it and review it, but I demurred, as my prior experience with such things has been negative—I know more about the subject than they do—and I operate mainly offline. I'm sure many writers could really benefit from something like this. (Web underling's note: A free trial period allows you to evaluate the service. The pricing page on Grammarly's website states subscription rates from $37.95 monthly to $174.95 annually, with various discounts offered.) September 2013 update: The site says this is trusted by more than three million people. That's a good recommendation.

GREEN BOOK FESTIVAL — www.greenbookfestival.com. I received an email announcing that the 2009 Green Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual competition honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment. They will consider published, self-published, and independent publisher works of all types. Entries can be in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Italian. Grand prize is $1,500 and transportation to the April 2009 Earth Day celebration in Los Angeles. But I'm not clear on the deadline for entries. October 2010 update: And it's on for 2013. November 2011 update: Maybe I typoed it before, because now the call is for 2012 entries. I still can't find the deadline. October 2012 update: And the call is for 2013. Ha: I finally found the deadline: April 25, 2013.

GROPEN ASSOCIATES - www.gropenassoc.com. A consulting firm, which you can hire for as little as 30 minutes. Marion Gropen works primarily with very small publishers and includes quite a bit of information writers might want. Listings of publicists and self-publishing e-communities. Listservs: pub-forum, publish-I, self-publishing. December 2005 update: Marion Gropen says "May I suggest that the PMA Newsletter is also a wonderful resource for those who are interested in the world of small publishing? As is the annual seminar series that PMA throws just before BEA." In my jammed schedule this time I lacked time to look these up, so relay the suggestion on faith. December 2008 update: This site was given a "Truly Useful Site" award by Preditors and Editors. November 2011 update: their services are $200 an hour by phone or email, but they work to ensure that your profits improve more than that.

GUIDE TO FICTION ON THE WEB - www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/2465/index.html. October 2010 update: No Longer Available.

GUTENBERG PRESS - https://gutenbook.com/. They make public domain books available online in text format, free.   Huge listing. October 2005 update: I got a blank screen. June 2006 update: it seems I had the wrong site address; they're still going strong. October 2007 update: There are over 20,000 free books in their catalog, and 100,000 via their Partners, Affiliates and Resources. December 2008 update: Now they have over 25,000 free books. October 2009 update: And it is up to 30,000 free books. November 2011 update: Their founder, Michael Hart, passed away September 6. They continue, with over 36,000 books. Through related services there are 100,000 more. October 2012 update: Now it's over 40,000 free ebooks. September 2013 update: Now over 42,000 free ebooks. It keeps growing. They also help authors self publish. October 2014 update: Now over 46,000 free ebooks. May 2019 update: I heard from their Media Relations Manager Samantha Bennett. Their site is https://www.gutenbook.com/.

HASMARK SERVICES - www.hasmarkservices.com. I received a flyer saying join any or all of their upcoming campaigns this year and you have a chance to win the ultimate bestseller campaign. They say that over the past five years they have become the leading authority in the book marketing business. I haven't checked them out, but list them here for those who might be interested in their promotional services. November 2012 update: a plugin is required to view their content. I don't do those, being on dialup. But this site seems similar to Wise Bear, listed below.

HAVE YA HEARD? -  See www.zyonair.com.

HIDE IP - https://www.cooltechzone.com/hide-ip. This is about masking an IP address, including step by step instructions for twelve o'clock flashers. It has bits of advice, explanations, infographics, and a lot of IT features.

HOLLY LISLE - www.hollylisle.com/. Author of more than twenty published novels. Her site has general advice for writers, workshops, articles on writing, news items, reader input. There's a good deal there, for browsing. December 2007 update: This time I checked her comment on agents, and it is apt. To find one, she recommends first, check with a writer you know for a recommendation. Second, go through the most current edition of Insiders Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents or a similar guide. Third, check the Association of Authors; Representatives. My private caveat is that you should be prepared to have none of these give you the time of day; locating an agent is hardly the same as signing on with it. December 2008 update: She has a quiz for writers: "How Much Do YOU Know About Writing Fiction?" I checked the longest category, Over Five Years (I've been writing and selling for over 50 years) and the first question is "What goal do you have for your writing?" with answer options ranging from it being a hobby to wanting to use it to support your family. My goals go beyond that, but this seems like a worthwhile exploration for early writers. August 2010 update: I have learned of her publishing venture, REBEL TALES, now listed in the Publishers section. November 2011 update: Now you can sign up for her weekly tips on writing, which she says are complete mini-lessons. October 2013 update: This has all manner of comments, contests, and stuff of interest to writers. I suspect this is a good place to browse, to get in the mood for writing. November 2014 update: Interesting. I got a black screen with only one message panel saying to get fer free copy of “396 Books Writers Recommend" and a link and sign-up instructions to her free writing class “How to Write Flash Fiction That Doesn't Suck." If you are early in your writing career, this should interest you.

HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL - HollywoodBKFest@aol.com. They have issued a call for entries to their annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the film, television, game, and multimedia communities. They mean to spotlight literature worthy of further consideration, and facilitate getting those works to the proper hands for consideration by the entertainment industry. They will consider published, self-published, and independent fiction, non-fiction, and just about anything else. The grand prize is $1,000 and a flight to Los Angeles.

HOLT UNCENSORED - www.holtuncensored.com/. This is mainly about traditional publishing, tracking its follies. As such, it can be an education for starry-eyed aspiring writers. Worth checking on general principles.   Read a sample column; I suspect that fans of my monthly HiPiers column will like Holt, too. December 2004 update: Random sampling took me to ten mistakes writers make, and it is an excellent discussion. Holt remains well worth reading. December 2006 update: It is on hiatus now, because of family health concerns, but the site remains with its original material. December 2008 update: It is active now, with a list of three things he'd like to see, the first being Online Royalty Accounts for Authors. It makes sense, but traditional publishers seem stuck in the 19th century and are loath to try the 20th, let alone the 21st. November 2011 update: It remains active. November 2012 update: There's a lot here, with archives going back over four years. October 2013 update: This time there's a long review of Narcopolis, which seems to be a savagely graphic anti-woman novel. Then sour comments about the hugeness of the Random House complex. And Amazon. These are matters worth pondering. Holt is one cynical man. November 2014 update: This continues to be a site to browse.

HORROR MASTER - www.horrorfind.com. This is a search engine specializing horror, with information on anything relating, including contests and conventions. HiPiers.com is listed. June 2009 update: they have a Premium Listing deal, where you can get 8 months for the price of 4, saving $320. October 2013 update: It remains, this time featuring Haunted Houses, trails, woods and similar attractions. August 2015 update: I heard from them with news that they are doing massive amounts of work upgrading the system and adding new features. They are also offering special prices for Halloween and the December holiday season, such as $49 for premium listings for six months, if you catch their week-long deal.

HOSTING -REVIEWS - http://hostingfacts.com/hosting-reviews/. This is a web hosting review site for bloggers and web developers and anyone else interested to find the fastest and most reliable hosting providers. The proprietor personally tests and tracks all the major hosting companies out there; 27 of them are listed here. You can sort them by speed, uptime, price, support and overall. There are hundreds of them, and prices can vary from about two dollars a month to six dollars a month, so a guide like this seems appropriate.

HOW TO DO THINGS - www.howtodothings.com/. This is a site with a library of articles about writing. "HowToDoThings strives to solve people's everyday problems by compiling reliable information from experienced contributors in over 250 categories." They invited me to contribute, but I'm satisfied to contribute my notions to my own site. But this should be a useful source of information and advice for questing writers. December 2008 update: They need writers to contribute articles. "Help others, gain recognition and get paid!" October 2013 update: the site remains, but I saw no articles about writing. I suspect it has become a general purpose search engine.

HOW TO SET UP WORD PRESS BLOG/WEBSITE - http://wpbloghelp.com/setup-wordpress-complete-guide-wordpress-installation/ , or simply the web site as listed before the later slashes for contacting them about having them do it for you.http://wpbloghelp.com/setup-wordpress-complete-guide-wordpress-installation/. This is a complete guide to help people set up and publish their web site themselves. It also helps people get their web site professionally designed and set up by their designers for free.

HOW TO START A BLOG - http://www.websitehostingrating.com/start-a-blog/. “Starting your very own blog is the best and easiest way to share your ideas and expertise with the world." Or, in this case, to promote your books. This takes you through the process step by step, including installing and using WordPress. It seems to cover all the bases. The process looks daunting, but if you have to do it, this “watch over my shoulder" guide should get you there.

HOW TO WRITE A BEST SELLING FANTASY NOVEL- www.ozcomedy.com/fantasy.htm. October 2010 update: Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

HOW TO WRITE A BOOK - www.jojaffa.com/guides/writeabook.htm#kit. Practical advice about how to write a book. It assumes that you have no idea what to write, so takes you on an intellectual tour of deciding. November 2009 update: Now it has forums and recommended books on the subject, together with advice. November 2011 update: It lists three ways to inspire yourself: take a day off to do something fun, take a bargain holiday, go find a cause to support. October 2013 update: it also tackles self publishing for profit, and continues with general advice. This is a good site for an aspiring writer to browse. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

HUSTLR - https://www.hustlr.com.start-a-successful-blog/. I received a letter from Jeremy Ong, the founder suggesting his article as an excellent addition to this listing. I haven't read it, but if you are considering starting a blog, you should probably check it.

ICANWIN2- www.icanwin2.com/macbeth25win. December 2006 update: Now it's a job search site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

IDIOMMASTER - www.idiommaster.com/ This is a website with a tool that provides free translations based on recurrent matching, with high accuracy. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

IFICTION - www.aburt.com/ifiction/. March 2016 update: The site remains, but this one is not open any more. Better distribution channels like Amazon and Smashwords did it in.

IMAGES AND WRITERS— http://imagesandwriters.com. November 2009 update: The site can't be found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

I'M A PUBLISHED NOVELIST?...HA! HA! HA!--the email address is too complicated for me to type without fouling up, so this is just a mention, not a link. It is somewhere on The Vines Network (which I understand will be going out of business). Lisa Maliga has done a light-hearted article detailing her humiliating experience with an epublisher. This is a warner for whoso would be warned: success, riches, and fame are not necessarily eagerly seeking the new novelists out. But I can give you her home site, which does have related material in its "essays" section: www.lisamaliga.com/. UPDATE: Lisa says she has established an e-publishing page for other e-published writers, at LISAMALIGA, below.

IMPRINT BOOKS - www.imprintbooks.com. This is a sales service, not a publisher. December 2007 update: Now it's a collection of relevant links.

a href='https://www.incomingbook.com'>INCOMING BOOK — https://www.incomingbook.com. I received a solicitation to promote my book A Tryst of Fate for their base of 450k followers for two years so I can become famous and reach a global audience. Not of interest to me, but maybe it is for you.

INDEPENDENT BOOK - www.independentbook.com.  November 2011 update: The domain is for sale.

INFINITE WORLDS OF FANTASY AUTHORS - www.iwofa.net/. This is an organization of published writers in the speculative fiction genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror fiction, supernatural fiction, alternative history, dark romance, dark fantasy, or magic realism. "We build dreams. Come journey with us." Membership is free. October 2013 update: Now it warns that the site is intended for adults only; those under 18 are asked to stay out. November 2014 update: It is now an ad site.

INFUSION - www.stickbull.com. Gone.

INKED IN- http://inkedin.ning.com/?xgi=6uW4Gpa. "You are invited to join the creative people who share Inked In, the social community for writers, musicians and artists from the Burry Man Writers Center." November 2012 update: Currently undergoing maintenance. October 2013 update: Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

INKITT - http://inkitt.com/edgame. This is a free platform to help authors reach their full potential and build a reader base. They have launched a new Horror writing contest, “End Game" at this site. They are also launching a Fantasy contest. So this is really a double call for submissions. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

INKSPOT - Shut down, but its place is being taken by WRITING-WORLD, which see.

INSTANT PUBLISHER - www.instantpublisher.com/. This offers Print On Demand software that will take your manuscript and print 25 to 5,000 copies in 7-10 days. The price per book varies, depending on book size, number of pages, front cover design and binding style. For example it might cost $4.92 per book to produce 200 copies of a 200-page book.   August 2003 Update: Gone. December 2004 update: Back the same as ever. November 2012 update: Still there. If you want to do it yourself, they offer the options.

INTEGRATIVE INK - www.integrativeink.com/. This is an editing and publishing services company that recently moved to the Tampa Bay area. It exists to assist both established and beginning authors in self or e-publishing, helping with editing, manuscript formatting, and design, plus a number of free services. They accept Windows files and also OpenOffice and StarOffice (the kind I use). They associate with Lulu.com, whose entry is elsewhere in this survey. I checked their charge for Extensive editing: one to two cents a word. Less for moderate editing, and you can get quotes for other services. So if you have a manuscript and fear it is buggy, these folk may help you, for a price.

INTERNET ARCHIVE - www.archive.org/. They are compiling a library of research materials open to all, but also seem to have some fiction. So if you want your book to be available free, this is the place. November 2012 update: They have a wide compass, covering Video, Live Music, Audio, and Texts. How relevant it is to authors seeking publication I'm not sure.

ISBN 1697090230 — This is the number of a self help book containing challenges on various themes like love, money, creativity, mental strength and others. There is no website, but you can look up that number on Amazon. So if you need advice or encouragement, as so many of us do, this may be for you.

JONATHAN CLIFFORD'S advice on Vanity Publishing. "Worthwhile reading for anybody just discovering writing (and publishing) for the first time." MW

JUST WEB PROXY - www.justwebproxy.com/. A web proxy is essentially a shield between you and the site you are visiting. Why do you need this? If you are blowing the whistle on an errant publisher, and know you will be blacklisted out of business if your identity is known, this can protect you. If you live in a country that blocks access to your favorite website, this may enable you to get there, at least for a while. If you are young and your conservative parents stifle your access to your favorite social site. If your wife denies you your porn sites. Okay, faint humor there. The point is, this can preserve your privacy, and there may be times when you need it. There are risks, such as encountering a malicious proxy server run by hackers. The server could record everything you send to them, including your passwords. So tread carefully; these are treacherous waters.

KC BOOK MANUFACTURING— wwwkcbookmfg.com. This may be heavier duty than most self publishers need. Their niche is short run perfect bound, plastic coil and saddle stitch booklets. Print runs from 25 copies up to 5,000 in 5-10 working days. They are centrally located in Kansas City MO so can ship economically from coast to coast. They have experienced staff and stand behind their product. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

KINDLE EBOOKS PROMOTION - https://www.kindleebookspromotion.com. I received an email from them offering to help me include my book Jest Right in their newsletter and sent to 85k subscribers. I did not take them up on it, but this could be a nice service for other authors.

KNO - www.kno.com/. I received a note from an eTextbook company with this address. It required additional plugins to get full information, so I couldn't get full information, but gather it is an application that will enable you to buy and read textbooks on various platforms. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

KNOW BETTER - www.knowbetter.com/. October 2013 update: Not Found.

KS PRINTING - www.ksprinting.net. This is a printing house in China with 30 years experience that does global business. They can print children's books, magazines, novels, catalogs, calendars and other softcover and hardcover books. High quality printing at a reasonable price. They also mention “copyright trade" which I presume means getting copyrighted in China. July 2015 update: I received an update from them: they are cheaper than other countries. They plant to exhibit in the Beijing International Book Fair in September 2015. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

KUTTURA PROOFREADING & EDITING — https://www.kuturta.com. “Kuttura is a leading English proofreading and editing service. Their proofreading service includes a comprehensive analysis and correction of the syntax, grammar, wording, spelling, punctuation, and typos in your document. Their editing service includes their complete proofreading service, as well as an extensive adjustment of the presentation, structure, clarity, and style of your writing. They edit all types of documents and work with students, academics, companies, writers, and applicants. They have short turnaround times, affordable proofreading and editing rates, and have native English-speaking editors.”

LADY ORACLE - www.ladyoracle.com/. Gone.

LARSEN-POMADA LITERARY AGENTS - www.larsen-pomada.com/ November 2012 update: Server not found.

LEAKING PEN - see THE LEAKING PEN

LEGAL FICTION - www.legal-fiction.com. December 2007 update: This seems to have changed its nature, and is now a general relevant links site, legal issues not mentioned. November 2010 update: This is now a healthcare site.

LEMUR PRESS — www.lemurprress.com – I received a flier saying this outfit researches online consumer demand for books and identifies out-of-print titles with high levels of reader interest. They think one of my Xanth novels should be put back into print.

LISA MALIGA - www.lisamaliga.com/. Lisa has epublishing and essays subsections. She is disgusted with eNovel for low standards and lack of promotion there. At one point her book ranked #48 in sales there, of almost 400 titles--and it had sold only one copy. Unfortunately, this may be typical of a number of epublishers.
UPDATE: The site seems to have filled out, with a list of epublished books, and general advice for writers. There are a number of links to sites of interest to those considering epublishing. October 2003 Update: Lisa tells how one of her articles was pirated/plagiarized, and the perpetrator will neither remove it nor respond. I'm with her; this sort of thing in plain stealing, and should be punished. June 2004 update: she is putting up more of her epublishing tales. Her new novel North of Sunset has been published. December 2004 update: Soothe your aching feet with whipped shea butter; she's a figure skating fan who makes this. Lisa is a fun gal; she even gives a link to this site of mine, and she sent me a bar of her chocolate flavored soap. I have surely been rendered nonobjective. December 2008 update: But I don't see anything relevant to electronic publishing any more. November 2010 update: under epublishing she has a discussion of her experience with Publish America. I am quoted therein, from when I reviewed her novel North of Sunset, which I liked. Her discussion is well worth reading, regardless. November 2012 update: Now it's a lovely reddish brown background, but a plugin required to read some of it. October 2013 update: connection reset; that may be bad news. November 2014 update: The site is there in good order, chocolate brown, with references to soap and chocolate as well as fiction. My impression continues that she must be a fun girl to be near.

LINICK GROUP--(no address given). I received a warning about this. The proprietor claims he will pre-publish your novel, get sales and testimonials on it, and then get you a publisher that pays royalties. My informant says he got hoodwinked for $15,000 and his attorney learned that this outfit was charged on 13 counts of literary fraud in New York in 1980-81. It advertises in The Literary Market Place, a book stocked by most libraries. Beware.

LITERARY AGENT - www.literaryagent.com/. UPDATE: gone.

LOADS OF ODES - www.loadsofodes.co.uk/. This is a British site for "real life poetry" about the world and the people in it that it seems anyone can contribute to. December 2006 update: not found.  December 2007 update: It's there now. November 2009 update: Now it seems to be a search site, mostly for poetry publishers. November 2010 update: They continue with their annual contests in many genres. November 2012 update: And now it had comment on credit cards, and additional plugins required. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

LONDON BOOK FESTIVAL - http://londonbookfestival.com. They have issued an annual call for entries. They will consider just about anything, including self published books. A panel of judges will consider the story-telling ability of the author, and the potential of the work to win wider recognition from the international publishing community. Entries can be in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or Italian. Enter by November 25, 2021. There used to be a fee of $50 per submission, and the grand prize was $1500 and a flight to London or Los Angeles.That may have changed by now; I haven't kept up. A recent mailing indicates that you can get in for $3,199.00. I recommend caution.

LONDONGLUE- www.londonglue.com/. I received an invitation to place an ad with them. I didn't, but feel they may be relevant to aspiring writers because they run poems, stories and scripts. They say the site is accessed by thousands of Londoners every day. They have a wide variety of community interests. November 2011 update: Server not found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

LOVENPOETRY - www.Lovenpoetry.com. Gone.

LOVEWRITING - www.lovewriting.co.uk. Individual authors and independent publishers can feature a title for £100 a year—about $150—so that readers can download and read extracts and decide whether to buy. Books will be categorized by genre. Lovewriting has formed a relationship with self publisher Matador for those who wish to use it. (I don't have its address yet.) This service is at the Beta Test stage at present. December 2008 update: It seems to be fully functional now. November 2011 update: It continues. But when I clicked Terms and Conditions, it just put me back at the head of the home file. October 2013 update: Now Terms and Conditions is operative. November 2014 update: It says that over 200,000 avid readers have signed up to receive regular email news and book recommendations.

LUDWIG - www.ludwig.guru. This is a search engine designed to help anyone write well is English. It is based on a huge database of correct English sentences, and on a proprietary search algorithm. It is currently used by about 35,000 users in 200 countries.

LULU - www.lulu.com.    See Publishers section.

MAGNIFICENT MAGNOLIA ARTIST & WRITER RETREAT - www.magmagnolia.com/literary_arts1.   This appears to be an ongoing contest for aspiring writers, with no entry fees. It has entries with interesting automatically scrolling text samples. December 2006 update: now you must email; the site is blank.  November 2009 update: Site can't be found. November 2010 update: Now it's a search engine.

MAKE MILLIONS MAKE CHANGE — www.makemillionsmakechange.com. There's more to money than just making money." This book will help you start or expand a business. I checked it on the assumption that it was an audio book resource, but I'm not sure of that. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MAKE A WEB SITE - www.makeawebsitehub.com. I don't have information on this one, other than it was recommended to me. November 2017 update: a user says “One of my favorite articles ever. I absolutely love that resource."

MANUSCRIPT DEPOT - www.manuscriptdepot.com/. UPDATE: This now seems to be a general search facility; I didn't find anything about writing. December 2008 update: Now they list Agents, self publishers, and a subsidy publisher. April 2018 update: They sent me an email update with about fifteen assorted links for their services. They obviously have a lot going on.

MANUSCRIPT EDIT - www.manuscriptedit.com. “We specialize in providing services in English editing & proofreading in all subject fields of science, medicine, technology, engineering, academic, humanities and social sciences." They say they have the highest standard of professional English editing and proofreading, and highly qualified and experienced expert subject editors from top universities. Fast, reliable and timely delivery. Competitive pricing.

MARY WOLF'S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS - www.maryzwolf.com. The original list does not include fee-charging self-publishing facilities, but a new category does. If you check all the sites I list, and none suit you, this guide has some I have not yet caught up with, though I'm trying. Mary Wolf says that she was about to start her own epublishing company when she was proffered a deal for Hard Shell. So she became its owner, and has been too busy since to write her own books. I have a notion how that is. The Internet is like an alluring siren; it can tempt an unwary person into destruction. (Nothing personal, Mary Mermaid.) UPDATE: now it also has a separate list of epublishers that have gone out of business or merged into others. There's also a list of other epublishing information sites, though it doesn't list this one. Maybe Mary's giving me the silent treatment. December 2008 update: The site does not appear to have been updated since 2004. November 2011 update: Now the link leads to Moonspinners Writers Page.

MEANIES AND WEENIES - http://meaniesandweenies.blogspot.com. This is a blog run by "Dunn Hadenuff" that focuses on bad stories about the writing industry. December 2008 update: One entry is titled "Been Snubbed" by an author or other publishing professional. Seems it happen a lot. I hope never to appear on such a list, as I do answer my mail. November 2010 update: I see nothing more recent than 2007. October 2013 update: Still dated 2007, but the material remains interesting. November 2014 update: Still 2007. It's worth looking at if you're new to the scene, but it's not current.

MEET REAL PA - www.freewebs.com/meet_real_pa/. This is an even-handed expose of PUBLISH AMERICA by Betsy Markman, running her dialogue with them. Those considering this publisher should read this. She was, in the end, sadly disappointed. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MIC DESIGNS 4 YOU - www.micdesigns4you.webs.com. Michelle (that would be the "mic") just opened a new website for authors to purchase marketing materials, such as book trailers and ad placements.

MOTHERING WITH IMAGINATION - https://motheringwithimagination2018.wordpress.com/ . I received an email ad announcing this. Their debut issue is May 2018 with advice and how-to for new moms. They seek advice pieces and creative ideas from other mothers who have been there, including shopping, eating, food kids like, schooling, discipline, and more. “We need humor stories, heart warming and touching pieces about losing a child or raising a handicapped child. Book reviews needed covering books of interest to mothers and parents, up to 1,000 words. Poetry of interest to mothers, 35 lines or less. You can submit two poems at a time. They will publish one fiction story per month, of interest to mothers and parents, 1,000 to 2,000 words. This is not a paying market, but there will be contests with cash prizes. Those merely interested in reading it can subscribe for $25 per year, 6 issues. Canada and overseas, $40. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MRLASERS EBOOK FORMATTING AND PRODUCTION SERVICES - ebooks@mrlasers.com. They specialize in a hand-crafted approach to formatting and conversion for all major eBook formats for publishers and independent authors.

MR WEB EDIT — www.mrwebedit.com. I received a notice: "We are an on-line service provider for all journalism and publishing activities—original articles, ghost writing, editing, magazine management etc." October 2013 update: Plugin required, but the site remains.

MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE- www.presentware.com/.  November 2011 update: Now it is in Chinese symbols. November 2012 update: Server not found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MUSE MEDIA - www.musemedia.net. "Publishing Publicity and Public Relations" -- your one-stop shop. December 2007 update: Page Not Found. December 2008 update: It's there now, but does not seem to relate to publishing. November 2009 update: Not there. November 2010 update: There again, but largely blank. November 2011 update: There are Chinese symbols. November 2012 update: Now in English, but says it is Sedo's Domain Parking. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MY BLUE SHOES- www.myblueshoes.com/. Custom web design, Internet marketing, online publishing. This is supposed to contain the best tools, resources and links that may be useful for writers. October 2013 update: The site remains, but is copyrighted 2004-2007. There have been no advances in six years? October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MY FREE READ — www.myfreeread.com. This is a free marketing tool, and they may have profit-sharing from their advertising revenues. They are looking for good quality eBooks, eZines, and self published articles for their new website. November 2011 update: Server not found. sale. November 2014 update: Still for sale. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

MY WRITER TOOLS - www.mywritertools.com/. This is software listing for $29.95, introductory price $19.95. A program to help writers produce and clean up their documents. Works with Microsoft Windows Word. November 2012 update: This time I didn't see a price.

NAMES - www.names.org. This site offers name origins, statistics, and popularity rankings for people names. Since naming characters is a prime concern of authors, this should help. August 2020 update: They asked me to add their site to my list, and I agreed to—only to find it already listed. Maybe it would have helped if one of us had actually checked, before. At any rate they remain in business, offering name origins, statistics and popularity rankings for people names. They say their site receives great feedback.

NANOWRIMO - www.nanowrimo.org. This is the National Novel Writing Month, challenging writers to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, quality no object. I haven't listed it before, because it's a once a year effort, but now I am, in part because I am one of the established authors who gives a pep-talk for November 2008. Just writing a short novel on a short deadline is no breeze, as this annual effort shows. November 2009 update: November is the month. So if you're participating, quit surfing HiPiers and get with the program. November 2011 update: It continues this year. November 2012 update: And every year as far as I know. They have good general advice that I suspect would help even those not participating in the annual writing frenzy. October 2013 update: They list the total collective word count for the year 2012 as 3,319,909,353. That would make about 66,400 50,000 word novels, if my spot math is correct. Many folk are doing a lot of writing in a month. November 2014 update: “The world needs your novel."

NATIONAL WRITER'S UNION (NWU) - www.nwu.org. This requires a bit of explaining. First, yes, it really is a union, UAW Local 1981/AFL-CIO, so if you don't like unions, this is not for you. Second, if you are serious about writing, you can join. Most writer's organizations require a writer to have had something published or sold recently to be eligible; NWU recognizes that the vagaries of sometimes whimsical or mean-spirited editorial decisions are not the definition of a writer. If you are writing, you are probably eligible for membership, and not on a standby or second-tier basis. If you have written a novel, or stories, or articles, and have tried to get them published, in any genre, or if you have written a movie or TV screenplay and it wasn't a joke, or poetry, or whatever, you are a writer. Maybe an unsuccessful one, but you still do bleed when editorially cut, and NWU cares. It is your dedication and effort that count, your dream and heart, not the luck of the editorial draw. I understand some writers organizations refuse to consider Internet-published writers; no need to be concerned. In short, NWU is doing for writers what the Internet is doing for publication: opening it up so that the common grunts can play too. There is no elitism here. It will cost you, however. Annual dues are $95 or more, depending on your writing income. So why should you join? Well, you shouldn't, if you are not serious about writing. But if you have any notion of making any money at writing, let alone a living, you should join. Other writer's organizations may or may not help their members when there is mischief, and may actually hurt a writer; I have been the route in spades. Some do good work, but on a higher plane; your objection to getting stiffed on a payment for an article may be beneath their notice. But NWU is really there fighting in the trenches. For example, it sued to salvage electronic rights for writers, so that publishers could not stiff writers on the Internet. It actively goes after errant publishers. In terms of protection for writers, this is an attack dog. Its membership is growing rapidly; it is now over 6,000 and not cresting. It maintains an agent database that includes negative as well as positive input. In short, if there is an organization with an attitude much like mine, it is the NWU. I have been a member since 1993. It is not illustrious, but in gut terms it may be the most influential writer's organization extant. If you are a writer and can join only one organization, this is the one. NWU won the big lawsuit: publishers can't grab electronic rights without contracting and paying for them. This is highly significant, though it is now being appealed. But it did drop the ball on a complaint about an Internet publisher stiffing its authors. What use to salvage electronic rights, if writers are not similarly protected from errant electronic publishers? So its record is stained, unfortunately, in an embarrassing way, considering that lawsuit. December 2004 update: There are many useful things available to anyone, on its site, such as grievances against some publishers. June 2005 update: NWU announces that an $18 million settlement has been reached in the class-action case of Gerald Posner against databases and publishers illegally selling articles over the Internet without the authors' permission. "The Supreme Court in New York Times vs. Tasini had a very simple solution for companies that want to market a writer's article: pay for it." December 2007 update: I was a member, but they dropped me. I'm sure they are still doing good work, however. December 2008 update: They say they have nearly 2,000 members. I guess they don't miss me. November 2009 update: Now they mention having 1,500 members, so maybe they are dropping other writers as they did me. They are addressing the Google Copyright infringement Settlement, urging Author's Guild to withdraw from it. This is a complicated issue, but authors do need to pay attention, because otherwise they may discover that their works are being borrowed and used without regard to copyright protections. November 2010 update: Now they have 1,200 members. Apparently they are still dropping members like me. I wonder why? November 2011 update: Still at 1,200 members, so maybe they have stopped dropping them. I admit to being bemused by being thus dumped after I had contributed several tens of thousands of dollars to their efforts. November 2012 update: The site has information on the publisher's settlement with Google, objecting to the secrecy of its terms. I should think so. October 2013 update: I was unable to reach them; the connection kept being reset. November 2014 update: Got the site okay this time. They still have 1,000 members. The site has assorted news items going back to 2011.

NERVE - www.nerve.com. This bills its contents as "literary smut," and I must say that my check of its site showed interesting material on nudity, nude photos, and sexy notions. It's the kind of place for a dirty old man to browse. If only I had more time. What makes it interesting, apart from the obvious, is that it is offering Name writers a package of stock options in addition to money. But evidently not for beginning writers. It seems to be primarily a magazine. November 2011 update: All kinds of provocative new items, but I'm not sure how well it relates to actual writing or marketing. November 2014 update: They still have provocative items, such as “What Your Underwear Says About You on a Date" but still no indication that it relates to writing per se.

NETSENSE - www.netsensegs.com/. The site is still under construction, but will offer conversions of many kinds for cost-effective solutions. November 2012 update: It is functioning now, offering many kinds of service, but publishing, editing, or marketing advice don't seem to be included. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

NEW-AUTHOR.COM - www.new-author.com/. November 2014 update: Now it's all Chinese symbols. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

NEW BOOKSELLER - http://NewBookSeller.com. December 2008 update: "This domain may be for sale."

NEW CENTURY PUBLISHING - www.newcenturypublishing.com. I was asked about this, so looked it up. It's an Irish publisher, founded in 1997, whose publications range from glossy magazines to leaflets. It seems to be a self publisher. I did not find rates.

NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL - http://newyorkbookfestival.com. It is calling for entries to its annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the world's publishing capital. It will consider published, self-published, and independent publisher fiction, non-fiction, children's teenage, how-to, audio, comics, e-books, science fiction, romance, biography/autobiography, or wild card (anything goes). Entries can be in English, Spanish, French, or Italian. Grand prize of $1,500 and a flight to New York for the awards. Deadline is April 25, 2007. Entry fee $50 for each submission. My comment: this looks interesting, but I am wary of that charged submission; it may or may not be legitimate. December 2007 update: They have issued a call for 2008 entries, same terms, same prize. Deadline is May 25, 2008. 2008 update: It's an annual event. October 2013 update: It continues. November 2014 update: But now their database is down. April 2020 update: Call for entries for 2020. They can be in English, French, Spanish, or Italian and must have been published on or before January 1, 2016. Entries can be fiction, nonfiction, children;s young adult, how-to, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction horror, photography/art, spiritual, business, romance, cookbooks, compilations/anthologies and biography/autobiography works. I did not sea a deadline, but prior years have been April 25.

NOAHIDE BOOKS - www.noahidebooks.com. I received an email: "For something different, try a Noahide Book. Totally free of charge to read online." I haven't checked it; could be a bookseller. November 2010 update: Page could not be displayed. November 2012 update: Not found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

NOKBOK - https://nokbok.com/how-nokbok-works. This is a new website where authors must pay $4.99 per month to post their literature. Readers can also pay $4.99 per month to read online. Authors get paid 60% of Nokbok's revenue. Or authors can post for free but not get paid. I haven't looket at the site, but am told it explains how it makes the 60% calculation.

NOW WRITE! - www.nowwrite.net/. I received an email describing this, but I'm not clear on its nature. It describes three Now Write! anthologies: You Can't Make This Stuff Up: the Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction—from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between, by Lee Gutkind; The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript, by Valerie Storey; Riding the alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing (and not getting eaten) by Pen Densham. These look like good references for those in need. July 2015 update: I received their news bulletin. Unfortunately it promoted the West Coast Writer Conference for June 26-28, 2015, which should be over by the time I run this note. They ran a picture of Harlan Ellison looking like an old man. He should; he's three months older than I am. Some of us old codgers are still active.

NUEVA SCHOOL - http://nuevaschool.org/~debbie/library/reading/yngwrite.html. This lists online opportunities for young writers, such as Inkspot and online publications that accept student submissions. UPDATE: couldn't connect. February 2008 update: I had left out a /; now it should work. November 2010 update: but it wouldn't connect. November 2012 update: Not found.

OCEAN GRAPHIC CO, LTD - http://www.oceangraphic.com.hk.     This is a printing company based in Hong Kong with factories in China that provides printing and color separation services. October 2005 update: They say they are now offering very attractive prices. Considering the competitive pricing of other Chinese products, I suspect they mean it.

OMNIFIC PUBLISHING - www.omnific.com/. "Omnific is a full-service advertising and marketing agency that offers traditional and digital media solutions for advertisers of all sizes." I was queried about this, so looked it up, but am not sure it relates to electronic publishing. Regardless, reports are mixed.

OMNILIT - see All Romance Books

ONLINE BOOK PUBLICITY — http://online-book-publicity.ning.com/. I received a flier on this. It seems to be an aspect of Substance Books, which see.

ONLINE ENGLISH DEGREE IN THE 21st CENTURY: THE ROLE, IMPORTANCE, AND POWER OF WORDS - www.onlineenglishdegree.com. If you want to write books, it helps to know how to use the language. Whether getting a degree will help you I can't say; I got a BA in Creative Writing on the way to developing my career as a writer, but there are many who made good as writers without degrees. But this should show you where to go to get into such studies. The site is a discussion of what English is, what to look for in an online English school, what levels are available, how long it takes to get an English degree, examples of online English courses, available areas of specialization (such as Creative Writing), what you can do with an English degree, what is a Writer, and What does a Writer do? That last includes Author, Copy Writer, Editor, Technical Writer, and Reporter. In sum: there's much to learn here, even if you don't want a degree. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ONLINE REVIEW OF BOOKS & CURRENT AFFAIRS - http://www.onlinereviewofbooks.com. This is an electronic journal that intends to review all books, not just traditional print ones. They accept all independently published books in any format. They are looking for reviewers. The March issue has a good article on independent book publishers, small press, and POD. October 2005 update: This time my sampling found a two-fisted liberal political commentary. I presume they do other slants too; the point is they are not pussyfooting when it comes to a free press. December 2007 update: They remain as ornery and outspoken as ever, this time taking off on Hillary and Mother Teresa. No, it's not mindless, it's thought provoking. December 2008 update: And on Obama and the rightist agenda to "starve the beast." November 2010 update: This time criticizing Obama for being too easy on the Big Banks that continue to screw homeowners. November 2012 update: This time commentary on the old TV series “Bonanza" and how attitudes have changed from its ideals. Food for thought continues.

OPEN BOOKS— http://b.openbooks.com. I received an email ad “Join the publishing revolution." Their Closed Beta version is now available for early access. “It is our pleasure to invite you to sell and promote your work at OpenBooks.com and to become one of our beta testers. Be the first to experience the new age for ebooks." So I'm listing it for possible interest to authors. March 2015 update: They are launching the Closed Beta 2.0 version of their service. April 2015 update: email says that they have finally arrived at their destination. They are preparing for their grand opening on April 14th 2015. September 2015 update: They are now in business with a forum to discuss new ideas, share opinions, or create your own wish-lists of books you'd love to see on this website. It seems that you can pay what you want for a given book, and they are hoping that you will be decent enough to pay a fair price. I fear this will be driven out by those who are not fair minded. October 2015 update: “Open Books is about bringing back strong moral values to publishing market." They now have several books to showcase, some with recommended prices, or pay what you want. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

OPEN COLLEGES - http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/communications/6-ipad-apps-for-creative-writing/ This relates to creative writing. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

OPEN COLLEGES - http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/communications/25-ways-to-boost-your-writing-skills/ This relate to improving your writing skills. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

OPEN MIC VOICES - www.OpenMicVoices.com. “The Internet's foremost social website for poets, fans of poetry, and venues for poetry" debuted February 1, 2012, and now has registered members in 40 countries. “A platform for self-expression and friendship." September 2012 update: I received a Press Release. "An all-inclusive social network for sharing your poems and poetry." I suspect poetry authors can get lonely, and this seems to be the place to find friends.

ORANGEBERRY BOOK TOURS - http://orangeberrybooktours.com. They do virtual book tours, consisting of bloggers who will read and review your book, and post the reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and on their blog with a book blurb. They have more than ten years experience. “Allow us to promote your book to a roaring success." Tours range from a one-day book blast to a 90-day tour with prizes to award new readers. Prices range from $12.99 to $192.99 for a collection of promotions. They have sales on their promos, so you may get them cheaper.

ORGANIZED WRITER, THE - www.organizedwriter.com/. I learned of this via an Xlibris newsletter. This is a book ad site, for the book by Julie Hood, but it gives a lot of information. The thesis is that any writer can do better if he/she organizes his time well. The site is replete, by no coincidence, with numbered organization steps suggesting how to get started and how to proceed, such as Six Rules: Work with, not against, yourself; Focus; Invest your Time; Create Habits; Use the Right Tools; and Work Forward. It makes the point that writers tend to think of themselves as creative rather than organized, when they should be both. As a highly organized writer, I agree. I don't need this site, but if you're disorganized, you do. November 2014 update: they are discussing your goals for 2010. I suspect that this site is only theoretically active.

ORION INFO SYSTEMS - www.orioninfosystems.com. UPDATE: couldn't connect.

PAGE ONE LITERARY - www.pageonelit.com. November 2014 update: Server Not Found.

PAINTED ROCK at www.paintedrock.com. November 2014 update: The domain is for sale.

PAPEAIR — https://papeair.com/services. This is Magdalena Rogier, a professional book designer and formatter with experience in the field. Everything from cover design, ebook formatting and typesetting for print on demand. Papeair is her brand name.

PANTONE BOOKS — www.indianprinterpublisher.com. Online Trade Magazine for Printing, Publishing, and Packaging Industry including relevant news and information. I haven't actually clicked the link. December 2008 update: it remains in business, printing for south Asia.

PARAGON -www.geocities.com/onlineediting/index.htm. 2003 UPDATE: I am belatedly informed that the proprietress died, but that similar services are offered at www.sff.net/people/alicia/.

PASSIONATE BOOKS - https://bookpromo.net. Their flier asks “Do you want to display your Latest Book in front of more than 200K plus book lovers via Social Media? I haven't checked further, but you can.

PASSIONATE PEN - www.passionatepen.com. This is a resource for Romance writers. They list publishers, traditional and electronic, except for self publishers, with some feedback from users, and agents. Such lists can be very useful for authors; it's why I maintain mine. They also have links to articles relating to writing. In sum, a worthwhile site.

PATRICIO DEVIA — munizaga.osvaldo@gemail.com pattarolina@hotmail.com patricio.devia@hotmail.cl. Patricio Devia of Santiago de Chile is a Chilian translator in Spanish and English languages with 32 years experience. He will translate any kind of document both ways. He can also act as a middleman among publishers, directly contacting them to sell your previously translated works in the Latin American and Spanish markets. Contact him for a resume if you are interested.

PAW PRINTS - www.pawprintspod.com. UPDATE: gone, shunted to a commercial site. April 2006 update: I was advised to check its revised address, and it's there. This in a print-on-Demand outfit. They have a one-time set-up fee of $99, or $124 if an ISBN number is needed. They charge fixed amounts depending on the length of the book, plus shipping. November 2011 update: Now the site is under construction. November 2012 update: they are back in good order. November 2014 update: Under Construction.

PEN WRIGHTS - http://penWrights.com. This is an online forum open to everything--poetry, stories, or whatever works. The site is in partial remission, but says it will resume activity soon. December 2004 update: It is active again, but would not let me into all of its sections. December 2008 update: "penWrights is a community of writers who meet online to read, write, and critique each other's work." November 2014 update: Still there, with total signups of 1,640.

PHOBIAS - https://fearof.org/. This is a website that provides information on over 550 phobias and fears. It has information on what these phobias are and how to fight them. I am not sure how well this relates to writing or publishing, but it does seem to be that if a story relates to phobias, this could be a useful source of information. I find phobias fascinating; maybe I’m biased.

PLUMBELL PUBLISHING- www.plumbell.com. This is an author site. I list it here because the title suggests it's a publisher. Only for one author, Lew Paz. October 2013 update: Page Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PODG - www.PublishOnDemandGlobal.com/ I received a flier. They sell translation rights around the world. They increase your distribution by making your book available for sale on other e-book platforms. They visit major book shows in London, New York, Beijing, Frankfurt and others. I gather that you sign up for a year at a time, for a fee, and see whether enhanced sales make it worthwhile.

POETRY BOX - www.poetrybox.com. November 2012 update: Blank black screen.

POWER OF WORDS — See TRANSFORMATIVE LANGUAGE ARTS NETWORK

PREDITORS & EDITORS- May 2018 update: I am informed that this site is now defunct. Too bad; it did good work, exposing bad publishers. For a similar service, check the entry for reedsy.com.

PREPRESS PLUS — www.prepressplus.in. I received an email informing me that they are a Typesetting company with a mission of providing innovative services in books and journals. Their services include Multilingual Typesetting in all European languages, ebooks, conversion (XML, HTML, PDF, MSWord) OCR, data entry and proofreading.

PRESSMART — www.pressmart.net/. They specialize in creating digital editions of newspapers and magazines, and they help publications monetize their print content online. They have served more than 350 publications across 38 countries in more than 22 languages. June 2009 update: I heard from their webmistress. They are also at www.pressmart.com, "A leading print-to-digital delivery service for newspapers, magazines, journals and catalogs," with other useful services. July 2009 update: I heard from them again: "Please change my link as 'Magazine Publishing.'" November 2014 update: They remain there in good order.

PRESS PUBLISHER - www.PressPublisher.com. This is software designed exclusively for online publishers. It is currently tailored for magazines, but in the next two months they will release a free online book publishing software. November 2012 update: Which they seem to have done. You can manage a Magazine, e-Zine, Newsletter, Journal, or other periodical.

PR FOUNTAIN - prfountain.com. I received several solicitations from their representatives offering to submit my unnamed book to a literary agent. Beware. April 2021 update: Their ad for their Fountain Premium Package printed out as 9 pages of single or double characters on the left margin. This waste of paper hardly endears them to me. May 2021 update: this time the solicitation was from Sam Medina, acquisitions editor and publicist. He informs me that right now I am ranked 5 millionth on the Amazon ranking. They want to help me do better. F

PRINT HOUSE INDIA - www.printhouseindia.com. They are a print production house for small and large scale prints. They say they have best quality output at an affordable rate.

PRINTING SERVICE- www.printingservice.cn. This is TianHong Printing in China that can handle just about any kind of printing. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PRINT SHOP CENTRAL - csr@printshopcentral.com. If you print at least 100 books, you'll get an additional 10% free. Limited time offer.

PRIVATE PROXY GUIDE - https://privateproxyguide.com/best-cloud-storage-for-photos-and-videos/. If you want cloud storage, this may be your guide.

PRONOUN - http://pronoun.com. This used to be the ebook creation and distribution service Vook, now rebranded and relaunched as a full service and self-publishing service. They feel they are a new model for authors, offering all services free and giving authors a royalty rate of 100%. They hope to help more authors bring better books to market, impacting the industry. Well, we'll see. December 2017 update: It didn't work out. They are folding. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PUBLIC BOOKSHELF - www.publicbookshelf.com/. “PublicBookshelf.com is now open for fiction and non-fiction book submissions. We pay 70% Google ad revenues on each page of your book. Take advantage of our million+ annual visitor traffic to get your book read, earn money, and promote yourself.” December 2008 update: they say you can read many of their books free, and also say they publish you online at no cost to you and pay an advance of up to $500. I'll be interested to see feedback from authors who try them, and this comes under the probably too good to be true heading. November 2014 update: they have over 600 Romance novels you can read online free. Many other genres listed, so evidently this publishing mode continues.

PUBLICIZE YOUR BOOK: An Insiders Guide to Getting Your Book the Attention It Deserves--www.publicizeyourbook.com. This teaches authors how to create effective publicity with or without the support of their publishing houses. Marketing plan, bookstore appearances, how to get media coverage, etc. Publishers Weekly says that it is "easily the most incisive and expert guide to book publicity ever.'  $15.95. November 2014 update: This was blocked as an attack page.

PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION- http://www.publishers.org.uk/paweb/paweb.nsf/pubframe!Open - November 2009 update: File Not Found. They seem either to have moved or to be out of business. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PUBLISHING ADDICT - www.publishingaddict.com. This is a promotion service on Twitter. They spread the word about your book to 5,000 fans. They can take only 10 people at a time, so you have to get in line.

PUBLISHING TRIANGLE- www.publishingtriangle.org The association of lesbians and gay men in publishing. "We are now accepting nominations for the best in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction." Six different awards. Okay: this is a limited-interest site, but it does a competent job, and the interests of gay authors and straight authors overlap: they all want to get published, and the System is a common enemy. So unless you're a homophobe, check their general advice under "resources" for writing and marketing; it's a good spot course that steers you straight. November 2014 update: They now have awards for the best LGBT fiction in several categories. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PUBLISH MY WORKS- www.publishmyworks.com/. I received an email: "Authors needed! Brand new social network for Authors...Promote your book." They promise a free site, the ability to share videos and photos, join and start groups, and talk with friends and family all for free. December 2008 update: This now seems to be an advertising site. October 2013 update: blank white screen. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

PULPBITS EBOOKS - http://www.pulpbits.com  November 2009 update: The domain may be for sale.

QOOP - http://qoop.com/. November 2014 update: Now it is a publishing ad site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

QUOTES RAIN - www.quotesrain.com. “An innovative new Website for Authors to showcase their books and to link them with readers from around the globe." You can email them at quotesrain@gmail.com.

RADIO INTERVIEW 101 - interviews@cadio-media.com. I received a solicitation to try their service, but it came with a Phishing warning. I did not follow up.

RALAN CONLEY'S SPECFIC & HUMOR WEBSTRAVAGANZA - www.ralan.com. The proprietor called this to my attention. He likes to write, but had the usual difficulty finding a publisher, so he did some research, and this is the result. This is a powerhouse listing of markets what seems like thousands of markets, plus agents, author organizations, book stores, jobs, writers' chats, places for copyright information, courses, critique groups, and sources for information on what writers should beware of. Much more -- it just goes on and on -- and every entry has a link. If you are serious about writing, and want information, you could spend a week following the leads Ralan provides. If you are unsatisfied with the information that this survey of mine provides, go to Ralan and become surfeit; if there is a better site for sources for writers than this one, I'll be amazed. It also links to author pages, including HiPiers. It has more than fifty author links. December 2007 update: It was easier to find my way around this time: entries were in different colors, alphabetically listed. But I was unable to locate electronic or small press publishers like Mundania and Phaze. They are surely listed somewhere, but this suggests that the seeming simplicity of the listings may be deceptive. December 2008 update: This time I was unable to find the listings at all. I'm sure they exist, but all I saw was material about Ralan's Spectravaganza contest winners and how to join the mailing list. So I have to say that the usefulness of this site has plummeted. It may be that since for efficiency I don't load pictures, that key aspects of the site are not showing. April 2009 update: Ralan wrote me, saying the material is too all there. So I put my browser into picture mode and tried again, and lo, there it all is. Under Book Publishers he lists electronic and traditional print, so this is one comprehensive tally. I also checked Adult Markets, a separate listing, but did not find Ellora's Cave therein. That's curious. Then I turned off the pictures mode and tried again, and there were no words in the market listings. That's why I missed them before. I tried clicking the blanks, and got the listings. So the site certainly works, and remains perhaps THE most comprehensive market listing. Those who use this Piers Anthony site to shop for markets and don't find what they want should go to Ralan's before giving up, because there's a lot more there. December 2012 update: the site seems to have been redesigned since I last checked it, but is just as comprehensive. November 2013 update: still there in good order, with its huge amount of information. December 2014 update: Still there in good order. I keep listing it without noting changes because this may be the most comprehensive such listing on the Internet, and many of you shouldn't be wasting time here on my list instead of going to Ralan's.

RALETTA.TECH - raletta.tech2020@gmail.com. This is a company in India that provides services like Animation Video Editing, Film Making, After Effect and so on. One of its services is Content Marketing. It reports having thousands of visitors, lots of followers, friends, and subscribers.

RATIONAL STREET PERFORMER PROTOCOL - http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/rspp. This is a system rather than a site. An artist posts online the fact that he/she has a new work for the public, and asks for money in the amount he thinks the work is worth. People make donations or commitments, such as a flat $100 or agreement to donate $1 for every $50 donated elsewhere, up to $20. When the artist feels its okay, he releases the work onto the Internet, perhaps providing those who donated with physical copies. Thus the artist gets paid, and the public gets a new work. December 2007 update: The site has moved to a new address. December 2008 update: the site was updated in November 2002. That makes me uneasy.

READERS AND AUTHORS RESOURCES- www.readerandauthor.com. This is a link website that lists genres and the website links of authors who write in those genres, and for Authors it has links to resources. December 2008 update: Blank screen. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

RED JACK THE SEARCH ENGINE - www.redjack.net/. October 2003 Update: gone.

REEDSY - HTTPS://blog.reedsy.com/scams-and-publishing-companies-to-avoid. This is, as its site title suggests, a site warnring authors about bad publishers, vanity presses, and self publishers to avoid. If you are a new author, it should be well worth your time simply to read through this site, as it provides good general advice that could save you a bundle.

REJECTION COLLECTION - rejectioncollection.com/. If you have ever smarted over a rejection, this site is for you. It runs rejections, and the writers' reactions to same. I think the writers generally have the right of the case, but of course I would, being a writer myself. I regard this as a service in the sense that writers need to see what other writers have been suffering, and to share their own experiences. December 2007 update: I clicked the “Read 'em and weep” link and got a 'You don't have permission' message. It seems I was cruelly rejected. December 2008 update: Now it's there again; I have been unrejected. December 2009 update: it took so long to load that I gave up. December 2010 update: Now it seems to be a school information site.

RESEARCH FOR AUTHORS - www.ttgnet.com/bft/bft/html. UPDATE: gone

REVIEWS - A reader sent me a list of Romance genre review sites. Apparently there are some shady practices, such as competitors reviewing books. That's an opportunity to trash a book unfairly, and it seems some do, but it can be objective if the reviewer is honest. So I'm not sure whether to list review sites, and am not sure I want to get into this. Let me know whether they should be listed here.

ROMANCE DIVAS - www.romancedivas.com/. December 2014 update: Server Not Found.

ROMANCE FORETOLD - www.romfort.org/. UPDATE: and now it's gone.

ROSEDOG.COM - www.rosedog.com/. December 2014 update: Domain is for sale, so this one must be out of business.

ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARD - see Florida Writers Association.

RPI PRINT ON DEMAND - www.rpiprint.com/. This is a 24 hour, 7 day a week commercial printing company in Seattle that can handle just about anything. The company was founded in 1979 and seems solidly established. I did not find prices, but presume they would vary with the job. They specialize in fast short-run (trade) paperback novels. December 2014 update: They remain in good order.

SCHIEL & DENVER PUBLISHING — www.schieldenver.com. This is a book publishing services company. They implement "sustainable demand driven printing technology" with a "strong ethical dimension." They asked to be listed here, and say that for more information they have an entry in Wikipedia. June 2010 update: a negative report of contract violation—i.e., failure to issue royalty reports—and extreme difficulty locating the moving target that was the home office. My judgment is that this is not a legitimate publisher. December 2014 update: connection was reset.

SCHRITZ COFFEEHOUSE - www.schritz.com/coffeehouse.  December 2008 update: Now it's an ad site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS OF AMERICA -- SFWA - www.sfwa.org. I am not a member of this organization, having quit it in disgust over thirty years ago when its officers sided with a wrongdoing publisher instead of the injured writer, me, and I got blacklisted for being right. It never apologized, and officers have badmouthed me since, so I'll probably never rejoin. But I have to give credit where due, however reluctantly, and the organization does on occasion serve a useful purpose. For example, the WRITER BEWARE section warns of bad literary agents, book doctors, subsidy publishers and others. Their discussions of Electronic Publishing and Print on Demand are also apt. There's a lot of extremely relevant material here, and I recommend this as a source of information. Fortunately you don't have to join SFWA to get it. December 2009 update: This time I followed up on their reprint of an article on the distinctions between self publishing and vanity publishing. Essentially, it is that regular publishers assume all the expenses and risks, self publishers charge the author for everything but the author gets all the profits, and vanity publishers charge the author and take maybe half the profits. Okay, as far as it goes; a problem is that vanity publishers claim to be self publishers, and there are different types of self publishing, ranging from free to vanity prices, so the distinctions are fuzzy. November 2013 update: this time I noticed their comment on the Great Erotica Panic of 2013. It seems that many titles are being deleted as porn, when the distinction between erotica and pornography is fuzzy. I've had some trouble myself, relating to my story “Serial," which concerns a woman who serial rapes men. I gather some folk don't like that turnabout.

SCIFI-FANTASY-INFO - www.scifi-fantasy-info.com/. December 2009 update: Page Not Found. December 2011 update: Now it's in Chinese script.

SCI FI GUYS - SEE THE SCI FI GUYS

SC INTERNATIONAL - www.sc-international.com. They are a one stop printing house based in Singapore, with manufacturing plants both in Singapore and China. They have more than 20 press machines and about 1,000 workers, and are ready to handle complicated print orders. They have been in business two decades. They can print color publications such as book covers, photography books, flash cards, play cards, board games, packaging boxes, and children's books including pop-up books. They figure their prices are competitive. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SCRIBBR ACADEMIC EDITING - https.scribbr.com/proofreading-editing/. They provide proofreading and editing services for academics. They offer short deadlines, great editing rates, and have native English-speaking editors. Their customers rate them with an average score of 9.8.

SCRIBBIRS - www.scribbirs.com. This is all about writing online.

SCRIBBLEMONGER BOOK EXCHANGE - www.Scribblemonger.com. I was told of this just as this update was going to press, and haven't looked it up. It seems to be a site where you can post news of your books for sale. There's a 5% commission on sales. I'm not sure whether this relates at all to publishing.

SCRIBENDI - www.scribendi.com/. "We edit, critique, rewrite, compose, check, design, produce, translate and publish all types of manuscripts and documents." They charge one tenth of a cent per word to review your manuscript and give you an opinion about its viability. So checking a 5,000 word story costs you five dollars. Proofreading costs eight tenths of a cent a word. And so on, different fees for different services. This could be worthwhile for a beginner. December 2004 update: Now their fee seems to be 1.2 cents per word. December 2006 update: now prices start at nine tenths of a cent per word. December 2007 update: they offer a free five page sample edit. A full edit will cost you $.009 a word. Maybe I misread the rate before. December 2008 update: now editing prices start at .015 per word. July 2009 update: they remind me that they offer a full package of services: proofreading, editing, customizable query packages. November 2013 update: They remain in business.

SELECTED WEB HOSTING - www.selectedwebhosting.com. This is a blogger helping people find out which hosting is right for them and which isn't. He is also a writer himself, writing about technology, so has a notion of the needs of writers. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SELECT-O-GRAFIX - www.selectografix.com. This is for book cover design, book trailers, and other promotional materials.

SELF PUBLISHERS PLACE - www.selfpublishers-place.com. December 2009 update: Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SELF PUBLISHING - www.self-publishing.com. UPDATE: blank screen

SELF PUBLISHING REVIEW — www.selfpublishingreview.com/. This is an online magazine dedicated to the subject. This would seem to be a good place to start if you're interested. My glance through the site suggests that the information is hard-nosed and accurate. For example, it tackles Amazon's refusal to sell books not printed by its subsidiary, something authors need to be aware of before committing. December 2011 update: there are spot reports on aspects of self publishing. For example one says that self publishing on Kindle can attract negative reviews. I hadn't thought of that, but it could be true, as those without much talent can really resent those with the courage to show theirs. November 2013 update: Now you can buy reviews for $75 up. I suspect they are veering into another kind of service.

SELF PUBLISHING SCHOOL — https://self-publishingschool.com. This is the Chandler Bolt's Self Publishing School, an online education company that teaches people how to write, market and publish their first book in as little as 90 days.

SELL MORE BOOKS - www.SellMoreBooks.net.  December 2004 update: blank screen.

SEXY NOVELS- www.sexynovels.com. This is the web site of Alexandra Adams, author of erotic electronic novels, who sells them here. This HiPiers listing is not intended for personal sites, but this one is a nice example of self marketing that others might profit from, and the proprietor seems responsive to those marketing similar material. So if you need advice, a query here might help. December 2006 update: Now she sells her novels via Double Dragon, not at her site, but you can still see their covers and descriptions there. December 2011 update: The personal site remains, describing her novels, but I don't find advice for others. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SHANGHAI KS PRINTING COMPANY - www.ksprinting.net. They can print magazines, novels, softcover, hardcover books at a good price. There is no minimum quantity.

SHANGHAI PROMUS PRINTING CO LTD - www.promuscorp.com.  They are interested in being your printer and publisher in China. October 2005 update: they have a comprehensive list of services, but I did not find prices. December 2009 update: I got a blank screen at the site address. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SHARING BOOKS - www.sharing-books.com/. This seems to be a site for posting your material free, to get exposure. Unfortunately I have a report that when an author wished to take off stories, there was no response. December 2009 update: now readers can pay if they want to, as much as they want to, and the money is shared evenly between the authors, the site, and Room to Read; I'm not sure what that last is. December 2011 update: The site was so slow loading I gave up. December 2012 update: Now it's there in good order. November 2013 update: It remains there.

SHARI'S WORD PROCESSING- www.sharissolutions.com. This is a small secretary service that provides professional typing, editing, grammar check, transcription, and proofing for all types of projects. "You will find my service to be accurate, timely and second to none." December 2009 update: Blank screen. November 2013 update: But it's there in good order now. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SHARP WRIT BOOK AWARDS - www.bookawards.org. I heard from the Coordinator, a fan of mine. Their awards are presented annually to recognize excellence in writing. They were originally affiliated with MENSA, the organization for smart folk, but are now independent. Printed and eBooks are eligible, in English, published in 2008 or later. Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir/autobiography, Young Adult, Childrens, all genres. December 2012 update: Now it seems to be a writing search site. December 2014 update: It's back in good order.

a href='https://shepherd.com/'>SHEPHERD — shepherd.com I received a solicitation to promote my books, free, from Ben Fox here. I declined, but this may be of interest to others. You recommend 5 of your favorite books around a topic/theme you are passionate about, along with 3 or 4 lines on why you recommend each of those books. Then they promote you and one of your books at the top of that page, they say forever.

a href='https://smartblogger.com/how-to-start-a-blog/'>SMART BLOGGER — https://smartblogger.com/how-to-start-a-blog/ This is a large in-depth guide that teaches beginners how to start blogging.

SOBOL AWARD - www.sobolaward.com/. December 2014 update: Server Not Found. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

SOCIETY OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS - www.scbwi.org. This seems to be THE organization to join if you are writing or illustrating for children. It acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers, and others involved with literature for young people. They sponsor two international conferences on writing and illustrating for children, and dozens of regional conferences and events across the world. There's a newsletter, awards, grants for works in progress, and it provides information on the art and business of writing and selling written, illustrated, and electronic material. They also present the Golden Kite award for the best fiction and nonfiction books. December 2004 update: I got the site, but got a blank screen for any of its subsections. December 2006 update: Now the site presents okay. December 2011 update: Additional plug-ins required, so I didn't enter the site, but at least it is still there.

SPECULATIONS - www.speculations.com/rumormill. This is a bulletin board for writers of speculative fiction, reported to be quite useful. It has unflinching data on some of the bad outfits, such as Edit Ink. If you are in doubt about a literary agency or service, this could be a very worthwhile site to check. December 2007 update: They have lists of traditional print novel and story publishers. December 2008 update: "As of 2 March 2008, Speculations is no longer in the business of publishing market information for writers." They plan to go dormant for a while, then spring forth with new plans. December 2009 update: They are still pondering what to do next. December 2011 update: They remain there, but are still speculating what to do next. November 2013 update: And still speculating. December 2014 update: Still.

STALLION PUBLISHERS - www.StallionPublishers.com. They specialize is converting PDF files to digital online editions.

START A BLOG - www.startablog123.com. This is another blog advice site; see the next entries. The idea is that the easiest and best promotion available to a new author may be a good blog site. So if you want to know how to do it, or what to put in it, check with Gary Dek at this site.

START BLOGGING ONLINE - www.startbloggingonline.com/. This is a tutorial on how to start a blog, I am listing it because this may be a way to promote your book. The goal is to make the information free, simple, and straightforward.

START UP YOUR BLOG - www.startupyourblog.com/. This is Nate Hay's web site with information on creating a blog and writing your first blog post. It should be useful for writers who are publishing their books and want to blog about it.

START YOUR OWN BLOG - https://www.youngdigitallab.com/. Mathias Ahlgren says “I'd like to think that it's a good resource for aspiring writers wanting to start their own blog. He says there's nothing groundbreaking, but maybe it will work for you.

STEVEN MANCHESTER - www.StevenManchester.com. Book editing services including spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, plot, character development, scene setting and dialogue. Reasonable costs, not specified in the notice I received. He has a complete publishing kit for $150, and an ongoing service for $20 a month. December 2012 update: It seems to be all about what a great book Twelve Months is, a story about a man who has just twelve months to live. Okay, but what about the book editing service? November 2013 update: the site is pushing books and promo about the site, but it remains unclear to me whether the editing service remains.

STEVO'S BOOK REVIEWS - stevo@mzinga.com. This is a book review and promotion service. For $300 a book will be featured for the month, viewed by as many as 250,000.

STICKLER EDITING — I am unable to give the site address directly because of a computer problem that trashes my files when I do, but it is web dot sticklerediting dot com. Provides fast and affordable professional editing and proofreading services for writers of fiction and nonfiction.

STINKYINK—ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SELF PUBLISHING — www.stinkyinkshop.CO.ukhttp://www.stinkyinkshop.CO.uk/book-publishing-guide//book-publishing-guide/. Today self publishing is a real option, and a number of self publishers are listed in the publishing section. This is a book on the subject. I haven't looked at it, but it seems to me that anyone considering self publishing should start with a reference like this to get the general lay of the land. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

STIMULATING CONVERSATION — www.stimulating-conversation.com. Also December 2012 update: I could not get the site: Internal Server Error. December 2014 update: Same error.

ST LITERARY AGENCY- www.stliteraryagency.com/. ST stands for Sydra Techniques. Check them in FABSOLUTE WRITER'S FORUM, above. December 2007 update: I sampled their wares under Writers and the first listing was Dorrance, a subsidy publisher. This seems to be an ad site. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

STORIES ONLINE - www.storiesonline.net/. This is a free story site featuring mostly sex stories but not limited to them; it was called to my attention by a SF/Fantasy author who posts there. Anyone can join, post, and read, free. They do require you to log in if you want to participate, and there is a strenuous introductory warning: if you are too young or conservative for sexy stuff, go away. So anyone who gets freaked out and wants to blame the site has no third leg to stand on. I did not log in, as that requires accepting cookies, so am not fully conversant with its aspects; I merely Previewed. But my impression is that this is a damn good site to post your material, if you aren't looking for money and have a problem finding a paying market. I did not read any of their sex stories so can't speak for their quality; maybe next month when I have more time. December 2011 update: You have to register to read their stories, and I'm too busy to get into it anyway, but the site is active. November 2013 update: still there in good order.

STORIES, TALES AND SAGA- http://clik.to/stso. gone October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

STORY PLUS - www.storyplus.com/. "StoryPlus was conceived with a clear aim--to promote children's literacy, to help children read better." This is a Canadian publisher of original children's stories in English and French, in text, illustrated text, audio, illustrated audio, and even animated formats, for all age groups, selling for $1-$3.50 depending on type. A selection of their stories is available free. They also feature a compilation of many useful articles on reading-readiness, dyslexia diagnosis, and related topics. They believe the new technologies are useful in helping children with disabilities read better. Sigh; where were they when I was taking three years (1940-42) to plow through first grade because of reading problems? WARNING: this site refuses to let you shop if you don't allow it to set cookies. December 2007 update: But they do offer some sample free stories to read. December 2011 update: Additional plug-ins required.

STORYSLINGER - www.storyslinger.com. December 2007 update: Site Not Found.

SUBRAMANIAM BROTHERS LTD - www.sbpaper.com. -   "We have highly automated offset printing facility right from pre-press to post-press facility." They are prepared to undertake any kind of printing job on a contract basis. They sound foreign, but their address is in Mobile. December 2010 update: Their new address is www.sbproduce.com.

SUBSTANCE BOOKS - www.substancebooks.com/. -    I received a solicitation from them about promoting my ChroMagic series. This is an online publicity network in business since 2001, claiming to be the biggest found on the Internet. I declined, but it could be worthwhile for other writers. April 2008 update: "The new 44th issue of Book Marketing Newsletter is ready and waiting for you." www.substancebooks.com/book-marketing-11.html. February 2009 update: Their quarterly online publication seems to be going strong. April 2009 update: the 48th issue is ready. August 2009 update: And their 49th issue. December 2009 update: You can get your title featured on the first page of Google for $180 annually. December 2010 update: Now it's $220. April 2011 update: I still receive their notices about their marketing newsletter, whose current issue they says covers BookExpo America 2011, interview with an online book publicist Hajni Blasko, and reference to their 10th anniversary. August 2011 update: Another flier: free issue of their Book publicity Ezine is available. November 2011 update: They are offering a $20 fee discount to anyone who "likes" their Facebook publicity page. December 2011 update: Now their book publicity campaign is $300 annually, but you can test it free. November 2013 update: Good discussion on why you need promotion, the essence of which is that there are so many self-published titles now that yours is lost in the throng. They promise to fix that. December 2014 update: still very much there.

SUPERSUMMARY - www.supersummary.com. I am told that they have in-depth study guides on a variety of contemporary novels. I'm not sure how relevant this is to the challenge of finding a publisher, but for aspiring writers trying to get a better notion of how successful novels are organized, it could help.

SWIFT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES - www.swiftitech.com. This is a professional data conversion house. They say they offer one of the lowest rates in the industry, about half the cost of comparable conversion houses. They do data entry, scanning, digital typesetting, document management and more.

TALENT TROVE — www.talenttrove.com/. I received a solicitation to join their Expert section, that will include a variety of hand-selected professionals who will be given a platform to upload articles, resources, and information applicable to their industry. Industries included will be Dance, Photography, Artists, Comedy, Writing, and others; it's a broad canvas. I respectfully declined; I prefer to do my own thing at my own site. But folk who want to check in with assorted experts may find this site a useful avenue. They say they get over two million unique views a month. December 2010 update: Now it's Lafango—everything Talent. Http://lafango.com/.

TALKABOUTBOOKS- http://pub22.ezboard.com/btalkaboutbooks. December 2012 update: This time the link took me to www.yuku.com. December 2014 update: Ditto. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

TAPESTRY - www.fantasywebs.com/tapestry/. "A weaving of erotica and romance from authors who wish to support feminine interests." So what is this doing in this survey? Because of this notice: "Wanted Publish your fantasies." I see no indication of payment, so presume this is a place to make your naughty short pieces available free. This is definitely spicy material, and seems to be an avenue to really hot stuff if that's your interest. So be warned, if you object, but check it out if you have material that is too sexy for regular publishing.
UPDATE: this site leads rapidly into "dirty" pictures: bare breasts, bottoms. This time I couldn't find information for writers, so maybe it has gone to straight porno. The cookie requests came in several clusters of five or six together.

TASK DIGITAL - www.taskdigital.com/. For book typesetting, design support, and related services. But it seems you have to contact them for a quote. December 2011 update: Website temporarily unavailable. December 2012 update: back in good order now. December 2014 update: Still there. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

TAX INFORMATION - https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Self-Employment-Taxes/A-Tax-Cheat-Sheet-for-Kindle-eBook-Self-Publishing/INF29515.html If you self publish, you will have finances to figure. This is helpful information for ebook publishing.

TEAM AUTHOR’S GLOW — I received an email from Dee R. Myers inviting me to put my Cluster series on their platform for 120+ posts on their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook account for 7-15 days according to my package. I did not answer, but perhaps this will interest you.

TECHNICAL WORLD - www.technicalworld.co.uk/. "One of the leading pre-publishing service companies..." with every kind of related service from data conversion to copyediting. November 2013 update: Plugin needed. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

THE AUTHOR CONNECTION - www.theauthorconnection.com/. November 2013 update: And now it is in Chinese symbols.

THE AUTHORS THINK TANK - www.theauthorsthinktank.info. December 2014 update: Gone. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

THE BOOK PROMOTERS — I get fliers from them, but am uncertain about listing them because their web site is .net, which is not supposed to be commercial. Their phone number is (888) 676-6285. Their charges are as low as $29.99. I would say be cautious.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SCIENCE FICTION - www.dragonmoonpress.com.  This is a good collection of articles, to which I contributed. December 2007 update: I read the book, and it is indeed a good guide. December 2008 update: Now it seems to be Dragon Moon Press promotion.

THE LEAKING PEN - www.geocities.com/The_Leaking_pen/. UPDATE: Last updated 2/28/2003. Maybe the pen ran out of ink. December 2006 update: File not found. December 2007 update: Announcement: it is soon to be reborn at www.theleakingpen.net. December 2009 update: but is no longer available.

THE MILLION DOLLAR PUBLISHING COMPANY IN A BOX - publishers1000@yahoo.com. I received an email ad for this December 10, 2000, which I quote entire: "Wouldn't it be great to give your loved one the gift that puts them on the road to financial independence. If you know someone that is interested in making a lot of money The Million Dollar Publishing Company in a Box is the perfect gift. Read below to find out how your quick response can put the perfect present under their tree by the holiday." There was nothing below. I did not respond. I assume it is a service, if not a joke. UPDATE: gone. December 2004 update: Now it's there, for you to email.

THE NEXT BIG WRITER - www.thenextbigwriter.com/. This is a place where writers can upload their novels, short stories, and poems to receive feedback, recognition, and rewards. Some novelists have received over 400 reviews. Password protected; writers keep all their rights. Any writer, new or old, can participate. So if you want reactions to your piece, this seems to be the place. Remember, such feedback is not necessarily positive.

THE EBOOK CREW - Self publisher. See the Publishing section.

THE ROMANCE REVIEWS — http://theromancereviews.com. "The Romance Reviews has opened its doors for a soft launch! ... We are aiming to make the review site the central depository for romance book news, reviews and updates, and also the place to interact and chat with authors and readers." Membership is free.

THE SCI FI GUYS- www.scifiguys.com. This is an informational site, a science fiction e-zine that does news, reviews, opinion and humor, and will be doing interviews. Its main focus seems to be on movies and TV series. December 2007 update: They ran out of time, so are on indefinite hiatus. December 2011 update: Still out to lunch four years later. November 2013 update: Still out. December 2014 update: Still on hiatus. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

THE SCOTTISH DUDE - http://thescottishdude.tripod.com/. He is giving away his short stories. UPDATE: gone.  October 2003 Update: now it's a bookseller. December 2004 update: Now it seems to be a straight site for his books. December 2007 update: It took forever to load, and seemed to have no content, just a few ad-links.

THE SEO TOOLS - http://theseotools.net. This is a collection of useful tools for writers and others, all free. Article rewriter, plagiarism checker, keywords suggestion tool, site map generator, grammar checker, word counter, Google malware checker, broken links finder, and many more.

THIS MAGNIFICENT LIFE - www.thismagnificentlife.com/. This is an online magazine that offers authors a chance to talk about whatever is magnificent in their life, whether it be person, place, or thing. It doesn't have to be about their current work. Articles should be 300-500 words. So this is not a paying market, but more of a publicity vehicle.

TINYURL - http://www.tinyurl.com/. December 2009 update: Page Not Found. February 2010 update: but I received a notice for promotion deals, so evidently they remain in business. I may simply have the wrong site address. (Web underling's note: TinyURL functions as a way to present cumbersome Internet addresses in a more compact, type-able fashion. These shortcuts last only so long. We'll work to identify the actual address intended, and post it.)

TOWERBABEL - www.towerbabel.com. This is a new social writing site. They want Writers, Authors, Screenwriters, Comic Book authors, Illustrators, E-Book authors, and lovers of books. It is a social collaborative network where professionals can finish projects, new writers can share advice, and everyone can read. Casual writers who want to record their own stories, and can invite friends to create that story together. Professional writers who can use the platform to collaborate with other authors, editors, artists, proofreaders, and so on. Bloggers who want an easy tool to export their journals and publish the content in a book. Readers who want a place to discover stories, share and discuss about them.

TRANSFORMATIVE LANGUAGE ARTS NETWORK - www.tlanetwork.org/. This is a conference to be held at my alma mater, Goddard College, in Plainfield Vermont, September 3-7 2009. It brings together writers, storytellers, musicians, educators, activists, healers, health professionals, community leaders and more to explore how the written, spoken, and sung word can bring transformation to individuals and communities. The deadline for proposals was January 15, 2009, but perhaps there will be other conferences hereafter. December 2009 update: next Power of Words conference is September 23, 2010, at Goddard College. December 2011 update: Their next conference will be October 24-26, 2012. November 2013 update: Site remains, but took so long to load I gave up. August 2019 update: I received a flier from them announcing the hiring of their new managing director, Hanne Weedon. “TLAN has a vision for a more conscious and creative world.

TRANSISTIC DATA TECHNOLOGIES pvt ltd. - www.tranisticspub.com. They offer publishing support services, logistics and supply chain, software application and maintenance, staff augmentation and recruiting, web development, and digital marketing. They also include editorial serices, audio book, typesetting/pagination/page composition, scanning services, book cover design, and translation service in all foreign languages.

TRIGGER STREET PRODUCTIONS INC - www.triggerstreet.com/. This is a service for screenwriters. Since I'm an ignoramus about this subject, I'm glad to provide a link to this site for those who need it. The company was founded in 1997 by actor Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) to develop and produce entertainment in a variety of mediums. He sought a way to help others find their way, just as I am doing with this ongoing survey of Internet publishing. Triggerstreet.com was set up in January 2002 as a web-based filmmaker and screenwriter community, providing access and exposure to help new filmmakers and screenwriters. This looks like THE place to bookmark, if you're starting out in this medium. Be warned, however: it requires Flash 6 (downloadable), or it won't show you anything. Flash has never worked for me and still doesn't on my Linux system; I had to go to (ugh) Windows. Beats me why sites require turnoff software for special effects that aren't that special. But evidently others don't have such problems; they claim to have 38,000 members. December 2008 update: This time the site loaded on my Linux system. It seems to have plenty of material. December 2011 update: Still there, no trouble loading. I hope it is helping hundreds of screenwriters.

TRIHEDRON INFOTECH - www.trihedroninfotech.com. This is a company in New Delhi, India, that makes animated CD's, K-12 modules, and ebooks for children's books and educational subjects for top publishers, also movie animation in 2D and 3D. They look large and competent. December 2014 update: Message: This Connection is Untrusted. So beware.

TRIPLICITY - www.tri-pub.com. I was asked about this, so am listing it. They appear to be a print and e-publisher with standard policies. “We are a general interest publishing company specializing in: fiction, non-fiction, LBGT, and children's books. Including the sub-gernes: romance, intrigue, crime, murder mystery, action/adventure, history, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, biography, auto-biography, and how-to." I don't have direct information on their terms, but understand they offer 30% royalties for electronic, which is modest, and 20% for print, which is high. They take 4-8 weeks to evaluate a submission. You need a Skype account. Their site and attitude look professional. Time will tell.

TRUSSEL - www.trussel.com/. This is a general information site, of interest to me because it has a comprehensive list of pseudonyms, including mine. UPDATE: I couldn't find anything relating to writers.
However, a reader advised me that here is a good deal of material listed under their Books & Collecting topic in the left column. I checked that, and there is, mainly a listing of publishers. December 2007 update: the list is titled Searchable Booksites and seems to be a list of book search outfits, for collectors. This would seem to be not relevant to authors seeking publication. December 2011 update: Still there, and still has my pseudonym, so I assume it remains current on other authors, too.

THE_TYPEWRITERS - http://The Typewriters.com. Gone

THE WRITER WITHIN YOU: - a Step by Step Guide to Writing and Publishing in Your Retirement Years, by Charles Jacobs. This is a book published by Carcos Books in 2007, 321 pages, $19.95 in paperback. It quotes W Somerset Maugham: "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."

ULTIMATE SCIENCE FICTION WEB GUIDE - www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/SF-Index.html. It seems to cover science fiction in all its guises, including movies and TV. It is not a publisher, but one of the interests of a writer is information about who and what else is out there, so this is a research source, with links. It claims to be the largest online encyclopedia of science fiction authors known to exist. It does list many, many writers, and claims over 6,000 links to science fiction resources; I didn't know that many existed. But their entry on me does not get out of the 1970s; if that is typical...   October 2003 update: this time the author listing links didn't work, so I couldn't verify them. October 2005 update: most of them still don't work, as far as I checked. December 2007 update: Their Movies entry says it has 85 links, last updated 18 July 1999. Their list of authors was last updated 22 August 2004. Need I say more?

UNIQUE ENTERPRISES — http://uniqueenterprises.com/. I got a very bad report on this small epublisher, so looked it up, and got the message that the domain was for sale. So it seems nature has already taken it out. June 2008 update: apparently they remain in business, with websites under their imprint names: Bygrace Publishing and Moonlit Romance. The report remains bad.

UNITED KINDLE BOOK — unitedkindlebook@gmail.com. I received a solicitation offering to help me make my book Jest Right a “global identifier of book writing.” They evidently don't realize that this novel is #43 in the long-running Xanth series. Caution.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES - www.unsolvedmysteries.com.
This is a site for amateur stories, and it has a lot. "Wow! Over 200,000 stories" it says, and it may be so. I glanced at one, and it wasn't close to professional level, but that's fine for those who need experience. Free.

US BOOK VIEWS — I received a flier saying that they help authors get book reviews. It seems to be a service you can hire. I did not see information on cost. Indeed, I did not see a web site listed, just a mailing address in Tennessee. Caution.

VENDERPRO - www.VenderPro.com. December 2007 update: links for Perry Como music and other things. I think they're out of business.

VERIZON MEDIA - b2b@verizonmedia.com. I received a flier saying “Partner with Verizon Media. Unlock performance without compromise. I am not clear on exactly what they do, but they say “We deliver unlimited opportunities to monetize with publisher-built products, versatile ad formats, advanced reporting and optimizing capabilities.

VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS - http://tinyurl.com/mwgna4v. “Reading Addiction Blog Tours aims to Coordinate Online Virtual Book Tours for Authors. Our goal is to eliminate unwanted stress for Authors while they focus on their writing." I received this notice as SPAM; they realized I had written books, so contacted me, apparently knowing nothing morne about me. I did not respond, but am listing it here in case other writers are interested. They charge $45 a month, have multiple services, and have been in business four years. I doubt their tour will prove to be worth it for the average author, but will welcome reports by writers who try this.

VPN THRIVE - https://www.vpnthrive.com/how-to-hide-your-ip-address/. I am not conversant with this subject, but if you need information on it, this should help you.

VOOK — see PRONOUN

WATTPAD — www.wattpad.com/. “Wattpad is the world's largest community for reading and writing. On Wattpad you can read free on your phone and share your own stories." I received an invitation to join; I didn't join, but am listing it here for those who might want to. Sharing sites seem to be multiplying.

WEBSITE BUILDER REVIEWS — https://digital.com. I am told this may be one of the best website builder tools out there that can be used to create a great looking author/writer website. No manual code editing is necessary; they make it easy. August 2019 update: They have moved their domain names to Digital.com, and moved ReviewSquirrel.com to HTTPS to keep your users safe.

WEBSITE PLANET — https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/how-to-create-a-website-build-a-website/. This is a guide to building a website in four easy stages,with supplemental intormation, with three bonus tips to take it to the next level.

WEBSITE SETUP — www.websitesetup.orghttp://www.websitesetup.org/new-peek-inside/. “I don't want to brag, but I'm sure that my guide will go more in-depth and actually focuses on the parts that people get stuck on." I haven't looked it up, but you're welcome to put it to the proof.

WEEKLY DIARIES — https://www.authorweek.com/. Their flier asks “Do you want us to include your book, in our newsletter sent to 25000 subscribers?

WELKYN SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS — www.welkynsolutions.com. “We are a publishing service company providing Prepress, XML, eBook conversion (ePUB, Mobi, AZW, PRC, etc & Fixed Layout conversion (iPad & Kindle Fire) services to publishers round the globe."

WESTPOINT PRINT AND MEDIA — https://www.westpointprintandmedia.com/ I received a flier suggesting that they could improve my book's ranking on Amazon. They clearly don't realize that my processional experience dates back over half a century. But if you are interested, check their site. Their man is Sam Mendoza, proffering a publishing and marketing package for $1,299. Another is $899. I received seven fliers from him in the month of May, 2021 July 2021 update: Now their package is $2,899, according to one flier, and still $899 according to another. August 2021 update: They offered their $1,399 package for $699. But it ended July 30. but keep an eye out, in case they repeat it for another month. A later circular offers their $899 package for $450. So they do have frequent offers.

WICKED WRITERS - see Carnival of Wicked Writers

WILL MCCOY - http://www.willmccoy.org/author-tools. The proprietor called this to my attention. It includes close to 500 links to indy presses, small presses, mid presses, writing schools and conferences, and more in an organized format. So if you want to go beyond electronic publishers, this will help take you there.

WINNING EDGE - http://win-edge.com/SelfPublish.shtml. "Books on self-publishing. Supposedly well-recommended. I can't find a copy in my local library." MW  October 2003 update: It's an ad for How to Self-Publish & Market a Winning How-To Booklet, with testimonials by readers. Probably a good place to start, if you're interested.

WISE BEAR - www.wisebearbooks.com/. I received a flier. This looks very similar to the Hasmark Services listed above. Become an award winning author. Enter now and save up to 25%. That means it's a paid service.

WISE STARTUP BLOG - http://wisestartupblog.com. They have put a 6 part tutorial that teaches anyone how to launch a blog, write their first blog posts, promote their site, and also monetize and make money from their blog. This survey is for electronic publishing and related services, but there are those who say that a good blog is a good way to promote your book, so I list it. See also my general BLOG entry, above.

WORD-LINK LTD - http://www.myersfiction.com/wordlink.php. December 2007 update: site not found.

WORDS R U — www.wordsru.com/. This is a proofreading and editing service. They are canny about costs; you have to fill out a form to get a detail quote. Such services are normally not cheap, however. December 2009 update: Server Not Found. February 2011 update (inadvertently omitted by Web underling until April 2011, sorry!): I heard from them. They don't mean to be canny; their pricing is variable, depending on the edit level required by a document, which a Chief Editor reviews prior to quoting. Their site is up 99.9% of the time; I must have hit a fluke spot last time. November 2013 update: Indeed, they are there in good order.

WORKBOOK PRESS — I received a flier from Calvin Richards, a Senior Marketing Executive, informing me that they are one of the leading marketing firms and have been in the industry for 35 years of combined expertise. They offer customize cover design and customized interior design. They don't say how much it will cost.

WORK WITH LANGUAGES — www.workwithlanguagesblogspot.com/. “Fast and effective translation of texts Spanish-English-French for Resumes, Handbooks, Documents, Bibliographies, Biographies, Captions, Publications, etc." December 2011 update: Could not get them. December 2014 update: Still not there. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

WRITE HERE IN FRANCE- http://www.writehereinfrance.co.uk/. They offer a six day creative writing course in scenic rural France. The course is in May, June, and September, costing £455 if you share a room, or £510 if you occupy a single room. I presume it is in English, though it doesn't say. December 2007 update: they now have courses in France and Italy. It now costs 680 pounds. December 2008 update: Now it costs 900 Euros. December 2009 update: Now they say they are holding their prices at 2007 levels. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

WRITE ON BY KINDLE- http://writeon.amazon.com/. “A place where you can read brand new stories in your favorite genres, free." October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

THE WRITER'S BLOCK OF DREAMS - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Writers_Block_Of_Dreams/. This is a forum for creativity.

WRITERS CAFE - www.writerscafe.org/. I received an email saying that here you can share your writing, get reviews, enter contests, join writing groups, and befriend other writers. I haven't actually visited the site. December 2008 update: This time I visited it, and its is functional, but you need to register to participate. December 2012 update: Still there in good order.

THE WRITERS COLLECTIVE - http://www.writerscollective.org. The proprietor, Lisa Grant, was offered a contract for one of her novels by a traditional publisher, realized it lacked somewhat, and did a year-long search for a better way to publish a good book. The result is this site, a virtual room filled with everything a writer needs to professionally self publish, electronically, print on demand, whatever. They take none of your income from the book, but do charge $50 for the setup fee for the printer and $175 for publication.  October 2003 update: This time I couldn't verify the charges, but the site remains active. December 2004 update: It seems to cost $275 for a year's membership, and $125 a year thereafter. October 2005 update: Site is currently being renovated. December 2006 update: it is up and running now. I checked the FAQ section and found an interesting discussion arguing the thesis that ALL publishing is subsidy when you think about it. That is, somebody pays for it, and somebody makes a profit, not necessarily the author. December 2012 update: It is still there, with feisty comments.

WRITERS' CORNER - http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/. Alicia Rasley has a free newsletter of writing advice, and offers online classes in writing as well as individual coaching and editing. $40 for a two week class, $80 for a four week class. December 2008 update: I looked at the Top Ten Writing Problems. #1 is a passive or undermotivated protagonist. #9 is Boring Beginnings. It's good discussion. December 2009 update: Good material continues. December 2014 update: Connection Reset.

WRITERS DISPLAY -  December 2004 update: gone.

WRITERS LITERARY AGENCY AND COMPANY - www.writersagency.com

WRITER'S LITERARY AGENCY & MARKETING COMPANY - www.wlwritersagency.com. "We specialize in previously unpublished authors." Or published authors who lose their publishers. Now it is best to be wary of advertising agents or the equivalent, or those who seek inexperienced writers, but these folk talk the talk, don't charge reading fees, do take a 10% commission on what they sell for you. That's good, considering the standard commission is now 15%. If they are for real, they could be very good for new authors. I hope to get some feedback from authors who use them. June 2008 update: and an author report: they can require round after round of edits, each costing hundreds of dollars. So maybe an edit isn't a reading fee. Still, there's a smell. They may also refer authors to POD publishers without asking, who can then solicit the authors. February 2009 update: another author report indicating that they told him that his finished piece needed polishing, at a charge of $70-$90 for a critique. This looks like a reading fee by another name, and is a signal of illegitimacy. Beware. April 2009 update: Another negative report: the critique costs $90, but may recommend further editing for hundreds more. Then they may say there's a publisher interested: Eloquent Books, a self publisher with whom they evidently have a tie-in, or traditional Strategic Book Publishing, which seems like another masked self publisher. There may be authors who can use these services, but it would be better to check out straightforward self publishers first. December 2012 update: plugins required.

WRITERS NET - rhondamcbride9@ael.com. July 2012 update: It appears to be dead.

WRITERS PUB — www.writerspub.com/. This is a free web site designed for all types of writers — novelists, screen, story, technical, whatever, who can publicly show their work, and critique the work of others. A given writer can set up an account, create an avatar, and start uploading his work.

WRITERS OUT - “The first ever free professional networking and sharing community for writers and readers of all kinds." Now you can share your books, blogs, poetry, and other writings. August 2011 update: “Writers Out was created to put the author in the driving seat, giving them the opportunity to build a solid fan base through the power of social media." December 2014 update: Timed out.

WRITER'S RELIEF - http://www.wrelief.com. December 2014 update: Not Found.

WRITERS REVOLUTION - www.writersrevolution.com. This appears to be a service that leads into IMPRINT BOOKS. October 2003 update: gone.

WRITERS VISION - http://writersvision.com/Quills/index.php.   December 2004 update: gone.

WRITER2WRITER -   "How much money did you make from your writing this week? Cheryl Wright is a working writer earning regular income from her writing. She is the owner of this website and wants to help you to make money from your writing too!" Tips on writing, marketing, submitting--anything that will help you make money from your writing. It lists books on writing you can buy, has a subscription newsletter, and workshops for writers at all levels. In short, this is paid advice, surely a good source if that is what you seek. December 2014 update: But I don't see any material since 2012.

WRITERS WEEKLY - www.writersmarkets.com/. This offers advice from "Angela", who I understand is Angela Hoy of BOOK LOCKER, set up to help writers who are wronged by publishers.   October 2003 update: This now offers general writing and marketing advice. December 2004 update: this seems now to be at www.writersweekly.com. When I checked for complaints against Xlibris it gave me complaints against PUBLISH AMERICA. Hm. April 2008 update: She has a long discussion of Amazon's power play in disabling the "buy" button of any POD books that are not printed by their subsidiary BookSurge. You must read this. June 2009 update: read the he said, she said discussions in my June 2009 column and her May 27, 2009 entry on me. Pretty good blowout here. December 2009 update: This time when I clicked the link the first entry was titled "Piers Anthony's Anonymous Source is a Liar By Angela Hoy." Need I say more? December 2010 update: That's still the lead entry. December 2011 update: The site appears not to have been updated since May 2009 with the diatribe against me. She is very free about calling others liars... November 2013 update: ditto.

WRITER WRITER - www.writerwriter.com. December 2006 update: the domain may be for sale by owner, so it seems this outfit has folded.

WRITING - www.writing.com. This was founded in 2000, with their anniversary coming up in September. They provide a welcoming online community and social network for writers. There is an online portfolio, reviewing, contests, forums and more. They offer “forever free" memberships with basic features, and paid memberships with varying levels of pricing and service to support the site.

WRITING ACADEMY - www.writingacademy.com/. This provides online workshops and writers' retreats in California, for a price. My impression is that if you are serious about writing, and can afford it, this could be good. Even if you don't make it into print, it could be a rewarding experience. December 2004 update: Their regular fee for the Ten Day Course is $149, but for a limited time, $99. October 2005 update: Now their 6 week course is $119. November 2013 update: The site still seems to be there, but I gave up waiting for it to load.

WRITING-AND-COMMUNICATIONS - www.opencolleges.edu.au/writing-and-communication/. Before you write, it helps to know how. Australia's Open Colleges provides online courses in professional writing, editing, proofreading, and scriptwriting in a number of genres such as romance, science fiction, fantasy, horror and short stories. You can download a free course guide. For journalism, go to www.acj.edu.au.

WRITING SOLUTIONS - www.writingtechniques.com. UPDATE: Gone.

WRITING WORKSHOPS - www.creativityexploration.com/writing. They have assorted writing workshops in Florence and Barcelona for $1,750-1,850. They look like high power deals, working on developing character, telling your story with emotional depth, and using "dreamstorming" and memory work to discover voice and story. "Writing, whether it be fiction or memoir, is a way of expanding consciousness and re-seeing our most private selves."  December 2007 update: gone.

WRITING-WORLD - www.writing-world.com. This is the reincarnation of Inkspot, which got bought out by Xlibris, then shut down when the dot.com crash forced Xlibris to retrench. It is run by the same folk, and has a huge array of things of interest to writers: 340 articles on aspects of writing--fiction, nonfiction, freelancing, greeting cards, international, etc., and over 500 links to other resources, market information, 50 contests, and more. It has 400 pages of information, and a free biweekly newsletter. Go there and see what interests you. October 2003 update: I sampled one of their articles: why publishers use form rejection letters, an irritation to many writers. It made absolute sense. Assuming this is typical, I highly recommend this site. (Oh, why do they? Because some writers like to argue rather than learn, and this wastes time and patience.) December 2006 update: still chock full of features, really worthwhile.  December 2009 update: Still going strong. December 2012 update: Ditto. December 2014 update: Every month there are more items.

XEROXASPIRING AUTHORS CONTEST - www.xeroxaspiringauthors.com.  October 2005 update: This now appears to be a straight Xerox site.

X ZONE - www.xzone-radio.com. They say they are always looking for interesting guests to entertain their international radio audience, including authors, which is why I'm listing it here. It could be good publicity for your book. They cover all aspects of the paranormal, including UFOs, alien visitations, ghosts/hauntings, urban legends, new age spirituality, alternative science and religion, ancient and unsolved mysteries, lake monsters, Bigfoot, witchcraft, mythology, angels, folklore, government conspiracies, and quantum physics. As a nonbeliever in ghosts and flying saucers, I find this comprehensive. This may not be widely known, but Florida has a variant of Bigfoot, called The Skunk Ape; it hangs out near where I live, though I haven't met it personally. December 2007 update: the site took so long to load that I gave up. December 2009 update: this time it loaded, and still seems packed with information. December 2012 update: plugins required.

YOU WRITE ON - www.youwriteon.com/. This is a British non-profit peer-review service for writers. They say you can publish with them for 42.99 pounds, but an author who tried to sign up for their initial free offer was ignored for months. So I'm listing this as a service rather than a publisher, for now. December 2009 update: Now you can publish with them for 39.99 pounds. November 2013 update: Testimonials galore, but not much else on the main page.

ZEAL - www.zeal.com. December 2006 update: Zeal has shut down, and recommends that you go to www.Furl.net/ for online service.  February 2010 update: and Furl.net seems not related to publishing. October 2018 update: Defunct links disabled.

ZIZZOO - www.zizzoo.com.   They publish digital learning packages, including one on how to sell ebooks, so it is marginally relevant to this listing.

ZONE OF PLENTY- http://pub8.ezboard.com/bzoneofplenty. Proprietor Kimberly "Kymmee" Parsons called my attention to this site, which has comments on books and authors. Yes, my books are included. It was gone for a while, but now is back; it turned out to be a temporary interruption as they changed servers. October 2005 update: I was not able to get in. December 2006 update: It is active again, with a huge array of discussion forums. February 2010 update: site disabled. December 2012 update: Now it goes to Yuku. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.

ZYONAIR- www.zyonair.com/. Founded in 2003 by Yvonne Pierre, who looks cute in green. This is a listing to promote your book. $450 for six months, plus $50 per additional title. Three full pages of your bio, book synopsis, press releases, and book reviews. Yvonne promises to introduce you and your work to the people who GET YOU SEEN: over 1,000 professionals in the media, book clubs, event planners, and more, nationwide. April 2005 update: But now the site doesn't seem to lead anywhere. Except for a link to Have Ya Heard magazine, which relates to Down Syndrome. December 2006 update: Now it seems to be a consulting and marketing service for small businesses, self published authors, independent film makers, etc.  February 2010 update: page under construction. December 2010 update: It seems to be functioning again, in a limited way. December 2011 update: Additional plugins required. December 2014 update: Big message: SORRY! That smells like mischief. October 2018 update: Defunct link disabled.