Useful Links

Here are some of my favourite resources for writers. I hope you’ll find them helpful too.

Resources for Writers

• Charlotte Dillion’s Resource for Writers: Author Charlotte Dillon gives some very helpful tips for aspiring writers as well as links to more resources
• Fanstory: Online writers community where you get helpful reviews for your work. Fanstory also gives you an opprtunity to critique and meet other writers with similar goals
• Kathy Carmichael’s articles and workshops: Find loads of helpful articles on writing. Plus try out the interactive pitch generator.
• The Passionate Pen: a resource for Romance Writers who are pursuing their dream of publication. Includes a listing of romance publishers.
• Savvy Authors: “writers helping writers”. This is a great site for authors in all stages of their writing careers to access tools, classes, and networking opportunities.
• Writers Digest: publishes books, magazines, competitions, conferences and distance education materials for writers who want to polish their skills and hone their craft.

Agents

• Agent Query: a one-stop writer’s resource on the web about literary agents and publishing – includes a tool for targeted search for agents based on genre
• Query Tracker: Free database of literary agents and publishers; Organize and track your query letters to literary agents and publishers.

Publishers

African Publishers

• Cassava Republic is a Nigerian-based publisher that publishes novels, short story collections, creative non-fiction and children’s books. They have submission guidelines.

• Kwela Books specialises in South African fiction (mostly literary) fiction and unusual non-fiction (mainly autobiography and travel writing) in English and Afrikaans. They publish romance under the imprint Sapphire Press. Their submission guidelines can be found under the FAQ page of their website. (Update: Sapphire Press may have been discontinued)

• Love Africa Press: Love Africa Press is a publisher that celebrates all things African in romantic fiction. They are a digital-first publisher utilising ground-breaking technology platforms like Okadabooks to bring love stories written by Africans to African readers. LAP has an Advance Readers Club for bloggers. reviewers and bookstagrammers. Check out their submission guidelines for what they are currently looking for.
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• Nolly Books: publishes chic-lit romance fiction titles with South African storylines and characters that reflect the lives and aspirations of the people who will read them. They have writing tips and an online submission form.

Non-African Publishers

• Black Opal Books:  is a boutique small press, dedicated to producing quality books for readers and helping both experienced and debut authors find a home for those stories that just have to be told. They have submission guidelines an online submission form for querying. 

• Harlequin: a leading publisher of books for women. They have writing guidelines for each imprint and other helpful resources like manuscript format. Harlequin also has a great community for writers, which gives writers direct access to information and contests. Be sure to check out the forums and blogs.

• Harlequin Mills and Boon: a leading publisher of romance fiction (this is Harlequin in the UK). They also have submission guidelines and an interactive writer’s community.

Writers Groups for African Authors etc.

• Fiction Writers of West Africa
• Romance Writers of West Africa (RWOWA)
• Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa (ROSA)