2013 Writer's Market

The 2013 version of the Writer's Market is one of the worst ever published. From format to content, this version is a disappointment. Let's start with the type. The new version uses two-column pages, needing an extremely small font to fit all the text. The titles of the publishers and magazines are in light gray type, making it difficult to see where one market ends and another begins. The organization of the content is ridiculous. A writer consults this book for specific information, which should be easily accessible. Instead, for some reason, the publishers decided that the more information they could fit in a column, the better. One has to read through lines and lines of "filler" to get at the important info. Some of the markets have an entire column of description--which could easily have been reduced without any loss of significant information.

Why can't the publishers of this book ever get it right? Would it be so difficult to have a uniform format for each entry with only the basic information writers need? Of course, any individual market would love to have as much publicity as can fit on a page, and WM obliges with column-long blurbs. But this book is essentially a reference book, and who wants to read through miles of tiny print to find essential information? Drop the two-column format, shorten the entries with a word limit, make the content for each market more uniform, and darken the type for market names. And it wouldn't hurt to ask for feedback from writers who actually need to use this book. Conduct a survey or focus group. Just do something.

I bought the Kindle edition of this book, and appreciate the insight it gives me into different markets. However, I found that the coverage of some markets is very thin. For example, the Consumer Magazines/Photography section of the book lists only two photography magazines, and only one of the publications listed is considered mainstream. There are dozens of photography magazines that are not listed including such mainstays as Popular Photography, American Photo, and Shutterbug to name just three.

So I recommend starting with this book. Then go to a local newsstand to see what other magazines are being published that in your target market.

I've used previous versions of this book for years, and have found the book to be extremely helpful. I expect that the new version will be equally helpful.

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One of the most popular sections of the Writer's Market for independent writers is "How Much Should I Charge?" But the 2013 edition has an error under the following section:

Advertising & Public Relations Press kits

Under the "Other" portion of the table," the prices are, respectively:

High $850/60sec

Low $120/60sec

Avg $456/60sec

It looks like the information was picked up from the costs several lines down for Radio commercials!

Everyone who purchased this book should get a revised section from the publishers! And I'm contacting Amazon.com to arrange for a return.

PS/One of the problems when data is missing, or incorrect, you wonder what else might be missing or in error. Upon returning the 2013 edition, I reordered an older edition from Amazon which is complete.

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I preferred the format of the Writer's Market a few years ago, it was easier to read and easier to find what you needed. There were less markets listed in this edition and the format was more difficult to read, things seemed "jammed" together.

It used to be a better, more helpful book...but as a free lance writer, I still have to buy it since it's still the best source for information...wish it was as good as it used to be.

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The 2013 Writer's Market is well organized. The key to icons and abbreviations located inside the front cover makes it easy to quickly decide which listings that interest me. There are examples on writing query and cover letters. There are many pages devoted to promoting your work. There is a section that explains how copyrights work. There is a section on blogging basics that is easy to understand. The 2013 WM has sections devoted to Book Publishers, Literary Agents, Consumer Magazines, Trade Journals; also contests and Awards.The listings are catagorized according to topic. The page edges for each section are highlited, making it easy to flip and find the section you are seeking. And, the price is reasonable.