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Publishing Archives.
Writing and Publishing, Part 9:
Creating the content:
Other Resources for Writers:
On the Wesoomi ‘Links to the Web' page you will find one
set of links called "William's Favorites." These are
the links which I use on a regular basis in my writing and publishing
activities. Some may be of no interest to writers, but many are
excellent resources. At this point, I'll simply tell you what
they are. It is up to you to decide if you want to use them, or
not.
Internet Service Providers and Web Hosting Firms (http://www.thedirectory.org/):
If you want to find a new internet service provider, this is the
place to go. You can find the ones which service your area with
toll free local access numbers.
American Civil Liberties Union (http://www.aclu.org/):
This is simply the place to learn about your civil liberties and
the ongoing struggle of these people to preserve them. If you
are planing to write about our rights, this is a resource you
don't want to ignore.
Small Publishers Association of North America (http://www.spannet.org/):
SPAN is an organization you will surely want to join. Of all the
organizations and publications I have checked out, this is the
only one I have found which justified the subscription price.
In every issue of their newsletter, they offer really useful information.
Although they call themselves the Small Publishers Association,
they also welcome and encourage writers. I will have more to say
about these folks in a later essay.
The Author's Den, where authors and readers can get together
(http://www.authorsden.com/):
This is a place where you can advertise your work and communicate
with readers and other writers. One word of caution. Security
on this site is nonexistent. These folks let me establish an identity
on their site with a password. Then, a few days later, they sent
me an unencrypted E-mail message with my identity and password
right out there for every hacker in the world to see. The worst
part of that was, it caused me the chore of checking everyplace
on the net where I have used a password. To protect myself, I
had to change similar passwords in several places. Lesson; there
is no reason to not take advantage of this site, but don't expect
it to be secure.
Midwest Book Review (http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/):
Here is a veritable treasure trove of resources for writers, publishers
and readers. The editor-in-chief, James A Cox, is the most even
handed book review resource we have, in the publishing world.
I'll write more about Mr. Cox when we get into marketing.
R. R. Bowker (http://www.bowker.com/):
Bowker is the agency which maintains the International Standard
Book Number (ISBN) system and assignments. They also publish a
yearly volume called "Books In Print" along with several
other publications. They maintain the database of books in print.
This is mostly a resource for publishers.
Mindspring (http://www.mindspring.com/):
Mindspring's homepage is one site which can also be used as an
internet portal. This is the company which provides the server
space to host my website. They are also my internet service provider
(ISP). If you want a full service host and ISP, this is one such
provider.
Quill Office Supplies (http://www.quillcorp.com/):
This is just what it sounds like. An office supply store. You
can do it online, but they also have a catalog. They are very
competitive.
Printer's Supplies (http://www.printnation.com/):
Although these folks serve the printing industry, they also have
some supplies for publishers at very competitive prices.
US Government Consumer Information Center (http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/):
This is the governments official consumer information center.
It's a place to learn about products, recalls, and frauds, among
other things.
Writers News (http://www.writenews.com/):
This is an online news magazine for writers and publishers. the
best way to learn about it is to visit the site.
Find People Places Things (http://www.whowhere.com/Mspring/index.html):
This is a page in the Mindspring site which sometimes works to
help you locate people and places. My success rate is about 50%.
Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/):
If you want to file a complaint against a company or product,
or if you want to find out about a company or product, this is
one place to start.
Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/):
This is one place to start when you want to find out what Congress
is up to.
US Post Office ZIP Code Locator (http://www.usps.gov/ncsc/):
If you have an address, but no zip code, you can find it here.
This site is maintained by the United States Postal Service.
United States Patent Office (http://www.uspto.gov/):
Here is where you can register your copyright or your trademark.
You can also learn how to patent your next great invention. These
people are very helpful. They are not at all the arrogant bumbling
bureaucrats we sometimes expect to find in government.
Fidelity Investments (http://www.fidelity.com/):
Once your book sells and you have too much money, here is one
place to find out about investing. There are, to be sure, many
other investment firms. The reason I use Fidelity is because Ford
Motor Company trusted them to handle the huge Ford employee Savings
and Stock Investment Program. It's a plan in which I participated
and which has made it possible for me to be an independent publisher,
serving no master except my own judgment.
Internet Monitor (http://www.internet-monitor.com/):
This is a helpful site for publishers of educational, reference,
and trade books.
Self Publishing Magazine (http://www.self-publishing.com/):
This site can provide useful information to people who want to
self publish.
Thompson Shore Inc (http://www.tshore.com/):
This is a first class, Michigan Based book manufacturing company.
There are many other book manufacturing companies about. Michigan
has eight that I know of. Not all book manufacturers are created
equal.
Online Book Reviews (http://www.bookviews.com/):
This is the site of Alan Caruba. This gentleman is an experienced
book reviewer. Mr. Caruba is another reviewer who tends to favor
small publishers. This is a rare attribute in book reviewers.
Next week, I will discuss writing in anger.
Back to Writing and Publishing
Archives.
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