For Writers & Local Authors
Welcome to Richland Library’s hub of information and resources to help writers and local authors.
Whether you're a published author, graphic novelist, short story writer, or novice, Richland Library is here to help support you on your writing journey with avenues to share your work, resources and services to help you hone your craft, and opportunities to connect.

Local Author Collection
Make your work available to library customers for check out through our Local Author Collection.

Access Magazine
Submit original, unpublished stories, poems and excerpts for inclusion in Richland Library's award-winning magazine.

Kids in Print
Midlands-area children and teens ages 6-18 can submit their original, well-crafted work to the library's youth literary magazine that features poetry, stories, short plays, essays, drawings, photographs and more.

Short Edition
Submit original, very short stories (1,500 words or less) for publication on our Short Edition website and distribution through our ever-popular Short Story Dispensers.

Fall Lines
Fall Lines – a literary convergence is a literary journal presented by The Jasper Project in partnership with Richland Library and One Columbia for Arts and Culture. Submissions of previously unpublished poetry, essays, short fiction, and flash fiction are accepted annually.

Ask A Librarian
Need help with discovering our writing resources? Submit your question via our Ask-a-Librarian form and a library staff member will be in touch to help.

Reserve a Meeting Space
The library offers a variety of meeting and study spaces perfect for writing, editing, or conducting research for your forthcoming bestseller.

Meet with a Resident
The library's budding residency program connects the community with local working artists, entrepreneurs and writers.

Events & Programs
Richland Library offers a wide array of programs and events to support local writers on their creative journeys, from workshops about writing, editing, and publishing to open mic nights and author events. Check the events calendar for upcoming opportunities.

SC Writer's Association
A literary arts non-profit organization offering a supportive environment for people to become better writers.

Write on SC
Using writing — fiction, poetry, and non-fiction — Write on SC brings together the diverse talented people of Columbia and SC. Screenwriters, novelists, poets, and biographers as well as bloggers, food critics, journalists, and freelancers all collaborate on Write on SC.

Columbia Writers Alliance
Founded in August 2002 by Jerlean S. Noble, the Columbia Writers Alliance is a non-profit organization that is open to all published authors and aspiring writers.

Soda City Youth Slam
A community organization founded by teachers, young writers, and poetry mentors in 2016 to give young writers a space to free their voices, speak their souls, and hone their craft in a safe and supportive environment.

South Carolina Publishers
Looking for a local press to submit your work to? Check out our list of South Carolina publishers.

Ask Up
The Ask UP website is designed to help scholars and the broader public learn more about scholarly publishing. The site’s FAQs answer the basic and the not-so-basic questions about how to publish and promote scholarship. Just click a topic to get information about the world of scholarly publishing, from how to submit a book proposal to how to promote your published book to how to reach out to a journal review editor.

NaNoWriMo
Writing a novel alone can be difficult, even for seasoned writers. NaNoWriMo helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel. Oh, and best of all, it’s free!

Indie Author Project Expert Sessions
A monthly webinar series for experienced, beginning, or soon-to-be authors of any genre, at any stage in the writing process. Featuring indie authors and industry professionals, IAP Expert Sessions offer compelling content covering a wide range of writing topics, including marketing, the writing process, indie publishing, editing, and more.

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the only professional organization specifically for individuals who write, illustrate, and translate for children and young adults.
Writer's Reference Center
A convenient one-stop location for all of the tools necessary to write and research effectively. From the mechanics of writing and grammar to style and research, this indispensable online resource thoroughly covers the fundamentals of quality writing.
Bloom's Literature
Contains information on thousands of authors and their works, an archive of 38,000 characters, plus articles on topics and themes, a timeline, and a special feature on Harold Bloom's Western Literary Canon. Also find detailed guides for writing critical essays and analyzing important literary themes.
LinkedIN Learning
Web-based video courses and step-by-step tutorials on a wide range of topics, including writing, editing, publishing, and productivity tips for writers.
Books & Authors
The best readers make the best writers! Find your next great read by searching author, title, or series, the "If you like..." search, genre or topical browsing and more.
NoveList Plus for Reading Suggestions
Easily find read-alikes for popular authors, book discussion guides, award lists, and much more!