{April 2016 UPDATE: This list has now been updated and enhanced, so go check out Top 50 Websites for Indie Authors on the blog.}

And if you and I haven’t chatted about collaboration yet, please reach out, I’d love to share my ideas for taking your book to the next level, in a way that works with your goals and budget. It never hurts to understand what your options are!

Trying to build your writing and publishing career is a challenge. There’s a lot of information out there, and trying to discern a solid piece of advice from fluff or inaccurate data isn’t always easy.

We are lucky to know a lot of really outstanding industry people who offer great insights, super tips, and valued feedback on a variety of marketing topics and publishing options.

And if you haven’t contacted me yet, to discuss ways to collaborate, please take a moment to do so, sometimes success happens because you finally understand what you’re missing!

Here’s our list of the top 30 blogs and bloggers we really respect.

We hope you’ll follow them, too!

1 http://annerallen.blogspot.com – One of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers, Ann updates on Sundays and her blog includes regular contributions from former Big Six editor, Ruth Harris.

2 http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/ – Books and Such is a Literary Management Agency. They sell books to a wide range of publishers in such categories as women’s fiction, general fiction, nonfiction, gift books, easy readers, and chapter books.

3  http://goinswriter.com/ – Jeff Goins started his blog in 2010, with a few burning questions in mind: How do successful writers make a living? What does it really take to get published? And, how do you pursue a passion? He shares tips on writing, creativity and making a difference.

4 http://writetodone.com – Mary Jaksch, Chief Editor, believes your writing practice needs to be directed in a positive way. Write to Done helps you learn new skills, practice them and become a better writer.

5 http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com– Jody posts on her blog every Tuesday. She offers advice, encouragement, and inspiration based on all that she’s learned about writing, publication, and marketing in today’s tough publishing industry.

6 http://janefriedman.com/blog/ – Jane Friedman, former publisher of Writer’s Digest, specializes in educating writers about the publishing industry—from all perspectives, without hype or bias—to help them make the best long-term decisions for their careers. The Alliance of Independent Authors has awarded her a “Top Website for Self-Publishers” 

7 http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com – K.M. Weiland mentors authors through her blog. Her blog is one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers.

8 http://www.trainingauthors.com – Shelley and Heather of Training Authors have a goal to help authors achieve book marketing success. Their site is full of resources and free downloads.

9 http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com – David Gaughran focuses on how to get visible and sell more books. He has written several books on these topics and shares tons of info about self-publishing.

10 http://www.rachellegardner.com – Rachelle is a Literary Agent for Books and Such. She started her blog as a way to create a community of writers both published and seeking publication.

11 http://buildbookbuzz.com/blog/ – Sandra Beckwith has more than 25 years of experience as a publicist. She shares tips and writes on currently relevant topics for authors. Build Book Buzz was awarded a “Top Website for Self-Publishers” by The Alliance of Independent Authors.

12 http://www.sellingbooks.com – Cathy Stucker shares useful tips and techniques for writing, publishing and selling books. She has free downloads available to help authors build their platform.

13 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/category/blog/ – Offers review and editing services. You can become a member for additional perks and discounts.

14 http://selfpublishingteam.com – Toni and Shannon, the self-publishing team are passionate about helping indie authors publish their work and build dedicated fan bases.

15 http://catherineryanhoward.com/ – Catherine writes from Ireland and talks a lot about self-publishing. Her posts are fun and informative.

16 http://blog.writingspirit.com/– Julie Isaac, the founder of has provided tools, solutions, and support to thousands of writers since 2003.

17 http://marketingchristianbooks.wordpress.com/ – If you’ve written a Christian book, Sarah Bolme offers guidance on marketing within that market.

18 http://socialmediajustforwriters.com/ – Frances Caballo shares tips and suggestions for using social media to your advantage to market your work.

19 http://louisem.com/– Louise Myers talks all about the power of social media graphics, and offers tips on how you can make your presence more visually appealing.

20 http://writerunboxed.com/ – Writer Unboxed has articles from a ton of contributors that all offer advice and food for thought on the craft and business of writing fiction.

21 http://www.hughhowey.com/ – An author himself, Hugh doesn’t just use his site to promote his own work, he uses it to help other authors as well.

22 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/blog/ – The Creative Penn is packed with information and resources. The best way to navigate through it all is to click on the “Start here!” link.

23 http://www.thebookdesigner.com – Joel Friedlander aka The Book Designer has countless articles (organized into easy to navigate topics) on his site that help self-published authors with every thing you need to know, and do.

24  http://booklife.com/ – Publishers Weekly’s new site dedicated to indie authors, is in Beta mode. They have how-to stories and author profiles, and you can take one of their publishing self-evaluations.

25 http://www.norulesjustwrite.com/blog/ -CJ Lyons is a pediatric ER doctor turned NY Times bestselling author. He uses experiences and offers wonderful resources for the self-published author.

26 http://jakonrath.blogspot.com– JA Konrath is an author who blogs a lot about current events in publishing and on topics that authors should familiarize themselves with.

27 https://selfpublishingpodcast.com – Johnny, Sean and Dave will speak to you. Literally. Interactive and helpful advice.

28 http://www.lindsayburoker.com – A Fantasy author herself, Lindsay doesn’t just promote her own work on her website. She also promotes other authors AND writes blog posts with helpful advice on self-publishing.

29 http://www.thefutureofink.com – The Future of Ink has a lot of content directed at helping authors navigate their marketing choices. Denise Wakeman and Ellen Britt have pulled together a huge list of experts and great articles. Don’t miss this one!

30 http://indiereader.com – Everything about indie authors, books and the independent book scene all in one spot.

Share this article with these tweetables: