The Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec
The Author:
http://www.stuartmarket.com/
The Review:
Christian Writers Market Guide 2007 is one of the books most writers suggest newbies purchase as soon as possible. I'm in my third year of taking writing seriously. I've bought many how-to's, have a subscription to Writers Digest, and have yet to open the Christian Writers Market Guide.
Why? I suppose it’s the anti-techie in me. I hate instruction manuals and feel I have to learn by touching and trying rather than following the road someone else has forged. Either that or I'm just an idiot.
I have three professional memberships that cost $35 to $40 a year. I don't use those resources like I should either.
I'm turning over a new leaf. This will be the year I actually listen and use the advice that those "who've been there done that" generously share.
With that new victory chant swirling around my brain, I opened the Market Guide. While baking cookies, I think you get awarded extra points when you multi-task. I could be wrong about that, so don't try it at home. Even with the aroma of triple chocolate filling the kitchen I managed to find a wealth of information in the Guide.
Sally Stuart provides a CD-ROM with 1,200 contacts so you don't even need to crack the book to benefit. (Actually, you have to open the back cover because that's where they put the CD, but you know what I mean. Right?)
Ms. Stuart includes a "How to Use This Book" guide which includes a plethora (I love to use this word) of books and websites for even more education on the ins and outs of Christian writing. Sites for new writers, legal sources, writing challenges and even some fun diversions for those suffering from a bit of block fill the pages.
Then she lists publishers of books in multiple categories and genres. You choose an area - youth, for instance - and find a list of youth material buying resources. Page over and look up the publishers alphabetically and find most anything you could possibly want to know about that house (except the candy bar preference of the editor). Keep digging and you can find out the number of books published and how many best sellers they produced last year.
Want to know the most popular subjects with publishers? Flip further.
Ms. Stuart repeats the process with magazines/periodicals.
Ready to start selling your work? Looking for new markets? Brand new to Christian writing and wondering where to go from here? You might want to invest in the Christian Writers Market Guide 2007.
Now. I'm going to eat another cookie or two and jot down some new information. After all, it is 2007.
