Last week I attended a launch event for two new resources for Chicago-area writers: Chicago Publishes and CAR-Literary. The sites are meant to support local writers and the local publishing industry to help spotlight current authors in Chicago.

Chicago Publishes features news, a Chicago Publishers Gallery spotlight, events and resources for publishers and writers. The website was launched by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ Publishing Industry Programs to serve as a current source of information on the publishing industry and to help local authors and publishers. You can also follow Chicago Publishes on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

In addition, the Chicago Artists Resource has launched CAR-Literary, “a resource for artists, by artists.” The site collects community-contributed content like jobs, calls for submissions, links to resources and hosts an open forum. One of the most exciting parts of the site is that it will also feature Artist Stories contributed by local writers and publishers, that share their experiences. Create a profile on the site to submit your events and stories. And be sure to check out CAR’s other sites devoted to dance, music, theater and visual artists.