• Preparing • Writing
• Polishing • Publishing
• Marketing
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Preparing
Demographics, Community: http://www.esribis.com/ (On the left, click on "Profile neighborhoods with Community Tapestry to learn about your market" and then enter a zip code. You'll get a text description of the neighborhood as well as basic demographic statistics and comparisons to national averages.)
Economic Census: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census.html
Library of Congress: http://loc.gov
What Editors Do: Your Editorial Services GPS (PDF table): http://goodwaystowrite.com/for-authors-and-or-editors/table-showing-what-editors-do
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Writing
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Dictionary.com (dictionary/thesaurus/encyclopedia): http://dictionary.reference.com
The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasure of Terms & Literary Quotations, by David Grambs and Ellen S. Levine (expanded 2nd ed., paperback, 2014). Described by Tina Jordan as a "reference book of purely descriptive terms... like a thesaurus, only better, and packed with real literary examples." https://www.amazon.com/Describers-Dictionary-Treasury-Literary-Quotations/dp/0393346161/
Wikipedia (consumer-maintained encyclopedia): www.wikipedia.com
Grammar Help
Capital Community College: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
The Definitive Guide to Grammar: a collection of 23 resources to help improve your grammar. It includes articles, self-help tests, videos, and other teaching materials. https://wordrater.com/grammar-guide
Rutgers: http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing
The Ultimate Grammar Resource Guide: http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/ultimate-grammar-resource-guide.php
General Writing Tips
From All My Best: Click here for overview and details
From Word Tripper Tips: Subscribe to Word Tripper of the Week for word choice guidance
From Open Colleges: http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/careers/blog/5-handy-tips-to-improve-your-writing-skills
Inspirational Quotes, 140,000: http://www.en.thinkexist.com
Style Manuals
AP—The Associated Press Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/
APA—Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: http://www.apastyle.org
CMOS—The Chicago Manual of Style: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/
Disability Language Style Guide: https://ncdj.org/style-guide/
Gregg—The Gregg Reference Manual (online): http://www.mhhe.com/business/buscom/gregg/
MLA—Modern Language Association: http://www.mla.org/MLA-Style/The-MLA-Style-Manual
Terminology
Abbreviations and What They Mean: http://www.abbreviations.com
Compound-Word List by Steve Wilbers (when to join as one word, hyphenate, or leave separate): http://www.wilbers.com/part24.htm
NiftyWord (casting the net for just the right word beyond synonyms and antonyms): https://niftyword.com
Transcription and Word Processing
Compudex Fail Safe Transcription by Bernadette Coley will convert your neat, handwritten book-manuscript copy or audio file into a downloadable MS Word document. Also available are fact-checking services for books, magazines, television movies, films, or plays to assure accuracy in such matters as names, dates, places, and statistics. https://compudex.co/
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Polishing
What Editors Do: Your Editorial Services GPS (PDF table): http://goodwaystowrite.com/for-authors-and-or-editors/table-showing-what-editors-do
Parts of a Book (front matter, body, and back matter): https://www.thoughtco.com/basic-design-of-a-book-1077295
"Common Formatting Issues in Microsoft Word: Four Easy Tips for Authors" (guest blog post, June 2017) by Lynette M. Smith: http://blog.polishedpublishinggroup.com/2017/06/common-formatting-issues-in-microsoft-word-four-easy-tips-for-authors/
Cover Design for Your Book—Tips and Resources: https://www.logodesign.net/book-design-resources
Proofreader Marks, Standard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_proofreader%27s_marks
Copyediting and Proofreading Advice for Authors: Video podcast interview with Lynette M. Smith of All My Best on Biblio Files with host Bonnie Dillabough: Part 1: Manuscript Document Formatting and Copyediting. Part 2: PDF Layout Check and Proofreading.
"How to Format a Manuscript" for a literary agent or acquisition editor, by Holly Lorincz, Editor, Lorincz Literary Services: http://literaryconsulting.com/formatting-a-manuscript-for-queries/
80 Common Layout Errors to Flag When Proofreading Book Interiors (handbook) by Lynette M. Smith. Judge's commentary from the Writer's Digest Book Awards: "... a solid guide for authors who want to make sure their work is as polished as possible. This is a user-friendly checklist, grouped by topic for a systematic approach." http://goodwaystowrite.com/for-authors-and-or-editors/layout-proofreading-handbook
Thesis/Dissertation Formatting & Editing Professionals (Association for Support of Graduate Students): http://asgs.org/dissertation-consultant-directory/
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Publishing
How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider's Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published, 5th Edition, by Jody Rein with Michael Larsen (Writer's Digest Books, Sept. 2017), ISBN 978-1440348174. "The insider's step-by-step guide to proposals that get you published." https://www.amazon.com/Write-Book-Proposal-Step-Step/dp/1440348170/
U.S. Postal Service Shipping Rates: http://www.usps.com
Writers Boon (free publishing and marketing roadmap featuring publishing experts, DIY tools, and how-to guides in over 250 topics): https://writersboon.com
Writer's Market: http://www.writersmarket.com
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Marketing
The Best Website Builders is an in-depth review by John Stevens of the 10 most popular website builders as of April 2019; provides a way to know which of these beginner-friendly platforms best meets an author's website needs and budget. https://hostingfacts.com/website-builders/
MakeAWebsiteHub.com is a great resource to help book authors with every step of building and maintaining their website. In addition to website- and blog-building guides, the site also has reviews for all of the popular website-building software and web hosts, so authors can make the best choices for their needs and budget. https://makeawebsitehub.com
Book marketing tips and book promotion ideas from expert John Kremer. http://bookmarket.com/
How to Make Real Money Selling Books: A Complete Guide to the Book Publishers' World of Special Sales, by Brian Jud. 384 pages, ISBN 978-075002137. Proven strategy for selling books to non-bookstore outlets such as discount stores, airport shops, gift stores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs. https://www.amazon.com/Make-Real-Money-Selling-Books/dp/0757002137
Writers Boon (free publishing and marketing roadmap featuring publishing experts, DIY tools, and how-to guides in over 250 topics): https://writersboon.com
Writer's Market: http://www.writersmarket.com
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