The one book all writers should know about is…Writer’s Market. I have told many
aspiring authors about this book when they ask me how they can get published.
It truly is the “most trusted guide to getting published.”
Every year, a new edition comes out. Each book has a
comprehensive list of book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests
and awards, and literary agents. In the beginning, there’s also articles from
bestsellers and industry experts on how to develop your author brand and
promote your book. The articles’ subjects are different in each edition.
One thing you can always count on is their sample query
letters for fiction, nonfiction, and articles. They offer real query letters
that worked or didn’t, and they explain what caught their attention or ruined
the query for them. I love to see these query letters.
Another book like Writer’s
Market is A Guide to Literary Agents that
also comes out with an updated annual version. If what you’re looking for is an
agent, this is the book for you! The agent section in Writer’s Market is tiny, but you can be sure that A Guide to Literary Agents lists all the
agents in every genre. I’ve used this book many times to build my list of
agents.
These two books are priceless for writers.
For UK writers, check out Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.
There's also:
Poet's Market
Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market Book
Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Note: I don't buy these books. I check them out from my local library. ;)
For UK writers, check out Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.
There's also:
Poet's Market
Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market Book
Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Note: I don't buy these books. I check them out from my local library. ;)
QUESTIONS: Do you use these books?
Will you be joining the IWSG Book Club? :D
Will you be joining the IWSG Book Club? :D
We already have fifty members in the Goodreads club!
ReplyDeleteWoot! I invited my Goodreads friends. :)
DeleteCool idea, the book club!
ReplyDeleteI used to get those other two books every year. Good information and I did get responses. Great resource!
These two books are staples for writers wanting to publish.
DeleteI'm all signed up. Thanks, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
DeleteThey hold some good info indeed that takes seed.
ReplyDeleteThey do indeed.
DeleteI've got several Writer's Market books from past years, but haven't bought this year's copy yet. I never seem to use them so I've been hesitant about getting another. I might wait for next year's edition now.
ReplyDeleteBook club sounds interesting. I might have to check it out.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I check out the newest copies from my local library. :)
DeleteBack in the day I used the Writer's Market. Getting an agent is more difficult than a publisher so I usually recommend the Agent Guide just for the excellent query letter sample. (Which I wish more writers would perfect before querying.)
ReplyDeleteThe Agent Guide is so helpful. I use that one the most, too.
DeleteLove the idea of the book club! I joined! :)
ReplyDeleteI always look through those books but I haven't actually put them to good use yet. Guess I have to finish writing a book first...
Yay!!!
DeleteLooking through them, and taking notes, is a good start. :)
The book club sounds like a really groovy idea!
ReplyDeleteI have a much older Guide to Literary Agents, from about 2000. It was a gift from my parents. Those were the days when you had to send snail mail, and most agents didn't have any online presence. Some of the agencies and agents in that book are no longer in business now, so it's kind of a historical document.
Thanks! And the fiction books we'll be reading are of all different genres: classical, historical...you name it.
DeleteI have a copy of both guides from 2008. Now I just check the new ones out at my local library if I need them.
Those books sound exactly the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook that we have here in the UK! It's updated every year too - I love it! Love the idea of a IWSG book club :)!
ReplyDeletehttp://rachelpattinson.com/
I forgot...I should've mentioned that guidebook for the UK writers. I'll add it to my post now. :)
DeleteI used to always buy those books but haven't for a number or years.
ReplyDeleteIt's easier to check them out at the library. :)
DeleteYou always give some great information for writers when they start out or if they have a road block. Great info here
ReplyDeleteThanks, Birgit. I try. :)
DeleteHey Chrys. I'm still thinking about the book club. Boy. Another commitment. I don't hang around GR much but I know I should. Good books for writers. So many...:-)
ReplyDeleteBut hopefully a small, fun commitment. :)
DeleteHi Chrys - I'll probably join as I need to learn GoodReads and IWSG ... and generally move myself forward ... thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteAre the two books useful for overseas authors?
Cheers Hilary
That's great, Hilary! I hope you do. I'd love to have you there. :)
DeleteFor UK writers, try the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.
Great idea - I've joined up :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thank you!
DeleteI've already signed up. The IWSG just keeps getting better and better.
ReplyDeleteThank you, ken!
DeleteI haven't used either of those books, but I'm particularly interested in the Writer's Market. There are a lot of literary magazines and agents out there that I'm unfamiliar with, so it'd be good to get more information.
ReplyDeleteWriter's Market tells you the inf you need to know.
DeleteWhen I lived in the UK, until October 2016, I used to buy the Writers & Artists Yearbook each year - and it had valuable articles as well as listings. Guess it's time to get the US equivalent niw I'm here. Thanks, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteHaving one of these books if you want to publish in the US is helpful, but they also list Canada publishers.
DeleteI need those books... once I have something finished and am looking to sell it. Until then, I'll keep plugging away at the writing thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, keep plugging away. :)
DeleteI found the 2017 Writer's Market at the library last December and checked it out immediately. I didn't read it all and I wasn't really ready for it at the time, but I like the fact that the library makes getting some of that information more cost affective. However, they don't have the agent market book - I will have to find that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
I love my local libraries! I always check these kinds of books out at the library,
DeleteIf I was rich I'd buy both. hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I don't buy them. I use the library. ;)
DeleteIt's been awhile since I bought either. I'm waiting to have a polished manuscript(s) almost ready before buying the latest edition. But plan to get the 2017 Poet's Market edition soon.
ReplyDeleteThe Poet's Market is also a good one. And the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market. Oh, and the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market! lol
DeleteI've used the Writer's Digest books in the past. They have such great articles, as well as the listing of publishers. I've joined the Good Reads group. Need to get more active there. Sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining the book club!
DeleteIf only purchasing those was a guarantee to get published. ;) There are enough online resources to get you there, but it's definitely convenient having them all in one place.
ReplyDeleteIf only. ;)
DeleteThe book club is a very cool idea. I guess that means we need to dust off our old, unused Goodreads and put them to some good use.
ReplyDeleteWe've used Writer's Digest in the past, but now that we've fired our agents and do things ourselves, we only use it as a reference for new writers (and point out which agents to avoid like the plague).
Yes, we'd love for the two of you to be a part of our book club. :)
DeleteNot planning to write a book just yet but I think this is a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lux!
DeleteGreat post Chrys alniet late in commenting.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
That's okay. I'm late in returning comments.
DeleteThe section of query letter that worked and didn't is such a valuable resource.
ReplyDeleteI've used those as examples for my own efforts.
DeleteHow often will the book club review a book. I try to read a book on writing every year, and not sure I'd want to do more than two a year--there is just too much other things to read. And yes, I have used Writer's Digest.
ReplyDeleteOne book every two months, so the first book will start being read on April first. We will begin discussing it on May 17th. The book after that will be for June/July, which will be a fiction book, not about writing. We'll be swapping back and forth between writing books and fiction books (any genre).
DeleteThe IWSG book club sounds like a great idea. And yes, I've used the Writer's Digest books in the past. They also have a Guide to Literary Agents for those in children's publishing that is really helpful.
ReplyDeleteYes, I added that to the bottom of my post. :)
DeleteSounds like a great way to discuss books!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. :)
DeleteI used to use the guide, but now I do my research online. Publishers' Marketplace has been invaluable because it tells you who's actually selling (and buying) books in your genre.
ReplyDeleteThe book club is a stroke of genius! I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
I mostly do my research online now, too.
DeleteThanks! I hope many members get in on the discussions.