Writers’ Resources
We strive to keep this information up to date. Please contact us at thurberhouse@thurberhouse.org with corrections or additions to the content on this page. Thurber House cannot guarantee the accuracy of meeting or event dates, contact information, websites, etc. Please contact individual groups and authors with questions. We do not accept contributions of self-promotional links, commission-driven articles, or “sponsored posts” on this page. Inclusion on this page does not imply endorsement.
Comprehensive Lists of CENTRAL OHIO writers' resources
Literary Arts Directory: A lengthy list of Central Ohio writers' resources, compiled by the Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission Literary Arts Group.
Write Now Columbus: Various resources, events, and groups for Central Ohio writers. Sign up to receive the Write Now Newsletter via email, a monthly writing and publishing tips, upcoming Central Ohio author events and writing programs.
Select Online Writing Resources and Information
16 Incredibly Useful Resources for Aspiring Authors: Learn about useful writing apps, plus resources for creating book covers, formatting your book, self-publishing, marketing, and more.
150 Resources to Help You Write Better, Faster, and More Persuasively: Great tips from the Open Education Database.
A Resource Guide to Writing Basics: A helpful collection of resources about inspiration, brainstorming, outlining, research, grammar, spelling, revisions, editing, and proofreading.
Alliance of Artists Communities: Search for writing fellowships, conferences, residencies, and more.
Jane Friedman: Follow the blog of a publishing industry expert, sign up for a free newsletter loaded with tips, and more.
Literary Hub: Stay up to date on the latest literary news, browse informative resources to fuel your creative spark, and more.
Literary Marketplace: The world’s largest, most complete database of the book publishing industry.
Meetup.com: Use this online network to find creative writing groups (and more). To get you started, try searching “creative writing.” To search Columbus creative writing groups, click here.
Online Writing Center: Help with writing academic papers, from structure to outline to style.
Poets & Writers: Browse literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, MFA programs, writing contests, writing advice, and more.
Publishers Marketplace: Professional databases, tools, reports, industry news; useful for researching agents and book deals.
Publishing a Book: A basic introduction to getting your writing published.
Reddit: Meet, discuss, and bounce ideas off other writers in online forums like r/writing, r/writers, r/keepwriting, r/writingadvice, r/writinghub, r/fantasywriters, r/freelancewriters, and more.
Writer’s Digest: Offers help articles on a variety of writing topics and a wide variety of other resources.
The Directory of Literary Agents: A comprehensive literary agent database.
The Writer’s Online Toolkit: Maryville University presents a helpful list of writing apps and tools to improve productivity and more.
The Young Writer’s Glossary: Can you define “active voice,” “allegory,” and “syntax”? Brush up on the meanings of common writing terms.
Still stuck? Try a Google search.
Select central ohio Writing Groups/ORGANIZATIONS
Thurber House Young Writers’ Studio: Designed for 9-12th grade students who love to be creative! Meets every other week.
Bexley Fiction Writers: Share your work with others and give and receive constructive feedback.
Central Ohio Fiction Writers: The Central Ohio Fiction Writers (COFW) is a nonprofit professional association for writers of all fiction genres. Members provide a networking system to share knowledge and support the goal of becoming published.
Central and Southern Ohio Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: Meets monthly at the Upper Arlington Public Library. Meetings usually consist of a business meeting, a guest speaker talking about some aspect of writing or illustrating, and then critiques of chapter members’ work.
Grandview Heights Public Library Writers Group: Share your work with others and give and receive constructive feedback.
The International Women's Writing Guild: The Central Ohio community of the IWWG invites writers to gather at monthly meetings for writing, reading, and critiquing in a safe, supportive environment.
MAC and Franklinton Writers Groups: Share your work with others and give and receive constructive feedback.
Meetup.com: Use this online network to find creative writing groups (and more). To get you started, try searching “creative writing” in Columbus.
Nonfiction Authors Association (Columbus Chapter): Focuses on the business side of writing, publishing, and promoting nonfiction books.
Ohio Poetry Association: Promoting and supporting poets and the art of poetry and those it touches since 1929.
Ohio Writers’ Association: Share your work with others and give and receive constructive feedback.
The Ohio Writers' Guild: A supportive community of Ohio authors focused on peer review, educational programs, and promotional events.
Paging Columbus!: A regular poetry reading and literary arts event at the Urban Arts Space.
Poetry at the Delaware Library: This group meets the first Thursday of every month to read and workshop poetry.
Sisters in Crime Columbus Ohio (SICCO): A group for women mystery writers.
Wild Goose Creative Writers' Group: Share your work with others and give and receive constructive feedback.
Writeshop: A workshop group that focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Select ohio Writing classes, CONFERENCES, AND FESTIVALS
Thurber House Adult Writing Workshops (Columbus, OH): Sessions are taught by experienced writers and educators. We welcome all levels of writing experience.
Books by the Banks (Cincinnati, OH): Held annually in downtown Cincinnati. The day-long festival, which is free and open to the public, features national, regional, and local authors and illustrators; book signings; panel discussions; and activities for the entire family to enjoy.
Buckeye Book Fair (Wooster, OH): Buckeye Book Fair promotes literacy by bringing Ohio authors together with the reading public for an annual book fair.
Columbus Writers’ Conference (Columbus, OH): Held annually since 1993, this conference offers educational and networking opportunities for writers of all skill levels. Writers, editors, and literary agents present on a wide range of topics and genres.
Delaware County District Library (Delaware, OH): Occasionally hosts writing workshops for adults and teens.
Dublin Arts Council (Dublin, OH): Offers writing workshops and creativity classes.
Literary Cleveland’s Inkubator Writing Conference (Cleveland, OH): One of the largest free writing conferences in the country.
Lit Youngstown’s Fall Literary Festival, Writing Workshops, and More (Youngstown, OH): Creative readings, talks/presentations, interviews, roundtables, writing workshops, and more.
Ohioana Book Festival (Columbus, OH): Held annually since 2007, the Ohioana Book Festival is one of the largest in Central Ohio. Meet and network with over 100 Ohio authors, listen to panel discussions, browse the book fair, and more.
Upper Arlington Public Library Write Stuff Writers' Conference and Expo (Upper Arlington, OH): An annual event featuring talks by experienced local authors (pre-registration required). The expo features booths with local authors, literary organizations, and writing groups.
Westerville Public Library (Westerville, OH): Occasionally offers writing workshops.
Select CENTRAL OHIO Presses/Publishers
Columbus Press (Zanesville, OH): An independent publisher of fiction novels, anthologies, memoirs, and non-fiction narratives.
Coventry House Publishing (Dublin, OH): An independent publishing house for fiction and non-fiction works.
Daydreamers Press (Columbus, OH): “A curation hub for multicultural books, media, and programming, with a focus on children’s content.”
Gatekeeper Press (Grove City, OH): “A self-publishing company that offers Editing, Proofreading, Cover Design, Paperback, Hardcover, and eBook Design and Distribution.”
The Ohio State University Press (Columbus, OH): OSU Press specializes in literary and cultural studies (including comics, narrative theory, Victorian studies, and medieval studies), American studies, rhetoric and communication, gender and sexuality studies, and race and ethnic studies. They also acquire books in regional studies on their Trillium imprint and creative works on their Mad Creek imprint.
Two Dollar Radio (Columbus, OH): An independent family-run publisher that also operates Two Dollar Radio Headquarters, an indie bookstore, event space, and café.
Upper Hand Press (Bexley, OH): "Upper Hand Press publishes books you'll find nowhere else. Our writers are people who have things they can't keep quiet about. We believe that significant writers are people who work very hard to write, whatever their circumstances and whatever their educations. Hard work creates and burnishes authenticity, the fundamental in gaining the Upper Hand."
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Ohioana Library Association Ohio Literary Trail: A great overview of Ohio’s rich literary landscape organized by the state’s five geographic regions. The Ohio Literary Trail lists landmark literary destinations, historical markers that recognize literary achievements, and book festivals dedicated to readers and writers.