Facebook Group Authors and Writers Helping Each Other Grow

     Authors and writers helping each other grow is a Facebook group devoted to answering questions that surface during the writing process.  The group does not allow self promotion.  The basic requirement for any type of post is that it asks for or gives advice about specific topics dealing with writing.  The group now has close to 27000 members, and is a great place to get advice about all of the issues that plague writers.

Here is the link to their page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1976793849262471/about/

Facebook Groups Beta Readers

     Beta Readers and Critique Partners is a facebook group where you can find other writers willing to help you develop  your work.

Critique partners, or alpha readers, are there to help you from the beginning of your work.  They can help with story and character development and are there to help you understand the good parts of your work verses the parts that need some further development.  Pairing with a critique partner usually involves an exchange of manuscripts, so it is important to find someone whose story interests you, and who find interest in your work. 

Beta readers come after critique partners, and they look at a polished manuscript to give you feedback on your polished story. 

Beta readers and critique partners is a facebook group that has over 9500 members who are willing to help develop and polish your manuscript. 

Here is a link to their page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1782619931753141/?ref=bookmarks

Agent Query

     Agent Query is a great site to begin looking for a literary agent.  The site lists both AAR and non-AAR agents.  Agent query also provides up to date information about whether the agent is accepting queries at the time, and the query format that the agent prefers.

     Beyond just listing agents, Agent Query provides information about self publishing, how to write query letters, and many other tips for writers who are hoping to either self publish or traditionally publish their books.  There is also a page dedicated to spotting publishing scams.

Here is a link:

https://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx

Diabolic Shrimp--A great place for a book review.

     Joshua Grant runs a website called Diabolic Shrimp for authors and readers. 

For authors, it is a great place to get your book seen.  He also reviews books that he purchases off Amazon, and will post the review on his site and leave a review on Amazon.  It is a great place to get a review and get your book some free advertisement.  There are opportunities to have your book on the main page of his site, and to have your book in the spotlight for a month.

For readers, it is a place to find new books to add to your ever growing TBR list.  Each month he purchases a book from Amazon and give readers a chance to win a copy of the book of their own. 

Here is a link to the website:

https://diabolicshrimp.com/

Association of Authors' Representatives

     The Association of Authors' Representatives, or AAR, is a professional organization of author representatives.  Professional agents who join this organization have to abide by rules that protect the agent and the authors that they represent.  Membership in this organization is one way to determine if an agent is legitimate.

     There are reasons that legitimate agents do not belong to the AAR.
            1.  The agent may not have worked long enough in the field.  The AAR requires
                  two years of author representation to become a full time member.
            2.  The agent may not have executed enough publishing agreements to belong.
                 The AAR requires the execution of five publishing agreement in the 18 months
                 prior to requesting membership.
            3.  Author representation may not be the primary business of the agent.

     To determine if an agent is a member of the AAR, you can check here:
            http://aaronline.org/Find

      To see the guidelines that agents who belong to the AAR must follow, you can check here:
             http://aaronline.org/canon

     Remember, AAR membership is one way to see if an agent is legitimate.  If the agent belongs to the AAR you can be assured that they are a legitimate literary agent.