Consulting Editors Alliance

	Consulting Editors Alliance
Home About CEA Meet the Editors Our Specialties News About Us Advice for Authors Writers' Resources FAQ Contact Us	Resources for Writers Be sure to click on Advice for Authors (informative articles about the writing life) and FAQ (frequently asked questions about how to find, choose, and work with a consulting editor, book doctor, or ghost writer). Below are some additional sources of information and insight, including both books and websites recommended by CEA members, which authors and aspiring authors may find helpful. For each book, we've also provided an instant link to Amazon.com, which makes purchasing it quick and easy.
	BOOKS: On Writing
	The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White. New York: Macmillan, 2000. A classic guide to basic techniques for clear, concise writing. Not the last word on style, but an excellent introduction to principles everyone should know.
	The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield. New York: Rugged Land, 2002. Lively commentary from the literary front lines on the battle against writers' block, loneliness, fear, and insecurity.
	Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction by James B. Stewart. New York: Touchstone, 1998. A Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist explains how to find the narrative thread that gives life to any nonfiction topic.
	On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser. New York: HarperResource. Described by the New York Times as "a bible for a generation of writers looking for clues to clean, compelling prose."
	The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage by Kingsley Amis. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Pointed and witty advice from "one of the few truly great prose stylists" (The Guardian).
	The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers. Fifteenth Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. The bible on technicalities of style, book structure and format, copyediting standards, and much more.
	The Careful Writer by Theodore M. Bernstein. New York: Free Press, 1995. A witty and useful guide to language usage by the former managing editor for the New York Times.
	Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner. Second edition. New York: Riverhead, 2004. A clear, simple, elegant, and funny introduction to good usage.
	A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by H. W. Fowler, revised and edited by Sir Ernest Gowers. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. Take a peek and you'll see why William F. Buckley, Jr., swears by it. "There are many ways of saying the same thing, and this is convenient": If you want an authoritative guide to finding the right way for your purposes, here it is.
	Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. New York: Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1995. Personal reflections on the psychological and artistic challenges of writing fiction by a working novelist. The title comes from her father's advice when her brother was agonizing over a school report on birds: "Just take it bird by bird."
	Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner. New York: Riverhead, 2001. Publishers Weekly said, "In a quirky, informal, engaging guide for aspiring writers, Lerner, a literary agent who was most recently executive editor at Doubleday, assumes the posture of the writer's sympathetic friend, coach and psychotherapist all rolled into one."
	Your First Novel: A Published Author and a Top Agent Share the Keys to Achieving Your Dreamby Ann Rittenberg, Laura Whitcomb, and Dennis Lehane. New York: Writers Digest, 2006. Here is everything an aspiring first novelist needs, from the opening sentence ("In the beginning there is only the idea") to the last chapter ("Publication Day and Beyond").
	BOOKS: On Publishing and Getting Published
	Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers by Mark L. Levine. Wakefield, R.I.: Moyer Bell, 1994. A short but useful checklist of things to know and ask about when dealing with the complexities of a book publishing contract.
	What Happens in Book Publishing, Second Edition, edited by Chandler B. Grannis. New York: Columbia University Press, 1967. Think a book this old can't be relevant to today's digital media? Think again. For all the changes that have occurred in recent decades, book publishing follows the same rules, and operates on the same assumptions as it always has, including such matters as publicity, the percent of sales that should be devoted to advertising, the balance of to-the-trade and consumer advertising, and the like. There is no clearer guide to the publishing process. Read it in tandem with How To Get Happily Published, and you'll know as much about book publishing as most agents and editors.
	How To Get Happily Published: A Complete and Candid Guide, Fifth Edition, by Judith Appelbaum. New York: HarperResource, 1998. In addition to providing a mini-course on editors, agents, and submissions, Appelbaum offers information less frequently found in books of this sort, including the importance of taking publicity for your book or article into your own hands and the case for self-publishing (with advice on how to go about it).
	The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published by Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander. Written by a New York literary agent and a West Coast acquiring editor, this book offers inside advice, author case studies, sample proposals, contracts, press releases, co-author agreements, and more. New York: Alpha Books, 2003.
	Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do, edited by Gerald Gross. Third Edition, 1993. An excellent guide for editors, would-be editors, and especially writers who want to understand the publishing process.
	Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents 2005 by Jeff Herman. The Writer Books. A compendium of names, addresses, and self-descriptions detailing what various kinds of publishing professionals are looking for when they select books and authors to work with.
	WEBSITES NOTE: Web surfing can be hazardous for aspiring writers! Some sites that pop up on Google and other search engines offer editorial or publishing services on terms that may be misleading or overpriced. Check out services that interest you before you sign a contract or spend money, and stick to providers with a track record of success and a positive industry reputation. The sites listed here are a good place to start. Click on the website name below to be linked to the site. Publishers Marketplace. Billed as the "biggest and best dedicated marketplace for publishing professionals to find critical information and unique databases, find each other, and to do business better electronically," this website lists agents, packagers, publishers, freelance writers and editors, and others in the industry. From the same company that produces PublishersLunch, a daily dossier of news about publishing. Monthly membership fee required. Publishing Central. A compendium of all kinds of information for book, magazine, and other writers, including lists of companies and associations, articles with background information and advice or topics from writing to publicity to self-publishing, and sponsored links. Not all the contents are of equal value, and not a comprehensive site, but there is so much here you will almost surely find some material that's useful to you. National Writers Union. A labor union for freelance writers, affliated with the United Auto Workers and the AFL-CIO, that boasts over 5,000 members and 17 chapters nationwide. The NWU is active in promoting the economic and legal rights of writers as well as protection for all creators of intellectual property. PEN American Center. The largest of nearly 130 Centers worldwide that compose International PEN, PEN American Center is a membership association of prominent literary writers and editors that seeks to defend freedom of expression and encourage the recognition and reading of contemporary literature. Association of Authors' Representatives. The leading organization for literary and dramatic agents. Many of the top agents are members of AAR, which promulgates a canon of ethics for its members. Authors Guild. The largest organization for writers in the U.S. Since 1919, the Guild has worked on behalf of its members to lobby for free speech, copyright protection, and other authors' rights. The Guild also conducts useful seminars for authors, provides contract advice, and publishes a quarterly newsletter. Copyright Clearance Center. Offering convenient "one-stop shopping" for permission to quote published works in your own writings, CCC manages the rights to over 1.75 million works and represents more than 9,600 publishers and hundreds of thousands of authors and other creators. Literary Market Place. The online version of a venerable reference work (familiar from your public library) that contains thousands of listings of publishers, agents, packagers, and other literary organizations and professionals. You can register to download basic data for free; extensive searches require a paid subscription. American Society of Journalists and Authors. An association of over 1,000 freelance writers of magazine articles, trade books, and other forms of nonfiction writing, ASJA focuses on professional development, including market information, an exclusive referral service, seminars and workshops, and advocacy of authors' rights. Copyright © 2008 Consulting Editors Alliance. All rights reserved.