Brewer, Robert. Writer's Market. Writer's Digest Books, 2009. The complete publishing guide: listings of publishers, agents, magazines, websites, screenwriting and playwriting markets, contests, and so much more. Also see Children's Writer's … Illustrator's Market, Poet's Market, and Novel and Short-Story Writer's Market.

Burt-Thomas, Wendy. The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters. Writer's Digest Books, 2009. Learn how to write query letters for magazine articles, nonfiction, novels, children's books, and more. Includes samples of good and bad queries.

Cameron, Julie. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. J. P. Tarcher, 1992. Many readers have used this twelve-week program to foster creativity in different aspects of their lives. The book offers exercises and techniques for freeing up creativity by overcoming fear, jealousy, and other blocks. Also check Cameron's other books on creativity: The Artists' Way Workbook, The Vein of Gold, and Walking in this World.

Cohen, Sage. Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry. Writer's Digest Books; 2009. Assists in building skills and confidence in a poetic voice. Craft issues are addressed, but in informal nonacademic style.

Curthoys, Ann and Ann McGrath. How to Write History That People Want to Read. UNSW Press, 2009. A guide to all types of writers of history — family historians, students, academics — on research, organization, and writing. Includes examples.

Doyen, Barbara. The Everything® Get Published Book. Adams Media, 2006. All the information you need to get your manuscript in print.

Fogarty, Mignon. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Holt Paperbacks, 2008. Tips on punctuation, capitalization, commonly misused words, and more.

Foster, Thomas. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Harper Paperbacks, 2003. An amusing guide to understanding and critiquing literature and all the “hidden” meanings beneath the surface.

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. Shambhala, 2005. Combining philosophy, personal experience, and writing advice. Goldberg has several books on writing and creativity.

Herman, Jeff. Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2009. Names and areas of interest for thousands of editors, publishers, and agents, plus advice and tips for writers.

James-Enger, Kelly. Ready, Aim, Specialize!. Writer, Inc., 2003. Techniques and tips on developing a niche, finding sources, maximizing your time and income, and breaking in to the freelance market.

Katz, Christina. Get Known Before the Book Deal. Writer's Digest Books, 2008. Information about creating a platform to increase the odds of getting a book deal, impacting book sales, and developing a readership.

Kempton, Gloria. Write Great Fiction — Dialogue. Writer's Digest Books, 2004. How to create dialogue for a variety of genres, bring characters to life through strong dialogue, and recognize and fix bad dialogue.

King, Sophie. How to Write Short Stories for Magazines — and Get Published!. How To Books Ltd., 2009. Advice from an author, journalist and creative writing teacher on crafting stories and selling them.

King, Stephen. On Writing. Pocket, 2002. The horror master shares his stories about becoming a published writer, including advice, early influences, and addiction.

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird. Anchor, 1995. Following her father's advice to her brother to take writing a report on birds “bird by bird,” Lamott has written a number of outstanding novels that focus on modern relationships. In this “instruction guide,” she shares her techniques for and feelings about creative writing.

Larsen, Michael. How to Write a Book Proposal (third edition). Writer's Digest Books, 2004. The top resource for creating a book proposal that gets your manuscript published. Includes sample proposals and guidelines to promote your book.

Maass, Donald. Writing the Breakout Novel. Writer's Digest Books, 2002. Discusses patterns found in all breakout novels and how to improve your chances of success by implementing these elements in your own book.

Maslen, Andy. The Copywriting Sourcebook. Marshall Cavendish Limited, 2010. Step-by-step advice on writing advertising and website copy, direct mail letters, and more.

Morrell, David. Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft. Writer's Digest Books, 2003. A how-to for writers on developing plot, structure, characters, and dialogue. Includes real-life examples from the author and other writers.

Random House Webster's College Dictionary. Random House, 2005. Over 207,000 definitions, plus tips and information for writers. Available with a CD-ROM.

Staw, PhD, Jane Anne. Unstuck: A Supportive and Practical Guide to Working Through Writer's Block. St. Martin's Griffin, 2004. New and experienced writers alike can struggle with writer's block. Staw helps writers move through this obstacle with writing exercises, relaxation techniques, and by uncovering specific blocks.

Strunk, William, and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. FQ Classics, 2007. Many consider this to be the guide to writing well, whether you write novels, letters, term papers, or plays. Making “every word tell” is the focus of this small masterpiece.

Tedesco, Anthony, and Paul Tedesco. Online Markets for Writers. Holt Paperbacks, 2000. Contact information and the editorial needs of numerous websites, plus pointers from online editors and a sample Internet writing contract.

Writer's Essential Desk Reference. Writer's Digest Books, 2001. Great information and advice for freelancers, from tips on agents to copyright law to promoting your book.

Zinsser, William. On Writing Well, 30th Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. Collins, 2006. Covers a variety of types of writing, including technical, business, sports, and humor, with tips on writing clearly and without clichés.