Writer's Market 2017: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published

by Robert Lee Brewer (Editor)

The most trusted guide to getting published!

Want to get published and paid for your writing? Let Writer's Market 2017 guide you through the process with thousands of publishing opportunities for writers, including listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests and awards, and literary agents. These listings feature contact and submission information to help writers get their work published.

Beyond the listings, you'll find all-new material devoted to the business and promotion of writing. Discover the secrets to writing better queries and selling more articles, tips for a great conference experience, and insight into developing an effective author brand. Plus, you'll learn how to write and curate content to grow your audience, connect with book clubs, and make promotions and publicity work for you. This edition includes the ever-popular pay-rate chart and book publisher subject index, too!

You also gain access to:
List of professional writing organizations.
Sample query letters.
A free digital download of Writer's Yearbook, featuring the 100 Best Markets: WritersDigest.com/WritersDigest-Yearb....
Includes exclusive access to the webinar "7 Principles of Freelance Writing Success" from Robert Lee Brewer, editor of Writer's Market.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, Business, Education, How To, Research

889 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2016

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just to clarify, I haven't published anything yet, but this book is really pointing me in the right direction. Not only do they list agents and publishers with specifics on what they're looking for, there are also articles and tips on everything from bookkeeping for the self-employed to marketing yourself to both publishers and readers. The organization of the book is clear and divided for easy reference. Very helpful!

[Mary Chrapliwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable book. Love the sections with writing tips, and particularly the section about getting an agent. This is an awesome book.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchase this hefty book yearly. Excellent reference book. Well thought out and informative. Highly recommend especially if you are a freelance writer.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as three separate books, addressing each chapter on its own.

Chapter One: Finding Work. The first chapter of the Writer's Market focuses on finding work, including writing pitches and query letters, where to find reputable outlets, and how to making working for free pay off. Examples or good and bad pitches and queries were included, which were really helpful. I've always been nervous about even the cover letters I've submitted with fiction stories, so it was nice to read what worked for even more professional tasks and see that I wasn't too far off base. One section dealt with funds for writers that didn't include writing jobs, necessarily, which I found interesting. It focused on grants and how to apply, make sure they fit, and make sure you deliver what's expected. The section on ghostwriting was especially interesting to me, since it's something I've mused about before. After reading that portion and looking back over books I've read to see that ghostwriters are often featured prominently (getting credit for their work), I have to say it's something I'd be interested in doing.

Chapter Two: Managing Work. The idea of making writing a business is a daunting one, but this chapter in Writer's Market makes it a little less so. It still made me nervous just to read about all these things I'd need to do as a "real" writer, but it helps to have something to reference. There are charts in this chapter to function as a Submissions Manager (which I started back in 2009) as well as help with filing quarterly self-employed taxes (which I've been doing this year as a freelance designer). There is also a great chart that lists different tasks writers do, such as research, articles, conferences, speaking engagements, etc, and how much to charge for these: there is a high price, a low price, and the average. I haven't yet negotiated payments or contracts, but it makes me feel more confident knowing there's something like this at my fingertips to reference when that time comes.

Chapter Three: Promoting Work. The last chapter of the book before the listing section. There are a handful of articles about what social media outlets to use and how to effectively use them, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, and blogging. It seemed a bit daunting since I don't use many of those platforms, but the advice was to the point and included links to many other sites either to help with social media, or that are lesser-known media outlets themselves.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know where you should submit your work, go here. I've used this source for years. Of course, a lot of this information in recent years can be accessed online; however, if don't have a paper fobia, then this is a great place to see it all in print. I'll let the QPB club tell you the details:

.Complete, up-to-date contact information and submissions guidelines for over 3,500 markets in 60 categories, including literary agents, book publishers (U.S. and Canada), small presses, consumer magazines, trade journals, and more;
• Helpful tips and instructional articles on the business of writing, with pieces by Erik Larson (Devil in the White City) and Mary Roach (Stiff);
• and, the invaluable, inside scoop on What to Charge

[Ocean · Rating 2 out of 5]

this has an embarrassing amount of typos and badly-checked information. yeah, it's an exhaustively compiled list of resources, but how helpful can it be when it gives you advice like, "query letter limit: 2 words". wtf? perhaps i will query a publisher with my 2 word letter: "dear publisher, wrote book. sincerely, ocean capewell"

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tremendously helpful book, not only for writers, but also for anyone with a small business. Many chapters are specific to writing, but others include useful tips regarding managing self employment. Also, lots of good advice on using the internet and social media for marketing and promotion. Chapters from various working writers, so it is practical, real world guidance.

[Pat Stanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all of the articles in beginning and they are very helpful.

The rest - well the rest requires a bit of work. I highlighted the publishers I want to contact for several areas. One color for short stories, another color for poetry,etc. That is how I've used it in the past and found it to be most helpful when going back to submit.

Always a great resource!

[Jesse Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reference book, I obviously did not read all 890 pages, but I did read the first 109, which include incredibly useful articles for new writers. I found them extremely informative and inspiring because they opened my eyes to new possibilities and opportunities. As a reference, I discovered many entries I would not have found or thought of otherwise and can start submitting my work.

[Catalina Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I didn’t know until the end of last year that you have to show you’ve published articles, chapters, book reviews, etc. to show your credibility to become a university librarian. So this is the first book I picked up on publishing. Better knowing later than never.

[Amy Senter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed practical articles for writers at any level included with publisher, agent, magazine and contest listings.

[Jorge Rodighiero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected much more tips to getting published, but it was mostly a directory of agency, publishers, magazines and grants.

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference, for finding an agent to shop both books, fiction and maybe even the nonfiction WiP.

[J.W. Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

how did i just discover these.... amazing information for indie writers

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writer’s Market is a great resource to writers.  Similar to other editions, the 2015 edition included articles on publishing your work and reference listings of book agents, publishers, and periodicals.

The section entitled “Query Letter Clinic” is a highlight.  I regard Writer’s Market as the gold standard reference for how to format queries and manuscripts if the agent or publisher hasn’t specified anything different.  Writer’s Market 2015 has very good query advice including clear examples of what to do and what not to do.  To me, this is the most useful part of the book.  There’s lots of “free” advice from other sources online about writing query letters, but you get what you pay for.

That being said, although many Writer’s Market buyers are probably aspiring novelists, the articles within the book are geared more so toward freelance magazine article writers.  That’s where a typical writer can actually make income.  Unfortunately, the articles become repetitive.  The contributors must not have known what other contributors were covering, or the editors didn’t really care that so many of the same topics were being covered three or four times, or both.

The writing style of the articles is very bold and almost “in your face.”  Some of the articles read more like blog posts by individuals who are very experienced and knowledgeable about the publishing world but who are also extremely opinionated and pushy.

The listing of publishers must have been a perfect resource in the days before the internet.  The deluxe edition of Writer’s Market provides access to the information on the web (for which 2015 access has expired).  But a lot of information about publishers and agents is available online for free.

I found the section on contests to be eye-opening.  Pursuing awards is not something I have given a lot of thought, but contests can be a good way to get feedback and advance your craft.  Reading through the different contests and their submission guidelines gave me helpful ideas about what to do with some of my projects apart from the usual pitches and queries.

Every writer should get an edition of Writer’s Market at least once as a reference.  But these days, once may be enough, and in other years you can buy other books about publishing that are more specific to your genre.

[romevi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little did I know that the publishing world could be so brutal. I mean, as a fledgling novelist, I knew I’d have to overcome some hurdles if I wanted my first novel to see the light of the publishing day, but I had no idea it could be such a marathon. A marathon through hell and back.

The first book I came across while researching how to get published was The Writer’s Market, and it seemed to be the standard book out there in terms of getting general knowledge (especially for beginners like me) of agents, query letters, publishers, etc. Honestly, after finishing my first book and researching publishing, it seems like applying to colleges all over again—what a nightmare.

If you’re like me and writing for the first time with most likely little income, then I’d suggest getting this from your local library. Mine had the latest edition readily available, so I was able to take tons of notes and ideas before submitting my first query to an agent.

As a general guide, this book is indispensable. But note that it’s a general all-around guide, so it tries to cover as much waters without staying in one stream for too long. For example, I just finished writing a children’s/MG novel, and there were many parts in the Writer’s Manual which I skipped over simply because they talked about writing for magazines and journals, something which I’m not at the present interested in. But who knows; maybe in the future I will be.

This volume contains listing information for agents, publishers, as well as contests/grants. Honestly, before reading this book, my plan was to submit to 10 publishers and, if rejected by all, self-publish on Amazon. Boy; glad I read this book first.
I’ve now revised my goal to strive for traditional publishing, and already have submitted my proposal to a first agent.

Great resource for new writers, such as me, who are confused about how to get your book out there. Of course, this is just a guide; getting your book published is still tough, but, like college aid books, this book will get you in the right direction.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do writers put bread on the table and figure out places to publish their works? This reference resource, republished every year, is a big part of the how. Perusing its listings will put the writer in better shape for publishing her/his works.

The first section of this work (about 900 pages long!) is about the business of writing – how to pitch pieces as a freelance writer and how to manage a business in freelance writing. Although many describe such fodder as “boring,” these details are essential for survival for full-time freelancers. Even for part-time writers like myself, these pieces of advice – each written by a different writer – can teach me how to interact with editors and thus to get published more readily.

The remaining sections of the book consist of short ads for literary agents, book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, and contests/awards. Each section provides the essential (and only the essential) information on how to submit a query or a manuscript to the right publisher.

Interestingly, there are different flavors of the Writer’s Market depending on your particular literary approach. For instance, there are field-specific guides to poetry, children’s books, novel and short stories, and literary agents. These provide more listings specific to one’s business need.

Overall, this work is essential to writers seeking to produce.

[Bookalicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is probably a bit different than others on here due to the fact that I read all the articles included in the first 133 pages.

Is this book a good resource? Yes. Are the articles worthy of reading? Yes. (Although, the more seasoned writer may already be familiar with most of the material presented.) Did the book get edited thoroughly? That’s a hard no!

I was very displeased at the overabundance of misspellings and errors that slipped through the editing stage. I mean, this is a book written specifically for writers!

Here are some examples:
- You Tube instead of YouTube
- using a compound word only to spell it as two separate words later in the same article (and then reverting back to a compound word)
- single bullet point justified differently than the remaining bullet points in a list
- double listing of the same entry (one of their own contests was listed twice)
- wrong headings (two different pages that were NOT part of the General Glossary had that title)
- and lots more!

If next year’s edition catches most of the errors, I’ll up my rating to a solid 5 stars for that version. Overall, I would recommend this book to all writers.

[Nevin Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writer's Market is probably best suited for people considering writing and pitching non-fiction books, rather than freelancers seeking out lucrative publications for short-form journalism and non-fiction. When it comes to books, there is a wealth of detail in the 'Book Publishers' section, including key contacts and how to contact them.

The guide also has good tips for writing query letters, although any published freelance writer will have mastered these techniques early on.

The 'Consumer Magazines' and 'Trade Journals' sections of the book are a little skimpy. There are a few nuggets here and there, but many of the publications listed pay $0.10 to $0.25 a word, which is just not enough for any working writer.

However, there are some fairly unknown magazines and journals listed in here, so if you, say, publish an article that pays $1.00 a word for a reasonable amount of effort, there will be some ROI on the purchase of this book.

That said, it seems that I myself will continue to search out niche publications that pay the rate I need to earn as a writer.

[Lesley Webster]

This is, as always, a necessary resource for a writer looking to break into the field. I have checked these books out of the library for years, but finally decided the $30 investment was necessary. (Oooh, I must be getting serious!) The listings and information are well organized and full of valuable information. Articles include info on agents, contests, and so much more.



One interesting thing though is that this particular edition needed a better editor. Throughout the entire book there are sentences cut off in the middle of a word. Most of the time you can figure out what that one sentence was meant to say, but sometimes you get "Tip: If you contact us, be sure to pr " In addition, some of the page numbers are waaaaaay off in the index. Everything's still easily found, being alphabetical and all, but sometimes there's as much as a 10 page difference between what's listed and where it actually exists in the book.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am nowhere near ready to be sending out novel manuscripts, but since this is the only copy in my library system I wanted to get it while it was around. There are literary magazines and poetry/fiction contests listed, which I did find useful, and some of them are Canadian publications, which was nice. Most of the listings for publishers and literary magazines are detailed, but some aren't. A couple are listed more than once, or are listed as accepting some genres and then quoted as not wanting those genres, or don't have the 'agented submissions only' or 'accepts unsolicited manuscripts' icon but are described as one or the other or both. I feel like one more proof read would have been beneficial. As a Canadian writer, I would have liked to see more Canadian content as well, or a book like this for the Canadian market. A good starting point for people starting to look into agents and publishers though, and also has some query letter and manuscript tips.

[Steven Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for mildly obsolete lists of who is willing to take a look at what kinds of submissions, the Writer's Market should be the first stop on your list.

It has compete information, though it's not very up-to-date... not that you can blame the book or its authors. The Writer's Market is published and updated once a year. It covers an already small pond that is rapidly shrinking.

It offers great information about submitting manuscripts and proposals to publishers, some of whom have recently closed or changed their policies so that they are no longer taking submissions.

I do recommend this book because it offers great tips on preparing proposals and protocols for manuscripts and cover letters. Just know that once you find publishers in this book, then look on the Net to make sure the information is still accurate.

[Davis Aujourd'hui · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to get published, this is the best resource available to you. It provides listings of literary agents and publishers. It breaks down the publishers according to size and specialty. In the listings for agents and publishers, you will be able to best determine who might want to consider working with you.

Aside from being a comprehensive index, it also provides other valuable resources. It will show you how to write an effective query letter and how to put together a book proposal. It includes words of wisdom from successfully published authors.

I have recently become a published author. The Writer's Market proved to be a valuable resource for me as I navigated the waters of what can be a mind-boggling publishing industry.

Davis Aujourd'hui
author of The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude

[Sally]

Looking for niche publishers I might approach for indexing work: LDS, natural living, gentle parenting. This massive 1170 page volume is like an abridgment of the Literary Market 2-volume set in the reference section of the library, and I didn't find what I was looking for in either one. "Religious-Other" is where you'll find LDS publishing houses in the LM, and it includes everything not Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or Prodestant. Thousands to sift through; not very helpful.

In this volume, "Religion" is all lumped together and they don't even include the biggest LDS publisher of all, Deseret Book.

In magazines, none of the titles I read are included, which has brought me to this conclusion:

I'll do better looking at the title pages of the books I do read to find the publshing houses I might consider approaching. I'm more fringe than I thought! lol

[Tom Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, I didn't read all 900 pages of this weighty tome. I read all of the essays on queries, making a living writing, sourcing income from places many writers wouldn't consider and more—all good stuff. Don't miss the "Writing from the Road" essay in there on travel writing and some of its offshoots. (Yeah, I wrote that one; I read it twice to make sure I wasn't lying.)

I did get into some of the agents/publishers pages too, because I'm shopping two novels, though I've been at that store for a while now. Might self-pub; still working on that notion. Do check out the Contests and Awards section of WM as well: I've won a couple of scholarships to writing conferences, as well as some other small awards, which have even come with a genial companion, money.

[D'ann Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Venturing into a filed I knew nothing about, this book was the best place to start. As a team, my husband concentrated on finishing and perfecting his book "White Ashes", while I feverishly sought an understand as to how be to market it and/or find representation. This book provides a world of information to assist one to be prepared to be taken seriously.

It provides everything from form letters in seeking representation, the in's and out's of promotion and in-depth understanding of what not to do. Everyone is busy, so it is critical to be organized and informed, directing you attention to only those who would be interested in the body of work. Don't waste your time and don't waste anyone's time.

[Noula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me from my aunt who is an avid writer herself. The book is for anyone who writes for it can be a poem, short story, article, fiction, you name it! This book taught me how to write a query letter and prepped me for my first Writers Digest Conference in San Francisco.

I got my first full manuscript request. I kept this book for its listing of literary agents in the book plus its subscription was helpful to the website. The books are updated every year and are changed slightly. I still have it and have not gotten the newer versions. The subscriptions to the site on Writers Market is affordable. I highly recommend this book for any new writer entering the subjective industry of book publishing.

[Hera Diani · Rating 4 out of 5]

An acquaintance who works at the New York Times recommended this book -- after turning down my proposal to write for the paper :) ("They prefer familiar writers") -- saying it's a bible for freelance journalist/writer.

The details of North America publications (mostly in U.S) listed here are really expansive, which is very impressive. None of those I pitched have answered, though :) The ones that did and approved my proposals came from personal contacts. But still it's good to know that such broad variety of publications exist and who knows, they would answer my queries one of these days.

[Ns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource/ guide for writers looking to get published. Although, with some savvy research skills you can find comparable information on the Internet. It was quite general, but I did appreciate the special insights on topics such as tapping into the greeting cards market, along with personal views from well-known authors.

Overall, it's a good go-to guide where you'll be able to find many general information about publishers, markets, and of course ways of marketing your own work. The bulk of book provides detailed information about markets that comes in handy if you already your markets and are seeking extra information.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this at the library the other day, mostly to look at the articles in the front of the book. They seemed dated to me, possibly even obsolete. I feel that Writer's Market should do more to examine and address recent and ongoing changes in the world of publishing, things like what the growth of e-books means for authors and publishers. The article about building a platform started to talk about some of the uses of the internet, but wasn't enough, and I'd seen better articles on the same subject elsewhere.

The listings are probably OK, but the format is obsolete and people should be looking for this information on line.