This bestselling guide to all areas of publishing and the media is completely revised and updated every year. The Yearbook is packed with advice, inspiration and practical guidance on who to contact and how to get published.
New articles in the 2019 edition
- Writing about sport - Writing successful dialogue - World-building - Managing your portfolio writing career - Self-publishing your audio book - Writing and producing podcasts - The changing world of news journalism - Creating the perfect pitch
All articles are reviewed and updated every year. Key articles on Copyright Law, Tax, Publishing Agreements, E-publishing, Publishing news and trends are fully updated.
Plus over 4,000 listings entries on who to contact and how across the media and publishing worlds
In short it is "Full of useful stuff" - J.K. Rowling
I have seen this in a bookshop, and always been daunted by the sheer size and heft of it. The book as a cudgel. Yet dipping in and out of the ebook for a week now, I can honestly say that having a physical copy is perhaps the best thing, as this is not an end-to-end reading ‘experience’ per se. This is one of those books you enter into a dialogue with, engaging it again and again. I myself am not a ‘writer’, and the only reason I’m interested in the subject matter is because I work for a PR agency. If like me you’re also curious as to how the publishing industry works, warts and all, as opposed to the mythologised ‘reality’ often depicted in movies and books (yes, this is ironic), then this is the book with all of the answers. Not sure if that should have a capital ‘A’ … Being an SF fan, I enjoyed the articles by Claire North, Neil Gaiman, Aliette de Bodard and others. There are even articles about writing sports books and cook books. Truly a treasure chest. The listings themselves have pointed me to some wonderful places on the Internet I have been oblivious of until now. Hugely recommended.
I'd heard of this book and authors, aspiring authors and publishers alike recommended it to me. I could have bought the editions from years past but my book wasn't ready. I have many books in different draft stages. I was debating between the 2018 or the 2019 versions and thought I'd be better to get the 2019 version to have the latest advice and lists from the industry.
Before I ordered the Kindle ebook, I downloaded the free Kindle sample. The thing that struck me was the huge amount of information in that sample. I was hooked by the Foreword by Joanne Harris (a favourite author of mine since I bought a copy of Chocolat during my university days).
This guide has everything, advice on different aspects of writing (such as style and overcoming writer's block as well as advice for being the best writer you can be) experiences of writers and listings for newspaper and magazine, as well as book publishers and screenwriting agencies in the UK and abroad by genre and also in alphabetical order.
For the last few years, I have been a NetGalley reviewer and many of the publishers that provide ARCs via NetGalley are in this book, so if you are working on your own book like me and like a particular publisher's titles then this guide has all the details you need to submit your own work to them. Contact details, company information and the type of books they are interested in and how to submit to them. I find it especially useful as it confirms, and in many cases expands on, the information on their websites.
For years, I have also contemplated sending shorter works to magazines and this has everything I need to be able to do that too. I'm so glad I have this, it is a real investment and it beats having to trawl through websites to get the information.
Highly recommended! I'm on a bit of a writing reference book kick lately and this is the perfect first book for my collection. I bought the Kindle version because I use iPad VoiceOver to have my books read out to me. This is a great option for anyone with physical and visual disabilities like myself. It makes accessing the information in this large book much easier tham struggling with a paperback. It is also available as a paperback for anybody who wants the paperback.
I have some books that are more YA books so may find myself buying the Children's Writer's and Artist's Handbook. I can already tell that the Writer's and Artist's Yearbook will be a staple on my Kindle app for years to come.
5 stars. An absolute essential for everyone who is a writer.
By far the longest non-fiction book I have ever read – I must have spent over 100 hours reading this and taking notes! Thoroughly worth my time and effort though.
This is THE book for aspiring writers. Publishers, Agents, extensive and detailed advise about writing, even financing and self publishing companies; it has everything. An absolute must, the perfect reference.
My son is a much published author of EFL tutors for various countries and ages. When he heard I hoped to get a collection of stories about cellos and cellists published he told me 1. to join the Society of Authors, who would give me free advice on contracts etc.. I joined, although as the writer of a very specialist book appealing to a niche audience it did not save me as much as it cost me. However I would have made even less in royalties without their suggested amendments to my contract, and this year, with two other books currently being assessed by a local publisher as the subject matter concerns Orkney this time, I can pay a reduced fee to retain my membership, because of my age and returns from my story collection in its first year. His second piece of advice was to borrow this book from my local library, which I did before publishing my first collection with an American publisher specialising in classical music. That was the 2018 volume, which I did not have time to renew, but this volume was in my lcal library and so I borrowed it and am reading the various interesting articles. As the first reviewer said it is packed with invaluable information that would take an individual a lifetime to gather. Starting a writing career at over 70 after a hiatus of over 65 years since my writing was last published, I needed this head start! The volume is almost too full in what it covers, and I am tempted to read every sentence, even where, as in the sections about journalism or self-publishing, it is about avenues I don't want to explore myself. At present I'm reviewing options of publishers to approach should my local island publishers, who generally only publish when paid by the author to do so, not take up my request to publish themselves on my behalf. I did finish reading this a few moths back, but it certainly took me a very long time to read all the excellent articles on different aspects of publishing, writing, and life for authors of all types. It is well worth reading if you intend trying to get published, but you might need to review it a few times if you intend reading it cover to cover!
5/5 - An invaluable and essential bible for writers packed full of useful advice and information for anyone hoping to be published one day.
I have studied this book and enjoyed and learnt so much from the useful advice offered by successful authors, agents, publishers and others in the literary world.
This continues to be the go-to guide for writers. As well as the usual contacts and listings, there are several excellent, topical articles about self-publishing, finding agents and life as a hybrid writer.