More Pearls From Writer's Digest

There was a time when I questioned whether subscribing to Writer's Digest had any practical value for me. That's no longer the case. I've been a subscriber for some time now, and if I ever had any doubts about the practical material WD contains, this month's issue dispelled them.

The cover gave me the first clue: Pub 101, Your Publishing Survival Guide. The first article deals in great detail with the publishing process, from submission to printing to sales to marketing and beyond. I learned the "90/10" rule of publishing--about 90% of a publisher's revenue is generated by 10% of the titles it publishes. The next article deals with seven myths commonly held by writers, including "the publishing team is your new family" and "if your book has been accepted, it must be perfect the way it is." Then, an industry veteran tells us fourteen things an author must do to survive in the rapidly-changing publishing industry. Finally, a number of published authors give us the benefit of their hindsight, telling what they wish they'd known earlier in the game.

If you're a writer, I highly suggest you subscribe to Writer's Digest. If you're interested in the process and what it takes to get a book published (and this week I've had two friends approach me for advice on this very subject), see if your library has a copy of the July/August 2009 issue of Writer's Digest. If not, and you're really serious, spend the $20 for a trial subscription.

I've mentioned before that I have a long shelf of writing books. What I often fail to mention is that I also subscribe to several periodicals that have been invaluable to me along my road to writing. This is definitely one of the best.