Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2006 [Paperback]

People start writing for a variety of reasons - fun, love, therapy. It's a progressive illness. At some stage, you decide you'd like to improve your skills ... or come to the conclusion that other people might benefit from hearing your words! You join a writers' group, take classes, or start sending your poems, short stories, manuscripts, or articles to publishers. It's before this stage you have to get serious. If you want to improve your writing and have at least the ambition to get published, then I'd suggest you invest in the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" and learn a little about marketing before you start sending out material on spec.

The "Yearbook" contains a generous helping of useful articles which might just stimulate you and inspire you with the confidence to share your writings with others. If you're serious enough to believe that you'd like to push your writing to the ultimate conclusion and try to earn money (if not a living) from it, then you will need both books.

If you were to compare the two, "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" is probably the better value. Both contain page after page of addresses - UK newspapers and magazines, publishers, agents, competitions, etc., etc., etc., complete with pen portraits of these. Both books offer a number of articles on the subject of writing and publication. In general, the "Yearbook" is slightly better.

The 2006 edition opens with an inspirational introduction by Terry Pratchett - it's always worth hearing from successful writers about their earliest experiences and approaches to their work, it gives you a sense of the success you'd like to achieve and an appreciation of the work you need to put in to your craft.

The "Yearbook" offers short guides on getting started, how to submit a manuscript or approach an editor, the basics of copyright, libel, tax and social security, and advice on websites, e-publishing, and much, much more. There's also a handy little guide to proof reading and correcting. The basics are here - use them as your starting point.

When it comes to listings of publications and publishers, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" and "The Writer's Handbook" do not entirely overlap - they have a number of different listings, they offer a different perspective, and it is worth having both on your bookshelf - and if you want to break in to American markets, you should also consider "Writer's Market". In some respects, you may find the listings in "The Handbook" more informative, but that can be a matter of opinion.

The "Yearbook" is well laid out. It's been going for years, so they should have got it right by now. The material is concise, easily digested, and in the last nine years I've failed to find a mistake in any of the copies I've bought. For an annual publication, its information is accurate, timely, and accessible. If you're serious about writing, it will become a good friend, to be cherished and handled with due care.