This image illustrates how I think a lot of people feel when approaching the business side of publishing. It's a whole other world, folks, but thank God there's plenty help along the way.

The Craft:

Critters- Online critique service that you participate in on a weekly basis. I've had many stories and chapters go through and come out far better for the feedback I've received from here. Plus it helps hone your editing skills. Focuses on stories of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Highly recommended.

Manuscript Prep- A page that helps you run through basic formats and industry standards so your novel or short story manuscript shows up in the editor's hands in perfect condition.

Query Letter Prep- And a guide to that bane of all manuscript submissions...the query letter.

Encyclopedia Mythica- A favorite of mine. An enormously comprehensive online encyclopedia of all things mythological. Great for research, or just fun to browse for ideas and fun stories.

Folklore and Mythology- A compendium of full electronic texts, stories and essays.

A Word A Day- What the link says.

WordWeb- An excellent tool for when that "perfect" word escapes your grasp. Also a handy dictionary, thesaurus and word-association program. And it's free!

Chronicles Network- A large portal for science fiction and fantasy news, plus a rather extensive forum to browse through.

The Elements of Style- The definitive handbook on plain English style writing. If you want to break the rules of grammar, it helps to first know what they are.

Old Superstitions- Categorizes superstitions according to Good luck/Bad luck, Holidays, Animals, Weddings, and plenty more. Fun to browse, and worth a few laughs.

The Biz:

The SF Site- The Home Page for Science Fiction and Fantasy in all its various forms, whether books, movies, television, etc.

Locus- News, Reviews, Resources, and Perspectives of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

Spicy Green Iguana- The Speculative Fiction Magazine Resource Site.

Publishers- The bigger science fiction and fantasy publishing houses on the market today.

Writer Beware- A premiere source of info on publishing scams, the people behind them and how to avoid them.

Preditors and Editors- An incredible database of literary agents, agencies, and editors, all with their own reports, ratings, and recommendations on quality of their work and service to writers.

Know Your Writing Rights!- A basic rundown of permissions and the many publishing rights that can affect how you present your work to the world.

Writers Digest Contests- If you're looking for some laurels to stick on your stories, along with potential cash prizes, check out these ongoing annual contests from Writers

Backspace- The writer's place. A compendium of articles, conferences, agent listings, contests, writer's groups, book reviews, and blogs worth checking out.