It’s July and on cue the newspapers and book blogs are awash with recommended summer reads. Should these inspire you to devote some of your holiday to perfecting your own novel-in-progress, then the ideal travel companion to pack alongside your sun cream– yes, you guessed it – is the very latest edition of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook. It too is a staple of the July publishing calendar and has been sharing advice and support on all aspects of the writing process and on how to get your work noticed by agents, publishers and readers since 1906. If the print edition just seems a little too heavy for your suitcase, leave it on your shelves, and download the eBook to your Kindle.
The Yearbook is a distillation of the best, expert information and inspiring recommendations from the book world, and as Joanne Harris says in her Foreword to this 2019 edition, it is a ‘lifeline’ for the budding author. She goes on to write that ‘[it] helped me formulate my goals and set my feet on the tortuous path that would eventually lead me to this point in my career.’ Her career has been a long and distinguished one, from its beginnings with the writing and publishing of the bestselling Chocolat in 1999.
We hope the Yearbook will help make your path to success a little less tortuous or at least a route worth taking, full of helpful signposts along the way.
What’s new?
· The latest news and views on publishing from the Bookseller’s Editor Phillip Jones, and Feature Editor Tom Tivnan in their respective articles Electric Publishing and News, Views and Trends: Review of the Publishing Year
· Poet Andrew McMillan shares insight on How to Become a Poet
· Wyl Menmuir, long-listed Man Booker author, discusses his Debut Success with an Indie Publisher
· Former Bake off finalist and writer Ruby Tandoh shares her thoughts on the essential ingredients involved in Writing a Cookbook
· Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year shortlisted author Claire North discusses Writing Speculative Fiction and the blurring of genres
· Publisher and editor Scott Pack breaks down The Mathematics of Publishing
· Novelist Alice Jolly talks about Crowdfunding your Novel and how to give yourself the best chance of success
· Frances Jessop tells you all need to know when Writing Sports Books
· James Peak discusses the growing rise of audio and the benefits of it in Should I Make an Audiobook?
· Writer and journalist Suzanne Elliott on Writing for Online and Print
· Author and historian Jane Robinson discusses creating an engaging non-fiction narrative in Making Facts Your Mission: the Pleasure of Writing Non-Fiction
· Prolific author Tony Bradman advises on Managing a Successful Writing Career
· Owner of Dulwich Books Sheila O’Reilly writes on Getting Your Book Stocked in a High-Street Bookshop
· Literary agents Hellie Ogden and Andrew Lownie guide you through the submission process in their articles, Putting Together Your Submission and How to Submit a Non-Fiction Proposal
· Discussing the business side of publishing Lynette Owen writes on UK Copyright Law and Publishing Rights
· CEO of charity Literature Works, Helen Chaloner lists organisations offering financial and creative support in Developing Talent: support and opportunities for writers
Alongside updated entries of publishers, literary agencies, festivals, prizes and everything else writing related, whatever your own particular genre or intentions as a writer or illustrator, whether you are a budding scriptwriter, playwright, poet or novelist, the Yearbook can be your guide. We always welcome your feedback on each annual edition and your own stories of success along the path to publication.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the annual Writers’ & Artists’ short story competition and our range of writing courses and events around the country throughout the year.
I wish you the very best of luck on your writing journey!
Alysoun Owen,
Editor the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook and the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook
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