2013 Writer’s Market Is Better Than Ever

The 2013 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition is out and for those who are in the early stages of their writing career, I could not recommend a better introduction to the world of publishing than this book.

The annual staple of wannabe authors and freelance writers lives up to its reputation as being the place to start when looking to find a book publisher or a magazine (to submit articles to). Writer’s Digest Books is charging $50 for the paperback book, which at first seems high, but the information contained is well-researched and essential to the writer seeking to market his work, so a price tag of $100 wouldn’t phase him.

The book contains an abbreviated list of literary agent contacts, an expansive list of book publishers and a substantial list of magazine contacts. Further, it lists interesting things, such as awards, key publishing organizations, and a chart of what one should expect to get paid for various freelance services such as ghostwriting a book, editing a manuscript, or designing a Web site. The first 180 pages are filled with essays on topics of the day, including: publishing contracts 101; creating an author platform; finding freelance opportunities online; blogging basics; and how to improve your presentation skills.

I have been reading this book for nearly 25 years and still appreciate the information provided.

One useful thing that comes with this book is a scratch-off code that allows the purchaser to get a free online subscription for one year to www.writersmarket.com.

What the book does not contain is essays on the bigger issues facing writers today – the decline of publishing advances; the increased competition for book sales;  the fall of the bookstore; the digital wars that are making ebooks sell for just 99 cents; how authors are giving away so much free content out of desperation to find readership. But that is the ugly side of the business. No one needs to write about that; writers will discover their own truths soon enough.

For writers looking to commoditize their words and ideas, the best resource is still Writer’s Market. The 2013 edition reinforces that writers still have thousands of publishers and publications to sell their words to. So start the query-letter process now!

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.