Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6239 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-03
• Binding: Paperback
• 810 pages

Review
'This is the book no writer should be without' --The Times

'The Writer's Handbook' is an essential directory for new and established writers alike' --Mary Clemmey, Literary Agent

'A wise and witty book, packed with useful information' --The Society of Authors

Synopsis
Fully revised and updated, "The Writer's Handbook 2008" is an indispensible companion for everyone in the writing profession. Packed with provocative articles, useful advice, key contacts, hints and discussion, this practical and straightforward guide provides full details on the key markets. Here you will find all you need to know about book publishing in the UK and US, agents, newspapers and magazines, screenwriting, TV and radio, film and video, theatre, PR consultancies, poetry, writing courses and circles, festivals, grants and prizes, alongside up-to-date information on taxation, copyright, contracts and much, much more. With two easy-to-use indexes that allow you to search by company or subject, this is a book no established or aspiring writer can afford to be without.Features new to this edition are: a guide to the publishing industry and how to get your work published; Chris Hamilton-Emery on the globalization of poetry; an expert's guide to good English Macmillan New Writing: a bold venture in discovering new talent; and, the future of publishing as seen by the top agents.

About the Author
Barry Turner has worked on both sides of publishing, as an editor and marketing director and as an author. This is his twentieth year as editor of The Writer's Handbook. He lives in north London.

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.