Writer's Digest
Encyclopedia
Writer's Digest is an American magazine devoted to both beginning and established writer
s, offering interview
s, market listings, calls for manuscript
s, and how-to articles.
Writer's Digest is owned by F+W Media, which also publishes the annual edition of Writer's Market
, a guide similar in size to a telephone directory
containing a comprehensive list of all paying markets — magazines, publishing houses, and contest
s — as well as an index and many tips for the beginning writer on how to compose query letters and proper manuscript format. The magazine is published 8 times per year by Editor Jessica Strawser, Managing Editor Zachary Petit, and Online Managing Editor Brian A. Klems.
Writer's Digest also sponsors several in-house contests annually. Of particular interest are the Writer's Digest International Self-Published
Book Awards and their Annual Writing Competition for short stories
. Both are contests with fee
s and cash
prize
s for the Grand Prize Winner and Runners-Up. Certificates of participation and personal letters from the contest judge
s are given to all entrants in the Self-Published Book competition.
Writer's Digest was established in 1920 under the name Successful Writing, first issue, December. It changed name to Writer's Digest with the March 1921 issue. By the late 1920s, it shifted emphasis more from literary-quality writing to the rapidly-growing pulp magazine
field, which offered the widest opportunities to freelance writers. An important feature from 1933 forward was the New York Market Letter, edited by Harriet Bradfield, which gave timely updates on editor needs in the magazine field. As the pulp field collapsed in the 1950s, Writer's Digest shifted emphasis to famous writers and quality fiction.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s, offering interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
s, market listings, calls for manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s, and how-to articles.
Writer's Digest is owned by F+W Media, which also publishes the annual edition of Writer's Market
Writer's Market
Writer's Market is an annual resource book for writers who wish to sell their work. The publication is released by Writer's Digest Books and usually hits bookstores around June of each year...
, a guide similar in size to a telephone directory
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
containing a comprehensive list of all paying markets — magazines, publishing houses, and contest
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
s — as well as an index and many tips for the beginning writer on how to compose query letters and proper manuscript format. The magazine is published 8 times per year by Editor Jessica Strawser, Managing Editor Zachary Petit, and Online Managing Editor Brian A. Klems.
Writer's Digest also sponsors several in-house contests annually. Of particular interest are the Writer's Digest International Self-Published
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
Book Awards and their Annual Writing Competition for short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
. Both are contests with fee
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
s and cash
Cash
In common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
s for the Grand Prize Winner and Runners-Up. Certificates of participation and personal letters from the contest judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s are given to all entrants in the Self-Published Book competition.
History
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
field, which offered the widest opportunities to freelance writers. An important feature from 1933 forward was the New York Market Letter, edited by Harriet Bradfield, which gave timely updates on editor needs in the magazine field. As the pulp field collapsed in the 1950s, Writer's Digest shifted emphasis to famous writers and quality fiction.
Annual grand prize winners
- 2003 Michele Bardsley "A Mother Scorned" (short story)
- 2004 J. K. Mason "My Own Avatar" (short story)
- 2005 Nancy Tupper Ling "White Birch" (poem)
- 2006 Mary Feuer "House on Fire" (short story)
- 2007 Eros-Alegra Clarke "Salamander Prayer" (memoir)
- 2008 Jacob AppelJacob M. AppelJacob M. Appel is an American author, bioethicist and social critic. He is best known for his short stories, his work as a playwright, and his writing in the fields of reproductive ethics, organ donation, neuroethics and euthanasia....
"The Mistress of Wholesome" (drama) - 2009 John MoirJohn MoirJohn Moir was a professional basketball player between 1938 and 1946 in the United States' National Basketball League.-Early life:...
"Condors in a Coal Mine" (non-fiction) - 2010 Julie L. Moran "Lunch With Debbie" (short story)