Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Every year Writer's Digest Books comes out with a new set of guides for writers, each containing updated entries and new articles. This particular guide is directed at fiction writers only; unlike in the more general Writer's Market, here literary journals publishing only poetry and magazines publishing only nonfiction are excluded, making it easier for fiction writers to navigate.
Although the author interviews and craft articles are interesting, the market entries are the most valuable. Changes in editorial staff, focus, and the demise/birth of new markets every year necessitate buying each year's edition. Beginning writers will need to carefully read "The Business of Fiction Writing" while experienced writers will bypass most of the front matter to get right to the listings. Not all magazines and book publishers are listed here since the guide requires the cooperation of the publishers, but the compilation is extensive enough for most writers.
The 2005 edition contains interviews with novelist Margaret Atwood, anthology editor Shannon Ravenel, literary editor Jill Adams, and graphic novelist David Mack. Of particular interest is a piece titled "Premiere Voices", where four authors, including The Kite Runner's Khaled Hosseini, describe their different paths to publication. Articles addressing individual genres (romance , mystery, sci-fi, horror, etc.), self-promotion, and craft and technique round out the front matter.
As a published novelist and short story writer, I find the yearly listings mostly helpful for the placement of short fiction. Novelists would do better to get an agent first (see 2005 Guide to Literary Agents) unless they believe their fiction is better suited to a smaller press, in which case the listings here would be extremely helpful. Writers are advised to read each entry carefully to determine compatibility with their own writing.
Highly recommended for writers trying to publish their fiction.
Click Here to see more reviews about: 2005 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
For nearly 25 years, Novel & Short Story Writer's Market has been the only directory of its kind exclusively for fiction writers - no other resource provides as many listings devoted specifically to the craft of story. Inside this edition, readers will find: 2,000 updated listings (both paying and non-paying), with 350 listings new to this edition, including literary agents and journals, online and consumer magazines, book publishers and small presses; Expert advice from a spectrum of fiction writers, including Margaret Atwood, James Alexander Thom (Follow the River), horror writer Douglass Clegg, romance writer Debbie Macomber, mystery writer T. Jefferson Parker, and more; Graphic novelist David Mack on the art and business of publishing graphic novels and submission information on this emerging form; Helpful resources listing conferences, workshops and writing programmes; Any writer crafting any kind of fiction needs this essential resource.
