Poets & Writers Magazine

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Poets & Writers is a non-profit organization dedicated to issues of interest to both amateur and professional writers; this is the organization's magazine. Every issue features an in-depth interview with a writer, articles on subjects such as copyright law, writer's conferences, and book promotion, a list of grant/award/contest deadlines and winners, and the ever popular classifieds where writers can find listings for anthologies and calls for manuscripts. Even the ads scattered throughout are informative. Your subscription cost gives you membership in the organization, allowing you access to their services. Published writers are eligible to be listed in their directory.

If you are a fiction writer or poet, you will appreciate this magazine. Poets & Writers is an invaluable tool for beginners and established writers alike.

There are a few magazines about writing serious writers need to read. "Poets & Writers" is one of them. It has a literary bent, but avoids the nose-in-the-air attitude. It is practical and educational, and is pleasingly presented.

A favorite factor for me are the long feature articles on the culture of writing. In the issue out now, there are two major articles. One is about author Stuart Dybek and his fiction that pulls from his experience growing up on Chicago's colorful South Side. The other is about writing contests, dealing with how ethical they are run, the view of literary judges, and when a writer should considering entering one.

The secondary articles are as informative and as useful, whether you want to learn about promoting your book, doing online workshops or understand the trends driving the industry.

Contests, incidentally, are a big part of PW's value. The magazine tells you who won, and which contests/grants are currently accepting submissions. PW is careful to screen which contests are listed, ensuring only legitimate ones make it through the editors.

The writing itself is interesting. It is not always true that writing magazines are fun to read. It should be, and in the case of PW, everything is engaging.

PW's design is clean. It looks like what a small press literary magazine should look like. The typography and layout are not pretentious or overbearing, but get the job done. It is never work to read this magazine.

I fully recommend "Poets & Writers." You will be better informed about writing and writers, just like the titles implies.

Anthony Trendl

editor, HungarianBookstore.com

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Certainly, it depends on what you're looking forthis periodical is thick and comes every two months. I felt that maybe too much of its thickness came from the large number of ads, mainly ads for writing retreats, seminars, or contests. I was interested in those things, but I was more interested in instruction/tips/exercises that would help me learn about writing, and this I felt was in somewhat short supply. So I didn't renew this, and instead subscribe to "The Writer," which comes monthly, includes lots of instruction/tips/exercises, as well as some ads and notices about opportunities for writers, but not as many as this publication. "Poets & Writers" does include some good interviews, bios, and reviews, but for my money, I favor "The Writer."

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I've been a P&W subscriber and reader (even when not a subscriber) for years. I've also tried various other writers' magazines, such as The Writer and Writer's Digest. The latter two were fine when I was just beginning to dip into the freelance market, just beginning to look at publishers for first manuscripts, but when I gained more experience, I soon realized those just didn't make the cut anymore. The articles were too often repetitive and geared towards such elementary basics that I was no longer gaining new insights. P&W was the next step up.

P&W provides advice, inspiration, informative interviews, current resources for the more experienced and discriminating writer. The bimonthly issues include articles, detailed listings of markets, contests, grants, and helpful, relevant ads. For the price, this is the best magazine available today for the writer who has a portfolio already underway and keeping an ear to the ground for more, staying up to date with what's rumbling in the literary world. With its up-to-date information, I've been able to leave the others aside, including that old bible, Writer's Market, which was, unfortunately, obsolete the moment it was off the presses.

Highly recommended for the writer wanting more.

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There's an inescapeable feeling when reading most writing

publications that you're about to be fleeced. There are ads

that offer instant publication, or expensive editorial and

design services. There is also a tone of phony upbeat optimism

about success in what is admittedly one of the most competitive

arenas in the world.

So Poets & Writers is a relief and a blessing. It offers realistic,

unfawning stories about the experience of real writers. It

also has listings of real prize competitions (not the phony

ones that are about collecting entry fees), winners of

competitions and notices of grants and awards.

Perhaps the best endorsement of all comes from my discarded

copies. I bring them to the magazine rack at my gym. As I

walk past the ranks of people doing their dutiful cardio,

I almost always see one copy being read.

Next to the magazine of the Author's Guild, there's no

better periodical for the committed writer.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and

the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

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