100 sites for fiction writers: #76 - Publishers Lunch

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Publishers Lunch

I have said before and I'll say it again, fiction writers need to keep up with the news in the publishing world. Some seem to think this is unnecessary, that they sit at home and write in a vacuum while the publishing world goes on doing whatever it does without them. This thinking is incorrect. What happens in the publishing business can affect each and every writer, even those who work independently, and a writer who is well informed about such information can sometimes head off a disaster, or better yet, turn information to their favor.

But how to keep up with all the book publishing news? Simple. Go to Publishers Lunch.

This site gathers publishing news from print and online venues, then offers the basics for free online. For a fee of $20 per month, members can join Publishers Lunch Deluxe and receive exclusive and detailed daily news e-mails, e-mails about deals, access to databases about those in the publishing industry, and more.

Also for free, Publishers Lunch allows for access to the Publishers Marketplace, where you can find information about publishing professionals.

One of the elements I personally enjoy about Publishers Lunch is that, unlike many other publishing news sites, it is updated several times a day and throughout the day. Most days there are a half dozen or so stories about what's going on in the publishing industry. Admittedly, some of this news is insider information not much important to me as an independent writer, but often enough the news is important.

If you're a fiction writer not following the news in this industry, you are being left behind. Do yourself a favor and catch up. Give the Publishers Lunch site a try.