The Annuals.

I actually haven’t bought Writer’s Digest’s annual Writer’s Market in a couple years. Not that it isn’t an indispensable writer’s book, but only because I don’t write much short fiction, submit to magazines or enter contests. Well, not much (not saying never). But my 2020 agenda includes paying more attention to short stories, so I’ve added it to my to-buy list. Which is a long list, as you can surmise.

I do normally buy Writer’s Digest’s annual Guide To Literary Agents, even though I assemble most of my to-be-queried agent list from Publishers Weekly reviews. Just seems sensible to monitor which agents are actually selling books, not just accepting submissions.

I was actually relieved to see the release of the 99^thAnnual Edition of the Writer’s Market 2020, because it confirmed that Writer’s Digest’s books hadn’t vanished in the aftermath of the magazine parent company’s (F+W Media) bankruptcy. Writer’s Digest the magazine was acquired by Active Interest Media and continues publication. The Writer’s Digest book brand was acquired by Penguin Random House LLC. No news on which book titles will still be available or if new titles will be forthcoming, but it would’ve been tragic to see so many invaluable writers’ how-to and special interest books disappear, to say nothing of their comprehensive annual directories. Whew!