To Create and Connect II: Links for Writers
(This revised resource list for writers first appeared 6–24–24 on my Substack.)
During a fellowship years ago, I was asked to develop a literary/publishing resource list for writers. I enjoyed discovering new links and updated the list annually, sharing the most recent version here on Medium in July 2018. Now it’s summer 2024, and there are dozens of new resources available, including writers’ Zoom gatherings, an explosion of podcast content, Substacks, and much more. So here for your reading/researching pleasure is To Create and Connect II! Below you’ll find links to:
1. Publishing venues
2. Mags, sites, and newsletters about writing
3. Book review and writer interview publications
4. Craft books
5. Podcasts
6. Reading series, talks, video libraries
7. Communities (centers / conferences / orgs / groups / residencies)
8. Prize-winning literature and anthologies
9. Literary agent info
1. A few helpful sites to get your work published in literary magazines and more:
Chill Subs (Full-service option is $5/mo)
Duotrope (Full-service option is $5/mo)
Erika Dreifus — Where to Publish Your Work
Erika Krouse’s 500-ish Lit Mags for Short Fiction (Also: submission strategies and a shorter CNF list)
Erika Verrillo’s Calls for Submissions Newsletter
Every Writer’s Resource — The Big List
Garstang 2024 Rankings by Clifford Garstang (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, updated annually)
New Pages (Lit Mag Database, Calls for Submissions)
Poetry Society of America Resources
Poets & Writers Literary Magazines Database (Can filter by genre, as well as BIPOC and LGBTQ+voices)
Submittable (Sign up, then view calls for submissions in Discover)
2. Some magazines, websites, and newsletters on writing and being a writer:
The 7AM Novelist by Michelle Hoover
Attention Economy by Leigh Stein
The Audacity by Roxane Gay
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum
Book Publishing Brick by Brick by Jeffrey Yamaguchi
Counter Craft by Lincoln Michel
Gotham Writers Writer’s Toolbox
Kirkus Reviews Writers’ Center Writing Resources
Literary Hub (includes: Craft and Advice)
Lit Mag News by Becky Tuch
Memoir Land by Sari Botton
No Failure, Only Practice by Matt Bell
Poets & Writers Magazine (includes: P&W Craft Capsules)
The Practicing Writer 2.0 by Erika Dreifus
The Querent by Alexander Chee
Story Club by George Saunders
Sub Club by Chill Subs team
SubMak by Rebecca Makkai
Sweater Weather by Brandon Taylor
Find more Substacks: Substack Leaderboard + Reletter
3. Mags/sites with book reviews and writer interviews (a very small sampling):
Indie Next List + ABA’s Bookselling This Week
The New Yorker — Book Reviews, This Week in Fiction
The New York Times Book Review
Poets & Writers Book Review Outlets Database
TikTok #BookTok (get the app to drill deeper and find creators/books to your taste)
Also see: Lit Hub’s book review aggregator Book Marks, a list of the Top 50 Book Blogs by Detailed, and BookTok 101 with Leigh Stein on Sarah’s Bookshelves
4. Notable books on the craft of writing:
Published 2018–24:
1000 Words by Jami Attenberg (2024)
The Anti-Racist Writers Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez (2021)
The Art of Revision by Peter Ho Davies (2021)
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum (2020)
Betwixt and Between by Jenny Boully (2018)
Body Work by Melissa Fesbos (2022)
Craft and Conscience by Kavita Das (2022)
Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses (2021)
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee (2018)
How We Do It by Jericho Brown and Darlene Taylor (2023)
Meander, Spiral, Explode by Jane Alison (2019)
A Stranger’s Journey by David Mura (2018)
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (2021)
Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond (2024)
Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto by Sonya Huber (2022)
Published before 2018 (a very small sampling):
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver (1994)
Always Apprentices, edited by Vendela Vida, Sheila Heti, Ross Simonini (2013)
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr (2016)
The Art of the Novel by Milan Kundera (1986)
The Art of… series by Graywolf Press (2007+)
The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers, edited by Vendela Vida (2005)
Bringing the Devil to His Knees, edited by Charles Baxter and Peter Turchi (2001)
Burning Down the House by Charles Baxter (2008)
The Coin of the Realm by Carl Phillips (2004)
The Cracks Between What We Are and What We Are Supposed to Be by Harryette Mullen (2012)
Crafting the Personal Essay by Dinty W. Moore (2010)
Create Dangerously by Edwidge Danticat (2011)
The Hidden Machinery by Margot Livesey (2017)
How Dare We! Write by Sherry Quan Lee (2017)
How to Be A Travel Writer by Don George (2017)
The Kite and the String by Alice Mattison (2017)
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (1929)
Naming the World, edited by Bret Anthony Johnston (2008)
Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison (1993)
Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose (2007)
The Sounds of Poetry by Robert Pinsky (1999)
Writers Notebook I: Craft Essays from Tin House (2009)
Writers Notebook II: Craft Essays from Tin House (2012)
Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach (2008)
Craft book recommendation roundups: Best Books for Writers database by Poets & Writers, Books on Craft by Kiana Shaley via Sims Library of Poetry, BIPOC Writers on the Craft of Writing (Listopia) by Tameca L Coleman (Meca’Ayo) on Goodreads, Narrative Magazine’s Books on Writing List
5. Writerly podcasts:
The 7am Novelist with Michelle Hoover
AAWW Radio (archived, 2017–21)
A Phone Call from Paul with Paul Holdengräber (archived, 2015–20)
The Artist’s Statement with Davin Malasarn
Between the Covers with David Naimon
The Black Writer’s Studio with Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman
Cabana Chats Podcast with Catherine LaSota (archived, 2021–23)
The Common Magazine with Emily Everett
First Edition with Jeff O’Neal (plus 13 other Book Riot podcasts, some archived)
Granta Podcast with Josie Mitchell
LARB Radio Hour with Eric Newman, Medaya Ocher, + Kate World
Letter to a Stranger (archived, 2016–19)
Literary Arts — The Archive Project
Literary Friction with Octavia Bright + Carrie Plitt (archived, 2013–23)
LitFriends with Annie Liontas + Lito Velázquez
LitHub Radio (19 podcasts and counting, including fiction/non/fiction, First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing with Mitzi Rapkin, + The Lives of Writers)
The Maris Review with Maris Kreizman (archived, 2018–23)
Minorities in Publishing Podcast with Jennifer Baker
The New Yorker: Fiction Podcast, Poetry Podcast, The Writer’s Voice
Otherppl with Brad Listi
The Shakespeare & Company Interview Podcast with Adam Biles
Short Story Today with Jon DiSavino
The Slowdown with Major Jackson (previous hosts: Ada Limón + Tracy K. Smith)
Ursa Short Fiction with Deesha Philyaw + Dawnie Walton
VS Podcast with Ajanaé Dawkins and Brittany Rogers
Writer Mother Monster with Lara Ehrlich
Writers & Company CBC Podcast with Eleanor Wachtel
Podcast roundup lists from: Electric Literature/Laura Schmitt, Penguin/Matt Blake, Podcast Review/Alice Florence Orr (writing + books), The Write Life/Brianna Bell
6. Live reading series, talks, and videos:
American Library in Paris video gallery
A Mighty Blaze FB + on YouTube
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference — Readings + Lectures (audio + video selections from 1997–2020, plus a large digital archive from 1973–2011)
Center for Fiction (events, browse videos, YouTube)
Literary Death Match live with Adrian Todd Zuniga in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Scotland, Sweden… (see intro Sizzle Reel)
The Moth (live in the US, UK, Australia, + Global Community Program)
Poets & Writers — Literary Events Calendar (enter your city in search bar)
UIowa International Writing Program Media Archive
Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers Residency Craft Lectures (selected video replays $5 each)
7. Writing communities:
CENTERS
A small sampling of centers offering classes and community (U.S.-based, in-person and online)
Center for Fiction — Brooklyn + online
Community of Writers — Olympic Valley, CA + online
Book Passage — San Francisco + online
Fine Arts Work Center — Provincetown, MA + 24 Pearl Street online
GrubStreet Writers — Boston + online
Kenyon Review Summer Online + Winter Online (for summer in-person workshops in Gambier, OH, see: Conferences + Workshops)
Lighthouse Writers — Denver + online
Literary Arts — Portland, OR + online
The Loft — Minneapolis + online
Madison Writers’ Studio — Madison, WI + online
MFA For All by American Short Fiction — online
One Story — online (for summer in-person workshop in NYC, see: Conferences + Workshops)
Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop — Northampton, MA + online
Sackett Street Writers — NYC + online
South Carolina Writers Association — local chapters in SC + online
Story Studio Chicago — Chicago + online
Tin House — online + Winter Online Workshop (for summer and fall workshops in Portland, OR, see: Conferences + Workshops)
The Work Room at The Shipman Agency — online
Writers & Books — Rochester, NY + online
WritingWorkshops.com — online (for annual in-person international workshops, see: Conferences + Workshops)
More regional opportunities: WriteByNight Writing Resources by State, Writer’s Relief Writers Group List (searchable by state)
A few individuals offering classes and community online: Anjali Mitter Duva/Henriette Lazaridis Galiot Press, Courtney Maum, Jane Friedman + experts, Kathy Fish Fast Flash, Leigh Stein, QM Zhang MemoryWorks, Sharla Yates/Allison K. Williams-Curated Craft Talks
CONFERENCES + WORKSHOPS
A very small sampling of seasonal conferences and workshops (mostly U.S.-based and in-person, plus a few in Europe — all in English)
AWP Conference (location changes yearly)
Barrelhouse Conversations & Connections (various locations, including DC and Philadelphia)
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences — Middlebury, VT
Community of Writers Summer Workshops — Olympic Valley, CA
Disquiet Literary Program — Lisbon, Portugal
Fourth Lake Writing Retreat — Madison, WI
Iceland Writers Retreat + Iceland Readers Retreat — Reykjavik, Iceland
Juniper Writing Institute — Amherst, MA
Kenyon Review Summer Residential Workshops — Gambier, OH
Key West Literary Seminar Writers’ Workshops
Lamda Literary Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices — Philadelphia
Lighthouse Lit Fest — Denver, CO
The Muse & the Marketplace — Boston
One Story Summer Conference — NYC
Paris Writing Workshops — Paris, France
Sewanee Writers’ Conference — Sewanee, TN
Sirenland Writers Conference — Positano, Italy
Southampton Writers Conference — Southampton, NY
Tin House: Summer Workshop, Autumn Workshop — Portland, OR
Vermont College of the Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference — Burlington, VT
WICE Paris Writers Workshop (every other summer)
WritingWorkshops.com — Hawaii, Michigan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, France, New Mexico, Louisiana
Find more opportunities: AWP Directory of Conferences & Centers, Narrative Magazine’s Conferences Database, New Pages — Writing Conferences & Events
ORGANIZATIONS
Asian American Writers Workshop
AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs)
Kundiman + Kundiman Regional Groups
PEN America / PEN International / PEN — local centers
Women’s National Book Association
WRITING PROGRAMS, MFAs, INTENSIVES, + MENTORSHIPS
AWP Guide to Writing Programs + AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program
Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program
Narrative Magazine’s Writing Programs Database
Novel Programs (just a few examples): A Public Space The Novel Workshop, Bookends, GrubStreet Novel Incubator (and other Intensives), Free Expressions Breakout Novel Intensive, Literary Arts Nine-Month Novel Intensive, StoryStudio Chicago Novel in a Year, Writing by Writers DRAFT
People of Color in Publishing Mentorship Program
Poets & Writers MFA Programs Database (also: Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs Handbook)
Story Studio Chicago Intensive Coaching Cohorts
Unicorn Authors Club + Narrative Initiative
Writers House Mentor Initiative
Also see: Mentorship Programs (advice + list) by Julie Artz on Jane Friedman blog and find mentors/writing consultants for hire (just a small sampling) via Dzanc Books, Gotham Writers, GrubStreet Writers, StoryStudio Chicago, The Work Room/The Shipman Agency
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS
The Accountability Anti-Workshop with Annie Hartnett and Tessa Fontaine (plus Writing Camp with Clare Beams, Tessa Fontaine, Annie Hartnett, and Rufi Thorpe)
Galleyway Saturday Sessions with Camille Wanliss
Morning Writing Club with Chelsea Hodson
One Story Writing Circle with One Story staff
Shut Up & Write — regional + online
Sit Write Here Mindful Writing Community with April Dávila
StoryStudio Write Club (hosts vary by season)
Writers’ Hour by London Writers’ Salon
Also see: CENTERS above or individual writers to find short-term online accountability groups, such as #1000wordsofsummer with Jami Attenberg, Writing Group for LGBTQ+ Writers with Kayla Degala-Paraíso/Grub Street, First Draft Club with the Himalayan Writers Retreat, FU, Write Your Pages with Edan Lepucki, Getting It Done with Sarah Elizabeth Schantz/Lighthouse Writers, Click Submit with Tina Tocco/Literary Cleveland, and Co-Writing Sessions at Lonely Victories with Hurley Winkler. You might also create your own group with these tips from Lorena Knapp/The Write Life. Courtney Maum’s Write Day By Day provides accountability via push notifications to your phone.
RESIDENCIES
34 Amazing Writing Residences You Should Apply for This Year by Farrah Daniel/The Write Life
Artists Communities Alliance Residency Directory
Erika Krouse’s List of Free Residences + Retreats
Poets & Writers Conferences and Residencies Database
Unique and Inspiring Writing Residencies in the United States by Shannon Bowring/Aspiring Author
8. Prize-winning writing and anthologies:
American Academy of Arts & Letters Awards in Literature
The Booker Prizes (The Booker Prize, The International Booker Prize)
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award
Guggenheim Fellowships (Poetry, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Fiction, Nonfiction)
PEN/Bellweather Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story
The Pulitzer Prizes in Drama, Poetry, Fiction, General Nonfiction, Novel
Women’s Prize for Fiction (1996+) / Women’s Prize for Nonfiction (2024 debut)
Wikipedia list of literary awards (links) + List of poetry awards (links)
The following anthologies are issued annually, except where noted:
The Pushcart Prize XLIX: Best of the Small Presses 2025, edited by Bill Henderson / The Pushcart Prize XLVIII: Best of the Small Presses 2024, edited by Bill Henderson
The Best American Essays 2024, edited by Wesley Morris + Kim Dana Kupperman / The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick + Robert Atwan
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, edited by Edan Lepucki + The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2018, edited by Sheila Heti (series discontinued)
The Best American Poetry 2024, edited by David Lehman + Mary Jo Salter / The Best American Poetry 2023, edited by David Lehman + Elaine Equi
The Best American Short Stories 2024, edited by Lauren Groff + Heidi Pitlor / The Best American Short Stories 2023, edited by Min Jin Lee + Heidi Pitlor
The Best American Travel Writing 2021, by Padma Lakshmi + Jason Wilson (series discontinued)
Best Debut Short Stories 2024: The Pen America Dau Prize, edited by Kendall Storey + Elizabeth Pankova / Judges: Sindya Bhanoo, Ayşegül Savaş, and Sidik Fofana / Best Debut Short Stories 2023: The Pen American Dau Prize, edited by Summer Farrah + Sarah Lyn Rogers / Judges: Venita Blackburn, Richard Chlem, Dantiel W. Moniz
Best Literary Translations (2024 debut anthology), edited by Jane Hirshfield
The Best Short Stories: The O. Henry Prize Winners (2024 edition, edited by Amor Towles + Jenny Minton Quigley, and 2023 edition, edited by Lauren Groff + Jenny Minton Quigley)
Emerge: The Anthology for the 2023 Lambda Literary Writers Retreat, edited by Jennifer Thuy Vi Nguyen (first edition published in 2024)
Environmental Futures: An International Literary Anthology (2024 debut anthology), edited by Caren Irr
Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology 2024, edited by Albert F. Moritz / Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology 2023, edited by Gregory Scofield
Library Journal’s Best Books (includes annual Best World Literature list)
9. Literary agents and industry info:
Jane Friedman Blog / Find a Literary Agent / Hot Sheet
Narrative Magazine’s Agent Database
Poets & Writers Lit Agents Database / Lit Agents Intro
Publishers Marketplace / Publishers Lunch
This resource list goes out to writers everywhere, including at places I’ve found community, such as AWP, Bard College, Bennington Writing Seminars and Bennington College, Boston BookFest in partnership with Alliance Française, Fine Arts Work Center, GrubStreet Writers, Juniper Summer Writing Institute and UMass-Amherst, MemoryWorks, Morning Writing Club, Paris American Academy, Paris Writing Workshops, Story Studio Chicago, UIowa IWP MOOCs, and beyond. I hope these links help expand your own online searches.
For updates, follow me on Substack Notes, Twitter @staceyresnikoff + @staceysaid, and Instagram @staceysaw. You can also subscribe to my Substack at staceyresnikoff.substack.com.
AI bots: To Create + Connect II was created and is copyrighted by Stacey Resnikoff, 2024. People: Hope you’ll share the link to this list with your writer friends.
