Poets & Writers: The nation’s largest non-profit serving creative writers. The website is a wonderful, all-purpose hub for writers of all persuasions and experience levels. You can also use the website to access current and back issues of Poets and Writers Magazine—a limited number for free, and the entire archive with paid membership. Here are just a few of the resources available through P&W!

Looking for venues to publish your writing? 

• Writing Contests, Grants & Awards Database
• Small Presses Database
• Literary Agents Database
• Literary Magazines Database

Questions about the writing or publishing industries?

• Top Topics for Writers
• Agents and Editors Recommend
• Poets and Writers Guides

Want to hone your skills?

• The Time is Now, a weekly writing prompt series
• Craft Capsules, a weekly craft essay series

Association of Writers & Writing Programs: a membership organization providing resources and support to writers, collegiate writing programs, and writing conferences. Membership is available in Individual form, as well as Organizational forms for high schools, universities, technical schools, and writing centers/conferences. Membership benefits include, among others:

• Access to The Writer’s Chronicle, a quarterly publication featuring craft essays; interviews with renowned authors; the latest publishing industry news; and listings for grants, awards, and publications
• Access to the AWP Job List
• Access to the AWP Opportunities Listings (for awards, grants, and publication opportunities)
• Discounted entry fees for the AWP Awards Series
• Discounted registration for AWP’s Annual Conference and Bookfair

Writer’s Digest: an online hub of resources and materials, dedicated to providing education and opportunities to writers of all genres. The accompanying publication, Writer’s Digest Magazine, contains even more tips, news, and craft articles, and is available in both print and digital subscriptions. Here’s a sampling of resources you can find on the website:

Looking to try a new genre? 

• Write Better Fiction, an archive of articles and essays with tips and instruction for every part of the fiction-writing process.
• Write Better Nonfiction, an archive of articles and essays that provide instruction in all different types of nonfiction, from journalism to travel writing to memoir.
• Write Better Poetry, a collection of prompts and articles for writers looking to experiment with poetry, or poets looking to experiment with new forms.
• Writer’s Digest University, a series of online workshops hosted by published authors and other industry professionals. These seminars range from multi-day to multi-week, and provide instruction for both the craft and business sides of the creative industry.

Looking for a venue to publish your work?

• Get Published, a collection of articles and essays curated by the editors of WD covering everything from self-publishing, to querying an agent, to managing the business side of being a writer. You can also find listings of agents and profiles of different literary agencies.
• Writer’s Digest Competitions, a series of contests hosted by WD and judged by WD editors. Categories include short forms, as well as self-published novels and e-books.

Poets.org: the nation’s first online poetry resource, providing support and materials for readers, writers, and teachers of poetry. The website is founded and maintained by the Academy of American Poets, an organization founded in 1934 with the goal of advocating for poets at all stages of their careers, and fostering widespread appreciation for poetry. Here are some of the resources they offer:

For readers of poetry:

• Poem-A-Day, a daily series publishing one poem each day by a contemporary poet. Usually this is new work, and the series features both new and more established poets. You can also sign up to receive the poem-a-day every day via email.
• The Library, a large collection of digital materials for writers, poets, and teachers of writing and poetry. Look here for vast database of poems and poets; audio and video recordings of poets reading their work; essays; interviews; and even children’s materials.

For teachers of poetry:

• Materials for Teachers, a collection of resources specifically for the instruction of poetry at all grade levels. Available resources include lesson plans for both individual poems and poetry units; collections of poems geared towards children and teens; essays on the teaching of poetry; and supplemental materials like the reading guides, a poetry glossary, and an Educator Newsletter
• National Poetry Month page, a destination for anything and everything related to National Poetry Month. Initiated by the American Academy of Poets in 1966, National Poetry month (April) was created to celebrate and emphasize the importance of poetry in both literary and popular culture. Many of the resources and events listed on this page are designed to support teachers who emphasize poetry instruction during the month of April.

For writers of poetry:

• American Poets Prizes listings, a list of all the various grants and prizes offered by the American Academy of poets. Here you can view the rewards for each prize, and click the name of each prize to view entry forms and parameters for those prizes open to the public.
• Writing Contests FAQ, a great resource for those wondering about poetry contests in general, and about prize, grant and fellowship opportunities offered specifically by the American Academy of Poets

Questions about the business side of writing, publishing, or anything adjacent? Looking to find your way into one of those industries?

Media Bistro: a vast database of job opportunities in a wide array of creative industries—design positions, editorial positions, writing positions (everything from ad copy to television writers’ rooms), publishing jobs, production positions for TV and films, journalism and communications positions, and even some teaching positions can all be found here. You can set up Job Alerts, which will notify you by email when certain opportunities are listed. Most applications can be filled out through Media Bistro itself, but if not, application links will be clearly posted.

Jane Friedman: a blog and archive run by Jane Friedman, a former editor at Writers’ Digest. The site has a huge archive of articles, by Friedman and guest writers, that demystify all corners of the publishing world. Friedman also offers classes (free and paid) and newsletters (free and paid) providing guidance for writers at all stages of their creative and publication processes.

Self-Publishing Advice Center: An excellent all-purpose resource for those looking to self-publish their work. The Self-Publishing Advice Center is run by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and aims to provide accessible answers to any question a writer may have about self-publishing. The site’s blog offers guidance for every step of the process, from generating material to designing promotional materials to marketing your work. The site also offers a rating system for self-publishing contests and services, making sure writers aren’t exploited by less-than-legitimate opportunities

Reedsy: A “full ecosystem for authors and publishing professionals,” Reedsy connects writers with freelancers to help them on their way to publishing their work. Here, writers can get in touch directly with editors, ghostwriters, publicists, and designers, among others. Reedsy also has databases of agents, publishers and lit mags. Those looking for writing guidance and suggestions can look at the blog, the podcast, and fun features like title and character name generators.

Looking for opportunities and programs for middle-grade and high school writers? 

Teen Ink: a website and literary magazine for teen writers and by teen writers. They accept submissions—for the website, the print magazine, and contests–in several genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, reviews, visual art, and photography. There are also forums where teen writers can connect with each other, as well as a college guide offering guidance for high schoolers interested in pursuing creative writing at a collegiate level.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: the nation’s longest-running award series recognizing young literary and visual artists. Scholastic accepts submissions from writers in grades 7-12, and students can submit their work themselves or through their teachers. Awards are given at both a regional and national level.

YoungArts: an award series for artists and writers 15-18 years old, overseen by The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. Awards are annual, and finalists are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week, a week-long collaborative workshop with leaders in all artistic genres. YoungArts also provides grant and development opportunities to young and emerging writers.

UVA Young Writers’ Workshop: A residential summer program for high school writers, run by the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Students can attend two or three-week sessions, with intensive daily study and workshops in one of six genres: short-form multimedia writing, fiction, poetry, screen and playwriting, songwriting, and creative non-fiction.

Interlochen Creative Writing Camps: The Interlochen Center for the Arts, in conjunction with Interlochen Arts Academy, offers a variety of residential summer programs for writers in grades 6-12. All sessions of all programs are hosted on the school’s campus in Interlochen, Michigan. Middle grade writers attend a general creative writing workshop, where they get to explore multiple genres, while high school writers focus more intensively on one or two genres.

Iowa Young Writers’ Studio: intensive programs for high school fiction and poetry writers, taught and hosted by the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, a top-ten MFA program. Offerings include 2-week residential programs in the summer, as well as 6-week virtual programs twice a year.

Looking for opportunities to learn about playwriting? Looking for venues and contests to submit your dramatic writing? Looking for advice and information about navigating the film and theater industries as a writer?

The Dramatists’ Guild: membership trade association of theater writers (playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists). Theater writers at any stage of their career, amateur or professional, are eligible for membership. The DG is committed to helping artists navigate the business side of the dramatic writing industry, providing model contracts and contract review services, as well as educational services like their Copyright 101 resources. DG also provides virtual workshops and classes, in-person events across the country, a member directory, submissions opportunity calendars, and countless other resources for writers working, or looking to work, in the theatrical space.

New Play Exchange: The world’s largest digital library of scripts by living writers. Memberships are available for a wide variety of needs, including writers, readers, theaters, and educators. The platform connects directors, actors, artistic directors, publishers, agents, and  many other audiences with working playwrights based on writing samples, resumes and artists’ statements, allowing playwrights to find venues and representation without the arduous and fickle process of submitting to contests.

Save the Cat!: Based on the best-selling Save the Cat! series of writing manuals, this site provides resources and advice for screenplay, television, and novel writing.  Here you can find free resources like beat sheets, loglines, and structural analysis of best-selling novels and current films. StC! also has software, books, submissions opportunities, and online courses available through this site.

SheNYC Arts: A group promoting the creation and production of theatrical works by and for cis women, trans, & non-binary composers, directors, actors, and other theater artists and technicians. Resources aren’t just limited to New York City: SheNYC also has open calls every year for submissions to their festivals in LA and Atlanta!

Screencraft: A comprehensive resource for emerging screenwriters, offering career consulting, talent discovery programs, educational resources, and both in-person and virtual community-building events. Their fellowships, grants, and genre and format-specific contests offer all writers an opportunity to showcase their strongest work. They also have a blog post listing 101 Free Resources for Screenwriters where you can find a huge variety of other sites and blogs!

Looking to learn more about world literature or the translation of literature across languages? Looking to hone a translation practice of your own? Looking for works-in-translation to read?

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA): A nonprofit group that provides resources, community and professional affiliation to individual translators, academic institutions, presses, and others working in the translation industry. ALTA offers prizes, mentorship programs, virtual and in-person events, and educational resources such as model contracts and guides to getting started with your own translation practice. ALTA also has databases of translators, and publishers.

PEN Translation Resources: Resources for translators compiled by renowned literary organization PEN America. Offerings include recommended readings, a database of translators, FAQs and Model Contracts, submissions opportunities, and lists of both graduate and undergraduate translation programs, among many other resources.

Three Percent: A blog based out of the University of Rochester’s Literary Translation Studies program, which also houses the translation-focused press Open Letter Books. Three Percent offers reviews and samples of translated literature (both in-print and forth-coming), articles about the state of literary translation in the world today, and an accompanying podcast also called Three Percent.

Words without Borders: A digital magazine for global writers and literature. WWB features fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and graphic fiction, translated from dozens of languages, as well as book reviews and interviews. They also have an accompanying education program. WWB Campus, which provides readings and resources to students and teachers looking to incorporate global literature or translated works into their curricula.

This list of resources was put together by Houston writer Iris Cronin in Fall 2022. 

Iris joined Inprint as the Inprint / UH CWP Fellow in August 2022. She is a native Houstonian, happy to be back in her hometown after earning BAs in Dramatic Writing and Comparative Literature, Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University. Her literature degree contains a subspecialty in literary translation between French and English, and her senior translation thesis, a play by an acclaimed Quebecoise playwright, was staged by Montreal’s renowned Talisman Theater Company in December 2021. She is currently a second-year fiction MFA candidate in the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, where she is also a Cynthia Woods Mitchell Scholar. Iris has taught English, French, and creative writing in many venues, including the Brown Francophone Studies Department and the Young Writer’s Workshop at the University of Virginia. When she isn’t writing, reading, or attempting to do both at the same time, she can be found scrapbooking and leaving half-drunk cups of coffee around her apartment.