Wise Online Counsel for Book Publishing and Marketing

To get an overview of book publishing and book marketing, read good respected works, such as Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual, Kremer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, or Jud's Beyond the Bookstore.

But sometimes I need specific information that most books don't address, or need information that's quickly dated in books, such as:

• What publishers are currently offering the best services?
• What are the best blogs to send a book to for review?
• What book marketing techniques are working best today?

Fortunately, writers and publishers like to write, so you'll find them churning out gobs of great information in various social media. Here are three examples that I've been learning from recently. They have lots of active discussions by knowledgeable people:

1 - Book Publishing Professionals group on LinkedIn. We're having some great discussions on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing vs. vanity publishing. Also, a great discussion on the best uses of social media for book marketing. You'll find input from experienced writers and publishers.

2 - Book Blogs Group on Ning. Book lovers share their favorite books. Authors tell about their books.

3 - Book Marketing Network on Ning. Started by book marketing guru John Kremer, he just started a new discussion on what's actually working in selling books.

What a great time to be writing and publishing! There's so much great, free information available!

Do you have other free places you recommend to learn about writing and publishing?