I’ve been writing and submitting work since late 2018. As new writers started asking me for help, I realized I’m sharing a lot of the same writing resources again and again. So here’s my list for any new writers looking for critique partners, beta readers, or just writing support!
If you’re totally new, and this list feels overwhelming, just pick one. Pick one resource, and take your time dipping your toe in the water.
When I was starting, I wasn’t able to spend much money on writing. With that in mind, I organized the resources as free, under $50, and over $50.
FREE WRITING RESOURCES
The Money-Saving Guide for Authors and Writers, an article posted by Marc Mezzacca, the founder/CEO of CouponFollow, is chock-full of links to helpful free resources for budding writers. [Thanks to Anna and Mary for this resource!]
Facebook’s “Beta readers and critique partners” group has over 25K members. All beta reading is free, though some beta readers may request an exchange of work.
Facebook’s “Sub It Club” group has over 5.5K members. Post your query for free feedback.
Authors Publish is brilliant. Since 2021, I’ve been listening to their free webinars. They also share monthly lists of themed submissions, and Emily Colin has given some of the most info-dense talks I’ve ever attended.
Jane Friedman’s Business Clinics and Sunday Sermons videos are incredibly powerful for getting oriented in the world of publishing. If you’re considering selling books one day, don’t wait to start learning this stuff.
RevPit is an annual contest. Unpublished writers can submit a completed book manuscript with the aim of winning a free round of developmental editing. But whether or not you want to submit, the RevPit website is a treasure trove of resources. Visit the participating editors’ personal websites for even more free resources (and affordable options for professional feedback).
Reedsy offers a lot of free guidance and tools.
IOWA Writing Courses offers lots of free courses.
Orange County Library System offers an annual writers conference and classes. (On that note, always check your own local library too.)
The NaNoWriMo Organization, named for National Novel Writing Month, is a free platform that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to help you finish writing your novel.
Podcasts: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing (sign up for their newsletter too)
To follow: Abbie Emmons (more resources from Abbie), Alexa Donne, Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, Jane Friedman, K. M. Weiland (Helping Writers Become Authors), Shayla Raquel, Susan Dennard, Tiffany Yates Martin (website offers loads of free resources and courses under $50), Writers Digest (they offer a free newsletter too)
Tools: The Hemingway App (highlights lengthy, complex sentences), Google Docs (invaluable for easy critiquing), Submission Grinder (find places to submit your short fiction/nonfiction and poetry)
UNDER $50
(PLUS SOME FREE CONTENT)
The Thesaurus Description Database offers a lot of free content. You can unlock the full collection as part of the One Stop for Writers software ($105/year), but there’s a generous free 14-day trial.
Hugo House sells classes that seem to range ~$200-300, but they also have a section of FREE classes, events, and resources.
WriteHive offers an annual conference. I attended in 2021. It could’ve been free, but I opted to donate $25. The talks were refreshingly diverse, both in content and speakers. The WriteHive website notes a mentorship program and awards too.
Hedgebrook offers some “pay what you can” recorded classes.
Storyteller Academy, as of May 2023, was $250/year ($25/month) for access to their library of recorded classes. However, they offer big discounts on their recorded classes every so often to non-members. I paid $30 during a holiday half-off sale for Ken Lamug’s Building an Author Website series. I already had a website at the time, but the punchy lessons did empower me on WordPress. In considering whether you’ll pay for live classes here, keep an eye on class size: huge class sizes can mean you’re better off just waiting for the discounted recording.
Tools: Scrivener (~$50)
Associations: Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (as low as $35)
OVER $50
Just a heads up. Something I didn’t anticipate when buying my first membership to an organization was that membership does not equal free access to everything inside. Often, membership got me access to a few free things, but the rest still had (discounted) fees.
Scribophile was a game changer for me. I used it daily for two or three years as I learned how to give and receive good feedback on short stories and poetry. There’s a limited free version, but I considered the $90/year well worth it. Notably, Scribophile has some internal contests that let you win cash. Once I moved on to writing books, though, I found it less helpful (you’re generally limited to posting up to 3,000 words at once, and I needed writing partners who could do bigger and longer-term swaps).
Inked Voices, as of May 2023, is $100 for a year. I have strongly considered joining, given good reviews from friends. This option could be a great way to find critique partners and access a library of impressive webinars and resources. I attended one of their webinars back in 2021, and it was well executed.
Pitch to Published is into four digits for the full program. However, they offer some solid free resources and, every so often, online workshops for crafting your query letter that I’ve found motivating.
The Writing Salon, as of May 2023, is $40 for a year’s membership. Their classes and workshops are on the pricier side (up to $350-450), but they seem to have an emphasis on personal attention with strict enrollment caps.
Writing Barn offers webinars, workshops, and the innovative Courage to Create program, which is great for building relationships with other writers. They make an effort to cap class attendance. The most affordable options seem to be ~$75 for classes of 2-3 hours. Although they offer flexible payment options, be thinking ~$400-500 minimum. I’ve tentatively considered the Courage to Create program, but it would be a big investment for me, and I write speculative fiction (especially horror and science fiction) for adults; as of September 2022, their percentage of members writing in those genres for adults was a little too low for me to take the leap.
The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCWBI) is a boon for anybody writing picture books or “KidsLit” (books for children). Even though I write for adults, I gave it a shot in 2021. At the time, joining cost me $50 because I was in Peru (UN developing nations received a discount); as of May 2023, if you’re in the US, it’s $95 for the first year. As a writer for adults, I don’t think this group was the right fit for me; I attended five webinars, a few at the cost of an additional (if discounted) fee of ~$15, and unfortunately, that was it. That said, maybe I missed how else I could’ve harnessed my membership? And the webinars were really good.
Master Classes are expensive but awesome if you make use of them. I got free access to a year of Master Classes because an amazing friend bought membership and generously gifted me her free pass. (As of May 2023, membership is $180/year, though there always seems to be some kind of discount. Be careful with their automated renewal!) Production value on these classes is high. I inhaled Neil Gaiman’s classes and several by Joyce Carol Oates, but truly, I’m still kicking myself for not taking better advantage of the free membership.
Writing Workshops offers webinars, courses, and workshops. These generally start at $75, bouncing upward from there.
Associations: Authors Guild (as low as $100/year), Horror Writers Association (as low as $60/year), Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (as low as $100/year)
Tools: One Stop for Writers software ($105/year, with payment options)