Cindy's 15 Favorite Books on Writing and Marketing
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Want to write a book but don't know where to start? I've been where you are. My first editor told me my plotting needed work, and the books on this list are how I went from a struggling new author to 40 published novels and a career editing books for bestselling authors.
These aren't random picks. I've read every one of them, and I still recommend them to the authors I work with. Some taught me how to structure a story, some taught me how to fix my sentences, and a few taught me how to sell the book once it was done.
Books on Craft
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel
by Jessica Brody
After my very first content edit in 2013, my editor told me to work on my plotting and read Save the Cat, and I still plot every book with a mix of Save the Cat and Romancing the Beat. If you read only one book on this list, start here. (I read Blake Snyder's original screenwriting version. This edition applies the same beats to novels.)
Romancing the Beat
by Gwen Hayes
This is the ultimate book every romance writer should read before she even begins a novel. And if you've already started and feel lost in your content edit, I highly recommend it.
How to Write a Swoon-Worthy Sweet Romance Novel
by Victorine E. Lieske
This is one of my favorite books on writing sweet romance, and it's a must-read for anyone who wants to understand romance plotting. Full disclosure, Victorine is a friend, and I will happily plug her books to anyone who will listen.
Story Genius
by Lisa Cron
The most practical plotting book I know for writers who don't want to outline meticulously. It helps you find the pivotal moments tied to your character's wound, then build the story as a chain of action and reaction, and my brain loves that.
The Writer's Journey
by Christopher Vogler
I read this in 2016 while turning my Destiny trilogy into a nine-book series, which meant rebuilding the plot of every book. That challenge was my first step toward becoming a content editor, because I had to understand story structure on a completely different level than most authors do. It's built on the hero's journey, the classic pattern where a hero leaves the ordinary world, faces trials and comes home changed, so it's perfect for fantasy and adventure writers, and it's a phenomenal, engaging read.
On Writing
by Stephen King
This memoir taught me that you can be terrible in the beginning and still become one of the most successful authors in the world. As a teenager, King hammered a nail into his bedroom wall to hold his rejection slips, and by fourteen the pile was so heavy he had to swap the nail for a spike. It's a story about perseverance and never giving up on your dreams, and it's so entertaining you won't want to put it down.
Story
by Robert McKee
Author Bridget Baker, whom I adore and who studies McKee's work, recommended this one, and once she explained that every chapter should end on an unexpected twist, I had to have it. That one idea is what keeps readers turning pages. It's a heavier read, but worth it.
Write Tight
by William Brohaugh
This is the book that made me a line editor. I read it in a magazine article writing class at Weber State University, even though I'd already published a creative nonfiction piece in the New Era, and it taught me to cut the fluff, choose stronger active verbs and get rid of weak "to be" verbs. If you write fiction, nonfiction or journalism, it will sharpen every sentence you write.
Exceptional Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Indie Authors, Volume One: Flow
by Ellie Mockett Whitney
I've been a professional editor since 2017 and have spent years in critique groups with well-known traditionally published authors and six- and seven-figure indie authors, and this book still taught me things I didn't know. Ellie covers skills most authors have never heard of, like cutting filter verbs and deepening point of view, and it's my favorite book on editing: exceptionally clear and easy to understand. Full disclosure, Ellie is a dear friend from my American Night Writers Association critique group, and I helped critique this book.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne and Dave King
When I decided to write my first novel in 2012, I was a stay-at-home mom with a stack of writing books, and I read every one. This one stuck with me. It was written for authors trying to catch an agent's eye, and its standards are high, which taught me to hold myself to a higher standard too. Take responsibility for polishing your manuscript before it reaches an editor or agent, because many of the best editors won't take on a messy draft, and a clean one lets your editor spend every round making a good book great.
The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
If you want the basics of grammar, or just need a refresher, this is the one. I think every writer should keep a copy on their desk.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition
by The University of Chicago Press
Every editor and every writer needs to know this book as thoroughly as possible. If you want to become an editor, you must understand it, and you must have access to it.
Take Off Your Pants!
by Libbie Hawker
I'm a plotter, so this one isn't my style, but if you're a pantser who dreads outlining, give it a try. I read it back in 2015, and it shows writers who hate plotting a quick, simple way to plan a story.
Books on Marketing
Write to Market
by Chris Fox
This book teaches you how to study the market, write down what the bestselling books in your genre have in common, and write your book so it fits. Studying the market is one of the first things you should do before you write a single word, especially if you want to make money. If you don't care about money, go write whatever you want, and you do you, but nobody may read it. If you want to make money at all, you must study the market.
Help! My Facebook Ads Suck
by Mal Cooper
This is the book that got me into Facebook marketing back in 2017, when Facebook ads were still brand new for authors, and I've been studying Mal's methods ever since. I'm now on my eighth Facebook ads course (maybe more, I've honestly lost count), and Mal is still one of the very best marketers in the indie community. Full disclosure, Mal is a wonderful friend, and the Writing Wives now partner with Keele Publishing, which is a total fangirl moment for me.
Learn Ads Straight From Mal and Jill
Reading Mal's book is a great start, but if you want to actually sell books, join the Writing Wives Author Empire on Skool. Mal and Jill Cooper are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors who built a $3M+ sci-fi empire, and in their community they teach you how to do it too.
Here's what you get for $55 a month:
The AI-Powered Facebook Ads Workshop: 10 weeks of building your own ad system (copy, images, campaigns and reports), with Mal guiding you as you make it work for your books. I'm in it right now and loving it.
Write: their writing and formatting software. You can organize your manuscript, work with your editor, and make your PDF and EPUB files. My sister formatted her book with it.
Author Tools: marketing tools like Ad Image Studio that take the busywork off your plate.
A community of authors building their businesses right alongside you, plus reader funnels and promo trainings.
I've taken more ad courses than I can count, and nobody explains Facebook ads for authors better than Mal. If you're tired of throwing money at ads that don't sell, sign up. You'll thank me later.
That's my affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you join, at no extra cost to you.
Ready for an Editor?
Books can teach you a lot, but nothing replaces an editor who knows your genre. Keele Publishing is a premium author services company with a carefully selected team of editors. Every editor is rigorously vetted and must pass our editing test before working on a single client book.
When your draft is done, we'll edit your first 1,000 words for free so you can see the difference before you book.
Get the Free Guide
Want free help getting your own book out there? Join our newsletter and we'll send you Your 8-Step Guide to Self-Publishing: From Manuscript to Market, free.
About the Author
Cindy Ray Hale is the author of 40 published novels, the founder and lead editor of Keele Publishing, and an acquisitions editor for Romantica Publishing. Every book on this list is one she personally reads, uses and recommends to the authors she works with.
Have a finished sweet or closed-door romance? Romantica is looking for laugh-out-loud romance, series, fantasy with romance, contemporary and Christian romance between 20,000 and 90,000 words. See what Romantica is looking for.
If you'd like to support Cindy and keep seeing free content like this, you can buy her books at cindyrayhalebooks.com.
Comments