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Resources for Cozy Writers

We'll be adding to this section with more resources for writers as I find them. If you see your site here and would like us to add a picture/details, please contact us and let us know. If your site is not listed here, but you offer resources that would help cozy mystery authors, please let us know that, too!

Advertising

Advertising

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Cozy Mystery Facebook Ad Cost Report

Ad Costly

Ad Costly provides reports on the costs and logistics of running Facebook ads for targeted groups. This report is specifically for Cozy Mysteries.

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Cozy Mystery E-Book Market Secrets

K-Lytics

Get an up-to-date, behind the scenes data and information about the state of the cozy mystery market for a reasonable price. 

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Goodreads

Amazon

Once you get your book up on Amazon KDP, B&N, Kobo, and/or other sides, you'll want to make sure it's listed on Goodreads. If you publish on KDP, it should automatically transfer, but you can help the process along and/or keep the info on the site up to date. You can also run ads and/or giveaways on the site.

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Written Word Media

Freebooksy/Bargainbooksy

If your books are priced under 2.99USD, you can put your books in an ad with Bargainbooksy. If you're running a free sale, you can run an ad with Freebooksy. Or, read the Written Word Media blog for tips on advertising.

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Bookbub

Bookbub

Bookbub's newsletters get your book ads in reader's sights. You can pay to post ads on their website or you can submit your book for a featured ad deal, but they only select a handful of submissions.

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Cozy Mystery Novels

Online Book Marketing

This Facebook page run by Online Book Marketing is devoted specifically to cozy mysteries. They specialize in getting books in front of readers.

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Great Escapes Book Tours

Dollycas

This website provides cozy mystery tours for free, though donations to the site give extra ad space on the site. Lori organizes painless tours with multiple bloggers helping promote your book. Email her to book your spot at least 3 months in advance.

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Book Sirens

Book Sirens

Get your ARC's into the hands of readers who are willing to give honest reviews. BookSirens is a community of 15k+ reviewers and influencers. They have a section specifically for cozy mysteries!

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Cozy Mysteries Unlimited

Cozy Mysteries Unlimited

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The site lists only cozy mysteries and allows readers to keep track of the books they are reading and ones they want to read. You can send an email through the site's contact form to send requests to add your book to the site.

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Mystery Reads Advertising

Mystery Reads

Mystery reads will advertise your books on their site and social media accounts for $29 to $199 depending on the package selected.

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Agents

Agents

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19 Top Literary Agents for Cozy Mysteries

Writing Tips Oasis

This is a blog post on the website Writing Tips Oasis listing the top agents who represent cozy mystery authors.

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Literary Agent Undercover

Literary-Agents.com

Find agents, get resources, and ask questions about how to get a book deal or anything else that a literary agent might be able to answer. 

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Agent Query

Agent Query

Database of agents searchable by genre. It doesn't specifically list cozy mysteries, but it does list the mystery genre.

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Query Database

Query Database

You can search for literary agents to match your genre, get query advice, socialize with authors also searching for an agent, and more. 

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Cozy Mystery Agents' Wish Lists

Miss WishList

Miss Wish List is a twitter hashtag agents and editors use to let writers know what they are looking for at any given time.

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Blogs

Blogs/Pages About Writing

Cozy Mystery Writers

Ann Audree

Cozy Mystery Writers

Author Ann Audree shares what she knows about writing a cozy mystery book series on this Facebook group page.

Fiction Writing Tools

S.A. Soule

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Along with general writing advice, get a list of cozy mystery writing tips and resources.

Cozy Mystery Publishing Blog

Ellen Jacobson

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Ellen Jacobson's blog includes two categories just for writers: Cozy Mystery Publishing and Writing, where she shares her advice and experience as an author.

Elizabeth Spann Craig Author Blog

Elizabeth Spann Craig

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Elizabeth Spann Craig gives advice about writing on her blog as well as Twitterific Writing Links for cozy authors.

The Creative Penn

Joanna Penn

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Author Joanna Penn runs a podcast and blog that gives general writing advice. This is a link to an episode of her podcast featuring cozy mystery author Debbie Young on how to write a cozy mystery.

How to Start a Cozy Mystery Blog

A Cozy Experience

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Marie from A Cozy Experience has written a great post on how to start a cozy mystery blog.

Books on Writing Cozies

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Nancy J. Cohen

Writing The Cozy Mystery

Writing the Cozy Mystery is an award-winning guide that will help you develop your characters, establish the setting, plot the story, add suspense, plant clues and solve the crime. You’ll find everything you need to know in an easy-to-read, precise manner to write a winning whodunit.  

PRICE:

$3.99

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How to Outline a Cozy Mystery

Learn the building blocks of cozy mysteries and the psychology behind why readers choose the cozy over other crime genres.

PRICE:

$4.99

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Paul Tomlinson

Mystery: How to Write Traditional & Cozy Whodunnits

Tools for writers of whodunit mysteries, including the impossible, locked room mysteries and how to write inverted mysteries.

PRICE:

$6.99

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Books

Courses/Templates on Writing Cozies

Harry Dewulf

Udemy: How to Write Cozy Mysteries

A 51-minute, 9-Lecture course for beginners who want to learn the basics of writing a cozy mystery.

PRICE:

$34.99

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Plottr

This is a site for plotting out your novel. Make sure you get your story straight - plot out the details using this online tool.

PRICE:

$25-65/year

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Plots for Authors

Cozy Mystery Plot Template

Follow this step-by-step guide for plotting a cozy mystery, from the characters to the settings to the story.

PRICE:

$399

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Molly Fitz/Melissa Storm

The Author Engine: Writing and Marketing Cozy Mysteries

A successful author teaches other authors the secrets to success in one out of many courses offered on The Author Engine.

PRICE:

$199

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Ellie Alexander

Ellie Alexander's Author Academy

Learn from professional cozy mystery author, Ellie Alexander, how to write a successful cozy, killer query letter, a book proposal, and/or a mystery series in her Author Academy. You also get access to her private Author Academy Facebook Group.

PRICE:

$495 or $97/mo

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Courses
Design

Design

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Book Brush

Book Brush

Upload your book covers to create 3D covers, mockups, ads,  videos and more. Some services are free, but most require a paid subscription.

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Canva

Canva

Design covers, social media posts, and extras with Canva. Their free plan offers 250k templates. Upgrade for more features.

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Vellum

Vellum

Stunning Book Covers offer premade cozy mystery covers, or you can purchase a custom cover design.

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The Book Cover Designer

Charlie

This site offers premade covers at prices ranging $50 - $120. 

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Go On Write

James

Go On Write has a bunch of covers, including cozy mystery covers at prices unmatched by other websites. James can also design  covers to your specifications for a higher price.

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Book Covers Cre8ive

Book Covers Crea8ive

Get premade cozy mystery covers or book a custom order.

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Stunning Book Covers

Stunning Book Covers

Stunning Book Covers offer premade cozy mystery covers, or you can purchase a custom cover design.

Editing

Richelle Braswell

Richelle Braswell: Comprehensive Editing

Richelle Braswell

Richelle Braswell is an editor who offers a one-stop-shop editing service for independent fiction authors. She provides brainstorming, outline critique, manuscript evaluation, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. Cozy mystery and fantasy are her genre specialties.

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Grammarly

Grammarly

Edit while you write using this app on the web or download it into your computer to use directly with your documents. Allows you to create a clean first draft. When you're ready for an editor, you can use Grammarly's editors or find your own.

The Cozy Review

The Cozy Review

The Cozy Review

The Cozy Review, a review website, also offers general proofreading services.

Editing
Publishers

Publishers Accepting Cozy Mysteries

Cozy Cat Press

Patricia Rockwell, Founder

Cozy Cat Press

Cozy Cat Press's goal is to publish the best in cozy mysteries and in magical realism.   

Kindred Ink Press

Kindred Ink Press

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Kindred Ink has four imprints for various ages, all of which publish cozy mysteries. They are currently closed to unagented submission

Poisoned Pen Press

Robert Rosenwald & Barbara Peters

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An independent publisher of mystery books whose founders have received several awards for their contribution to mystery publishing. Only accepting agented submissions.

Hallmark Publishing

Hallmark

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Currently not open to unagented submissions, but for authors with agents, Hallmark accepts cozy mystery submissions. See their guidelines for their manuscripts on their website. 

Lyrical Press

Kensington Books

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A division of Kensington Press specializing in Women's Fiction, thriller, Psychological suspense, romance, new adult, and cozies.

TCK Publishing

Tom Corson-Knowles, Founder

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Accepts all genres of fiction and non-fiction, and has a specific section on their site to submit cozy mysteries. They runs a poetry contest.

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Inkitt is a website where you can publish your stories and test out your success. If readers respond well to your writing, Inkitt may offer you a publishing contract. 

Literary Marketplace

Literary Marketplace

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Find publishers of a specific subject. You do need to be a registered user, whether free or a paid subscriber, in order to use the search feature.

Whiskered Mysteries

Molly Fitz

Whiskered Mysteries

If your books contain a furry sidekick, consider submitting to Whiskered Mysteries publishing company. They currently accept manuscripts submitted by authors and may even consider previously published work.

Magazines

Magazines Accepting Cozy Mysteries

Black Cat Mystery Magazine

Wildside Press

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Submissions start March 1st, 2021 for a special issue entitled Black Cat Magazine Presents Cozies. 

Mysterical-E Magazine

Mysterical-E

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May publish your stories online. Accepts all genres of mystery and a wide range of story lengths from under 100 words to 40k books. Not a paid market.

Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine

Wildside Press

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Submissions start March 1st, 2021 for a special issue entitled Black Cat Magazine Presents Cozies. 

Self Publishing

Self-Publishing

Barnes and Noble Press

B&N

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Publishes your books directly to Barnes and Noble. The site guides authors step by step in the process of publishing to B&N.

Findaway Voice

Findaway Voices

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Get your audiobooks published on major retailers from one platform. 

Kindle Direct Publishing

Amazon KDP

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Publishes your books directly to Amazon. There is a video guide on how to get started, templates, a help community and other tools to help.

Smashwords

Smashwords

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Instead of publishing on individual booksellers' sites, Smashwords allows you to publish on multiple sites at once from a single platform.

Bookbaby

Bookbaby

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Get your books physically printed and/or published as an ebook online. Bookbaby also offers some marketing resources for authors.

INscribe Digital

INscribe Digital

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Get your book published on 250 retailer websites and 20,000 libraries on this site. INscribe Digital also offers print-on-demand services distributing to major retailers. 

Kobo Writing Life

Rakuten Kobo

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Publishes books directly to Kobo. The site guides authors through the process of setting up books on Kobo.

Draft 2 Digital

Draft 2 Digital

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Draft 2 Digital does ebook publishing, print-on-demand paperbacks, and more.  

Kindle Vella

Amazon KDP

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Publish serialized fiction 600 - 5k words in "episodes." Must publish these stories exclusively with Amazon KDP and no where else to publish them on this platform.

My Identifiers (ISBNs)

Bowker

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The official site for getting ISBNs and barcodes.ISBNs are not necessary to ebooks, but are needed for physical books. Publishing sites do give ISBNs, but if you want ones you own, this is where you'd get them.

Associatons

Writer's Associations/Awards

Crime Writer's Association

CWA

CWA

An organization accepting crime writers, agents, publishers, reviewers, bloggers, and editors who specialize in crime fiction. Located in the UK but open to membership worldwide.

Sisters in Crime

Chapters Vary by State

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An organization supporting crime writers of all genres throughout the United States. 

Agatha Awards

Malice Domestic

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Malice Domestic brings authors together once a year for a writing conference. Each year members of Malice Domestic nominate mystery novels and a handful win awards in various categories.

Mystery Writers of America

Mystery Writers of America

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An organization for authors, aspiring writers, and other professionals in mystery writing. Located in the USA but open to membership worldwide.

Groups

Writer's Groups/Writing Help

Andi Lit

Andi Cumbo Floyd

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Cozy Mystery author ACF Bookens runs this site, which offers editing services, writers' retreats, and a writers' community for writers of all genres.

Cozy Mystery Writers

Facebook Group

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This is a Facebook group only open to cozy mystery writers to discuss anything about writing cozies. This is not a book promotion site.

My Writers' Circle

My Writers' Circle

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This is a forum where writers can talk to each other and post their work. It's not genre-specific, so you'll find all kinds of work on here.

Bundle Rabbit

Kydala Publishing

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Bundle your stories in boxed sets with other others, collaborate on series, share your world with other writers, and more on this site.

Critique Circle

Facebook Group

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Critique stories to earn credits, use your credits to post stories, and see others' critiques of your work.

Scribophile

Alex

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This is an online critique group. Earn points by critiquing chapters from other writers' manuscripts, then use those points to post your own work for critique. Stories are posted by genre, including mystery, and there are genre specific groups.

Cozy Mystery Village

Facebook Group

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This is a Facebook group connects readers, writers, and publishers as a place to ask for ARC readers, writing advice, and more.

Critique Match

Critique Match

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Get matched with critique partners and beta readers or find a professional critique or editing  services.

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