Get To Know Your Trades

By Jill Earl

Did you know that writers have trade magazines? We do, and it’s to your benefit to familiarize yourself with them.

The reason? Besides presenting the latest industry news and trends, and interviews with established and emerging writers, they offer techniques and other resources to build your skills. Even more, the magazines have websites with additional content, many times only available online. So in no particular order, a quick rundown of each follows.

With the motto, ‘Write Better, Get Published’, Writer’s Digest (WD) is probably the most familiar guide in the group. Highlights include the ‘101 Best Websites for Writers’; ‘Writer’s Workbook’, which covers specific areas of writing; and the WD contests in popular fiction, poetry, short short story, the International Self-Published Book Awards and the annual Writing Competition with multiple categories to enter.

http://www.writersdigest.com/

My favorite is Poets & Writers, the country’s largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers. The bimonthly magazine aims to take writers ‘From Inspiration to Publication’, and there’s plenty to inspire you on its pages. ‘Resources’ offers a comprehensive list of upcoming conferences and residencies, and the latest award and grants recipients; ‘Features’ has a continuing series where agents and editors share their experiences and give advice on what they look for from writers. Readers can start applying what they’ve learned from ‘The Practical Writer’, found in the ‘Departments’ section.

http://www.pw.org/

Calling itself ‘The essential resource for writers since 1887’, The Writer is the veteran of the group. One feature of this guide is ‘The Writer Archive’, focusing on an element of the craft of writing from past articles. In addition, there’s reviews of newly released books and a compilation of markets to tap into. Online, check out their new blog to find out what’s on the minds of the magazine’s staffers.

http://www.writermag.com.wrt/

Wrapping up, there’s WRITERS’ Journal, ‘The complete writer’s magazine’. Their offerings include a number of contests, including Write to Win!; market listings; columns on how to break into niche markets, promoting your writing properly, and photography how-tos, among others. And the Books for the Writer’s Bookshelf area always has a selection to whet the appetite.

http://www.writersjournal.com/

So, get to know your trades, writers. They’re the tickets to equip you to be the best writer you can be.

And who wouldn’t want that?