People often ask me about the writing and publishing process—how to sustain a writing schedule, wrestle a book into a form that works, find an agent, publish. I’ve read a whole lot of books about writing and I have been involved in the publishing world for a long time. Here are the best resources I have found:

My favorite books and web sites about writing:

• The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
• A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
• Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro
• The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
• The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing by Alice LaPlante
• Famous Advice on Writing: The Collected Wisdom of Great Writers by Maria Popova (Maria’s website, Brain Pickings, is also a fabulous resource for writers.)

My favorite websites about publishing:

• Jane Friedman offers advice, connections, and courses for writers at her excellent website. I recommend her entry about how to write a book proposal in particular.
• Scott Berkun is an author and an expert on writing and publishing. I like his website because he’s practical and honest about the process of writing.  Check out his advice on how to write a book.
• Sam Harris is a published non-fiction writer whose books are tough-minded, and so is his advice about getting published. In this case, tough-mindedness is called for!