Finding the right resources for keeping a professional writing career motoring along at full speed can be a challenge and I am often asked for help in the area. I thought I’d share some of the contacts and websites that I, personally, have found very helpful in the past, in the hopes that readers will also benefit:

1. The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). This organization is an excellent resource for communicators and I value my membership in it. The IABC holds a number of excellent networking and professional development sessions every year and has a wealth of excellent resources for writers and other communicators interested in excelling at what they do.
2. IABC’s Professional Independent Communicator’s Group (PIC). PIC is specifically for independent professionals in the Toronto area who are interested in networking with like-minded professionals and they hold excellent monthly meetings focused on professional development.
3. If you are in the Toronto area, I highly recommend a trip out to Oakville to check out the Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA). This is group is comprised of writers, photographers, graphic designers, technical folks and more who are all focused on professional development and mutual support. The group meets monthly and membership permits inclusion in the group’s online directory.
4. The Editor’s Association of Canada (EAC). The EAC provides excellent training seminars on a wide variety of editing-related topics and also gives members numerous opportunities for networking.
5. Résumé assistance from Martin Buckland. Martin is a highly respected résumé expert who offers a free CV critiquing service through his website. He also teaches at the Western School of Business and he runs a job placement service for high-paid executives. A good CV is an important tool for self-promotion and I can highly recommend the advice Martin gives.
6. If you’re interested in valuable and/or interesting articles about writing, editing, corporate communications and PR, I can also recommend Ragan Communications.
7. Melcrum also has some good reports and articles available for writers.
8. Hubspot is my go-to spot for free training on social media.
9. Finally, I just KNOW that plenty of business folks out there are polishing a manuscript that they’re thinking might make a nice book Some Day. I’m a former member of the Some Day club too: Manor House Publishing released my first novel last year, “Shades of Teale”, and they’ve also brought out a collection of my short stories under the title of “Passages to Epiphany”.

What helped me perfect my creative writing skills were a number of courses and seminars I took with Brian Henry, a man who styles himself as a “midwife” for writers who have a story to tell. Brian’s Quick Brown Fox blogspot is always full of excellent resources and courses for writers and I highly recommend the training I received while in his circle.

And that’s a wrap for now – if you know of other valuable resources, please share!