Customer Reviews
Fell apart first time I used it! - By: J. Graham, 26 Nov 2008 
Having usually bought either W & A or The Writers' Yeabook, I decided to give this a go. The first time I read it a chunk of pages came loose, others followed so I have now had to separate the sections & hole punch & fasten them together. Not a bad idea really, as the book itself is too large to carry around so this way I can just take out the relevant sections. As for the informationin the book, I think there is a lot of useful stuff but a lot of other that is irrelevant. The advice is no different than can be obtained from writing magazines or websites. There are a lot of different markets listed that are notin the other references, but there are also some of the better known publications that are not even listed. Think I will stick to my usual ref booksin future & give this a miss next time I need to update.
Fantastic resource for writers - By: Sarah Reid, 16 Nov 2008 
In previous years I have purchased both the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook & the Writer's Handbook, but last year decided to give Writer's Market UK a try.
I was so impressed, I bought the 2009 version, rather than going back to either of the other two. I feel there is more inforamation & the accompanying website (which is free to use) is invaluable.
Clearly, directories of this sort have to be compiled many monthsin advance of the year stated on the front, & so some information will be outdated by the time many people purchase the book. There will always be changes to the staff of magazines & publishing houses, & this will be an issue that affects all three of the main writers' directories, not just Writer's Market UK. Writers should ALWAYS verify contact details themselves, by checking a current issue of a magazine, contacting the publishing house directly, etc. This is also where the Writer's Market website comesin handy, as this is a resource that can be kept up to date on an ongoing basis.
It is a very chunky book - much larger than the other directories, which means it isn't the most portable. It is easy to find your way around the various sections, & it is very well laid out.
This is definitely my directory of choice & I will continue to be a loyal customerin the future.
Poor binding - By: Mrs. M. C. Gulliver, 12 Nov 2008 
Poor binding, 12 Nov 2008
By Mrs. M. C. Gulliver (Scotland) - See all my reviews
Writer's Market 2009
The articles are good, but the second time I opened the book, a page detached & a section of about 40 pages came loose.
If you're a poet it's not a good buy. The main poetry magazines aren't under UK & Irish Poetry, they're mixedin with Magazines, so you either have to know their names, or plough through all the entries to find them.
Also, two that I know well, have out of date information - wrong editors & addresses for Iota & wrong address for The North.
There could be similar errors that I'm unaware of.
So I'm back to the Writers Handbook.
An informative and helpful directory... - By: Stuart Moses, 25 Aug 2008 
Writer's Market UK is an informative & helpful read. The majority of this book is made up of a directory of magazines, publishers, theatres, agencies, resources & competitions. The layout is attractive & the information exhaustive, but there are other more established handbooks offering similar information. Where Writer's Market UK scores isin the hundred plus pages of articles.
Sadly I found the tone of some of these articles rather depressing. Yes, I know the odds are stacked against me making a living from writing - but the purpose of buying a book like this is to learn how to successin this goal. I've not felt this negative tonein similar directories I've read.
There are positive & inspiring articles. The first is by Joanne Harris,in which we learn she doesn't plan her books. There seems to be a continuum of writers, from those that start at page one & go - & those who plan everythingin detail. I'm still working out where I am on that line, so it was interesting to get the point of view of an author I admire.
Elizabeth Kay's article about writing for children was my favourite. Gallons Of Lemonade, And Steak And Kidney Pud was refreshingly written & contained many gems. She also shows she knows her market when she talks about children not being idiots, merely having smaller vocabularies & less experience.
Inevitably informationin a directory like this goes out of date, but it is a useful first point for further research. Writer's Market UK is a helpful tool if you want to sell what you write.
A bible for budding writers - By: H Millar, 13 Aug 2008 Contains a lot of useful information that is notin the Writers & Artists Yearbook, such as 'tips' on agents & publishers, & entries for individual imprints within the larger publishers, which makes it easier to navigatein many ways for first-time authors. Buy both!
