So you’re thinking about writing a book! Excellent. No matter where you are in your project—just getting started, developing drafts, looking for editors, or promoting your work—we’ve got resources to add to your perspective.

Learn about the publishing process:

• You Should Write a Book by Katel LeDu and Lisa Maria Marquis: Oh, hey! If you’re looking for a guide to the writing and publishing process from two insiders, this is it. And if you’re thinking about pitching your book idea to A Book Apart, it’s essential reading!
• The Developer’s Guide to Book Publishing by Stephanie Morillo: Insights into the tech publishing landscape and thoughtful guidance for developers (and others!) aspiring to publish their writing.
• The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book by Dan Poynter: Though the methodologies have changed since its debut in 1979, this manual provides no-nonsense advice for how to self-publish in any genre.
• So You Want to Publish a Book? by Anne Trubek: A crisp view of the publishing industry and how to navigate it as a first-time author, from query letter to launch.
• Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum: A comprehensive reference to the nuts and bolts of getting your first book published, with input from more than 150 contributors.

Write and edit with care:

• “Writing is Thinking” by Sally Kerrigan: From a longtime A Book Apart editor, this is one of our favorite articles about how to write.
• Conscious Style Guide: Founder Karen Yin helps writers and editors think critically about using language—including words, portrayals, framing, and representation—to empower instead of limit.
• Chicago Manual of Style: The standard American English writing style guide, used by many organizations (including A Book Apart) as the basis of their house style.
• Radical Copyeditor: Spiritual activist, educator, organizer, and radical copyeditor Alex Kapitan offers copyediting guidance to reinforce access, inclusion, and liberation.
• The Trans Language Primer: An intersectional and community-supported guide to using language inclusive of gender, attraction, and acceptance.
• The University of British Columbia’s “Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines”: Terminology, acknowledgment, and recognition guidelines for writing about indigenous peoples (PDF).
• “General Principles for Reducing Bias”: The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for writing about all people and their personal characteristics without bias.
• Language, Please: A free, living resource for journalists and storytellers seeking to thoughtfully cover evolving social, cultural, and identity-related topics.

Tap into community:

• The Editors of Color Database: From the Conscious Style Guide, this searchable database is the ultimate resource for finding a freelance editor.
• The SLAPcollective: Writing, photography, and other art-inspired workshops for creatives of all skills and backgrounds.
• “Designer to Writer” workshop from Kat Vellos: The perfect workshop for making your nonfiction book dreams a reality.
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: a guided twelve-week course for discovering and recovering creativity.
• The #Amwriting community: A hashtag used on Twitter and most other social platforms to connect to and learn from other writers, “discussing research, conferences, word counts, submissions, and publishing options…Lurking is not only allowed, but encouraged”.
• Newsletters on authoring:
• I Have Notes by Nicole Chung: A newsletter discussing the craft of writing and advice on creative work (subscription required).
• Behind the Book by Ijeoma Oluo: A newsletter shedding light on the trials and tribulations of writing a book.
• One More Question by Britany Robinson: A newsletter for freelance writers where she answers emails and offers pitch reviews to subscribers.

Understand marketing:

• The A Book Apart Marketing 30-Day Launch Countdown: Developed by marketing consultant Leslie Zaikis, this checklist of marketing tasks will keep you on track in the lead-up to your launch day
• “How to Get Your Book into Public Libraries and Why it Matters,” from the Author Learning Center: A brief guide for ensuring your book is available through public libraries—especially handy for self-publishers.
• Sidebar Saturday: A blog “where the practice of law meets the profession of writing,” to help you better understand publishing law.