Many of us have written short stories, poems or limericks in our formative years but have never thought of publishing them. Primarily two things were working in us. One, we did not think it was worth publishing. Second, we did not know where to get it published from.

However, growing up helped us with this problem. Those of us who took to write professionally were introduced to the Writer's Market Guide. If you are not aware of what it is all about, don't lose heart. Here it comes!

The writer's market guide is like the Chicago Manual of Style, with a difference. The Chicago Manual is all about perfecting your style of writing. This guide gives you information on where your perfected style will get published and much more. This writer's market guide provides detailed information on book publishers, periodical publishers, and specialty markets.

This guide gives you access to the target market for your kind of writing. For example, you enjoy writing about imaginative, distant worlds where man is treated as a lesser mortal and earth is looked down upon as a primitive planet. You wouldn't like your stories to be read by Jane Austen worshipers, would you? You need readers who are fed on Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Where do you find them? Simple. The writer's market guide.

Say, you specialize in Christian/religious writing alone. You want your writings to get published and you want to get paid. There are writer's market guides available with information on book publishers and gift and specialty markets, focusing only on Christian writing.

Plus, you will get listings of agents, groups, conferences, editorial services, distributors and contests. New resources for writers, and market analysis are ready for your use and study. Read letters from other Christian writers which publisher is good and who should be avoided.

For almost a century, aspiring and established writers have trusted the Writer's Market Guide to provide them with the practical and sound advice and guidance they need to get published and to get paid. With updated listings and "need-to-know" publishing advice, the tradition continues with the 100% updated Guide providing you with:

• Listings for consumer magazines, trade journals, book publishers, and contests and awards, along with complete contact information for some of the top literary agents

• Essential publishing information and advice, including pay rates, a guide to book publisher imprints, and priceless self-marketing tips

• Basic contact information for the Top 50, high circulation consumer newsstand magazines

• Interesting and informative interviews with established writers

• Articles on freelance writing

The Writer's Market Guide has been the "bible" for freelance and professional writers, alike, to find outlets for their work. With meaningful information on the business of publishing, it continues to be the industry's best-selling writing-helpmate and the authoritative resource you will use again and again.

There are writer's market guides for young writers as well. It provides information about publishers who accept original writings from people under the age of 18. This is one of the best guides, according to me. It not only encourages kids to publish their work, but it also helps them to polish their skills and become superior craftsmen. This guide also tells them how and where to get get their work published.

One Writer's Market Guide lists magazines and book publishers seeking every kind of fiction. This is the tool for you if you write short stories, mainstream novels, potential bestsellers, novels that defy categorization, or books in multiple genres. Unleash your imagination here. You should also get it if you are just starting out and need an overview of the fiction publishing industry.

Some writer's market guides are for your general reference only. They feature every kind of writing and information on almost every writing market. It is the most useful for magazines and nonfiction books. If you write a little of everything, or if you write magazine articles and/or nonfiction books, this is exactly what you need. This is also the right guide to get if you are learning about the publishing industry.

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