Dollars & Sense for Writers— Guidelines on Where & When to Spend Your Money—Part Two

by Edie Melson

Yesterday I began this series on Dollars & Sense for Writers Part One. I gave you a run-down on where to start by suggesting you look for a local writers group and an online group or two. Today I’d like to continue by looking at books and magazines for writers.
As a writer, I love books. Beyond that, I love books about writing. I have an extensive library of books on the craft of stringing words together—truthfully more than I need. But early on in my career I just couldn’t pass up a recommended book. Looking back I should have spent more time at the library than on buying books.
So how do you judge what to buy and what to borrow? Here are the questions I ask that help me determine which I truly need in my personal library.
QuestionsIs this a book that I will refer back to again and again? Things that fall under this category are: Anything by James Scott Bell, TheEmotion Thesaurus, from Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, The Book Buddy, from Susan May Warren, etc.
Is this a book that I’m tempted to highlight and make notes in? Even though it’s an ebook, Imagination @ Work, by Alton Gansky is one of those for me.
Has more than one person recommended this book?
When I’m in doubt, I check the book out of the library (or borrow it from a friend) to see if it meets any of these criteria.
Magazine Subscriptions I approach magazines with a slightly different mindset. For me, my subscription to Writer’s Digest is worth its weight in gold. Our own Lynn H Blackburn shared a post about What Makes Writer's Digest so Valuable. There’s just so much there. But I’ve migrated from the print subscription to the digital one because I’m overwhelmed with paper. I also have trouble throwing away old magazines.
There are other writing magazines I love, but I usually visit the book store and thumb through them before I buy a specific issue.
Once again, it’s time for you all to chime in. What books do think need to be in a writer’s library and what magazine subscriptions do you find valuable?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie

This series, Dollars & Sense for Writers will be continued on Wednesdays for the following posts.
TWEETABLESDollars & Sense for Writers - how to tell which books to buy and which to borrow - via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
What writing books are must-haves for your writer's library? @EdieMelson shares how to decide (Click to Tweet)