I believe it's important for a writer to stay on top of his or her craft, much like doctors, lawyers, plumbers, chefs, and others do in their professions.
I subscribe to several magazines that keep me informed about marketing, publishing houses, agents, authors, contests, promotion -- just about everything that authors need to know about the craft and business of writing.
The Writer and Writer's Digest provide an abundance of advice and information for novelists, poets, essayists, and others. These magazines offer practical, nuts-and-bolts articles that keep me, for the most part, on the straight and narrow of writing.
Another publication I enjoy is Poets & Writers, which generally has in-depth features on writers, agents, and trends. The magazine also lists grants and awards available for writers.
I also subscribe to Bookmarks, a magazine that is all about books. It's loaded with reviews of old and new books from various reputable sources, author interviews, ethnic literature, and book groups.
While I read a lot of articles and blogs about writing on the Internet, I still enjoy the feel of the printed product in my hands.
Until the next time...
Mike, I used to be a regular subscriber of Writer's Digest and The Writer. I haven't read them in years. Shame on me. You've reminded me of how much I learned from them and that I need to start reading them again. I remember an article by Stephen King in the early 80s that really drove home a key difference between a good description and a bad one. Instead of saying "it was a spooky old house," he showed how you say it creatively through good writing. It must have been a good lesson - I remember it 30 years later.
ReplyDeleteKen...Sometimes I'll let a subscription lapse for a year or two because the articles seem to be a bit repetitious. But I go back and resubscribe because the magazines are like refresher courses for me. I hope your writing is coming along well.
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