11 July 2011

Databases for Writers

by Carrie Bailey

Currently Peevish Penman is preparing to upgrade our author resources. If you haven't already viewed our small press list, click on this link. One of the challenges of being a successful writer is researching which publishers to query. The small press list allows you to view the homepage for each publisher without visiting each site and enduring the tedium of opening a new tab in your browser. 

Writers use different methods to identify potential publishers. No doubt everyone has heard they should browse bookstores and libraries, select publications similar to their own manuscript and keep a journal with detailed information about each of the publishers. Then contact them (something something something) and SUCCESS! Be published. This is a fine method, but for writers who are truly "aspiring," these publishers may be "dream" publishers and not the best option to gain the foundational experience they need. In fact, with this method, they may overlook the online publishers and small presses that would be most inclined to take a risk with an unknown.

Our goal is to create a searchable database of publishers and other author resources that meet the needs of aspiring writers. Send us a message via twitter or add a comment at the end of this post if you have any ideas or advice. We're considering making small press and online publishers searchable by:

  • genre
  • location
  • type of publications accepted
  • number of publications per year
  • year established
If our technical skills allow, we also hope to allow user feedback and ratings for writers experience with different small presses and online publishers, too. If you're one of those very organized writers with a substantial journal or something to say about a publisher you've worked with in the past, send us a tweet. 

Carrie Bailey is a writer and the editor for Peevish Penman. She is currently studying information science in Wellington, New Zealand where she lives with her teenage son.

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