Yes, I have reached the point where I manipulate you with puppy pictures
The writer’s life can be an isolated one, where you, sequestered near your gnat-swarming compost heap, concentrate on your compositions, in between bouts of bitterly denouncing 14-year-olds who get publishing contracts for writing YA novels about zombie-vampire aliens who look like rutabagas (albeit sexy ones).
Wait, you mean I’m the only writer forced to scribe next to the compost bin? No matter. What I’m actually getting at is that in these cyberspheric times, writers don’t have to be the lonely Kafkaesque wretches that they were in the past. They can be connected wretches, which is so much more sociable.
In that light, I’ve listed below some of the sites and personas from which I get good writerly info, or where I can pull up an electronic chair and sit a spell (to be spellbound), or where I know the site’s owner always provides food for thought. Any thought leftovers I just put in that nearby compost bin.
This list is by no means exhaustive, because that would be exhausting. Nah, it’s just me picking among the URL wildflower patches. Please list any good bouquets of your own if you’re of a mind to.
Blogging, Copywriting, Writing and General Good Info
Copyblogger
Men with Pens
All Freelance Writing
Freelance Folder
Write to Done
Idea Sparking and Entrepreneurship
Seth Godin
Jonathan FieldsArt of Non-Conformity
The Fluent Self
Chris Brogan
Publishing and Such
There Are No Rules
Guide to Literary Agents
Query Shark
The Rejectionist
My Pals (Who Have Gotta Lotta Soul Savvy)
Below are some personable folks who are all smart cookies, and I’m happy to be their friend; many of these are their business sites, where they can help you with copywriting, marketing, presentations, graphic design, world-changing, and of course, dentistry. Some of them I’ve only exchanged electrons with (wearing protection, of course), but I have intuited from the lovely letter choices they make in their writing that they are good folks.
Jodi Kaplan
Megan Morris
Becky Blanton
Rick Wilson
Joel and Sue Canfield
Michael Knowles
Jule Kucera
Chris Landry
Ricki Schultz
Rich Luhr
Annie Dennison
Mary Louise Penaz
Marcos Gaser (Brush up on your Spanish)
Bob Poole
Jai Joshi
Pace & Kyeli
Bernd Nurnberger
Sue Greenberg
If I forgot you, it’s not because I don’t love you any more. It’s the pain pills (plus the cocktails) from the hip surgery. Remind me and I’ll add you. For $100. And a new compost bin.
And I would put my mother on here too, but she just won’t start her damn blog. Sheesh!
I’m finally famous.
Deservedly so, Joel. For your pancake recipes alone.
Gosh, Tom, thanks for the nod! Honored to be mentioned in the same Oort-like cloud of electrons as these other fine folks, many of who(m?) I know and think so highly of.
And yes, being a connected wretch is far better than being a disconnected wretch.
And floss. (The verb, not the noun.)
Most gracious (and fiendish) of you to include me on this esteemed list, Tom, considering that I hung out my virtual shingle not that long ago.
Now, with such publicity, I’ll have to get my ass in gear, hmm?
To the URL wildflower patch I’d add Lisa Barone’s kick-in-the-pants blogging/entrepreneurial writing at Outspoken Media, and Jeff Sexton’s semi-random thoughts about copywriting.
Rick, it’s good to always insert that toothy admonition into your posts—rather a hieratic gesture, among you priests of the teeth.
Connected wretches, unite!
Anniesimo, I’m not familiar with those familiars of yours. Thanks, I’ll check ’em out.
Oh… my bad, Tom! I didn’t check the link, and so didn’t realize that it was for Tourist of the Imagination.
Hey, you’re not so fiendish after all.
(But I still need to get my ass in gear on the other site.)
Annie, I’m convinced asses will be geared, with verve, brio and all those other fizzy elements. The world, of course, will be watching.
Fame! At last! Thank you kindly for the kudos. 🙂
Yes, Jodi, I suspect that the deluge of souls seeking your marketing expertise from my posting of your link will probably straighten that hair of yours. Be forewarned.