Since this is going to be a very long and ongoing list, I made a page for all of the books to show that I am serious about learning my craft, and will add to it as I read more. You can see that list by clicking here. However, in this post, I’ll just talk about the books I highly recommend. 

Some people seem to think they need to stop their education once they’ve learned everything there is to know.

The problem is, when it comes to writing and publishing, like medicine, psychiatry, and so many other professions, new things crop up every day, week, and year to learn.

When it comes to writing, and/or publishing, don’t stop learning. Don’t stop reading. Don’t stop educating yourself on this craft. Because things change at the speed of light.

I’ve colour coded them in green for highly recommend, and orange for definitely give it a go. And I highly recommend all Dummies guides for starter authors.

SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITES

• Social Media Commerce for Dummies
• Social Media Engagement for Dummies
• Social Media Marketing for Dummies?
• LinkedIn For Dummies
• WordPress For Dummies
• SEO for Dummies

BUSINESS

• How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia – Georgia Richter, Deborah Hunn
• The Business of Being a Writer – Jane Freidman

BRANDING

• Fame 101: Powerful Personal Branding & Publicity for Amazing Success – Jay & Maggie Jessup

MARKETING

• Amazon Decoded: A Marketing Guide to The Kindle Store – David Gaughran
• Following: A Marketing Guide to Author Platform – David Gaughran
• Newsletter Ninja Tammi Labrecque
• Marketing Books to Australian Libraries: Get Your Books into Australian Libraries, Sell more books, earn more royalties – McKenna, Ebony
• How To Market a Book – Rachael Birmingham

ENGLISH

• English Grammar for Dummies
• The Infographic Guide to Grammar: A Visual Reference for Everything You Need to Know – Jara Kern
• To the Point: A Dictionary of Concise Writing eBook – Robert Hartwell Fiske

PRE – WRITING

• Fire Up Your Writing Brain: How to Use Proven Neuroscience to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Writer – Susan Reynolds
• The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms – Writers & Artists
• Writers & Artists Handbook 2023 – Writers and Artists
• The Australian Editing Handbook – Wiley
• Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story – KM Weiland
• From Big Idea to Book: Create a Writing Practice That Brings You Joy: Create a Writing Practice That Brings You Joy – Jessie L. Kwak

WRITING

• Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies – Victorine Lieske and Leslie Wainger
• Save The Cat! Writes A Novel – Jessica Brody
• Save The Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel – Jessica Brody
• Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting and Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish – James Scott Bell
• Just Write: Creating Unforgettable Fiction and a Rewarding Writing Life – James Scott Bell
• Storyville! An Illustrated Guide to Writing Fiction – Jon Dufresne
• Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time – Jordan Rosenfeld
• Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to How to Write: How to plan, structure and write your novel – William Ryan
• Writing Voice: The Complete Guide to Creating a Presence on The Page and Engaging Readers – Writer’s Digest Books
• Crafting Novels & Short Stories: The Complete Guide to Writing Great Fiction (Creative Writing Essentials) – Writers’ Digest
• Write It All Down: How to Put Your Life on the Page – Cathy Rentzenbrink
• Spellbinding Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Achieving Excellence & Captivating Readers – Barbara Baig
• Write Everyday: Daily Practice to Kickstart Your Creative Writing – Harriet Griffey
• The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus: An Interactive Guide for Developing Ideas for Novels and Short Stories – Fred White
• Gentle Writing Advice: How to Be a Writer Without Destroying Yourself – Chuck Wendig
• How To Write Your Book – Rachael Birmingham

SCREENWRITING

• Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need – Blake Snyder
• Screenwriting for Dummies

PUBLISHING

• Building Your Book for Kindle – Amazon (free)
• Smashwords Style Guide – Smashwords (free)
• Look – It’s Your Book! Write, Publish & Promote Your Non-Fiction Book: A Self-Publishing Guide for Australian Writers – Anna Featherstone
• Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing: How to Edit, Produce and Sell Your Book
• Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish and market your book in eBook, print and audiobook formats – Joanna Penn