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Christian Writers' Market Guide 2006: The Reference Tool for the Christian Writer

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The "Christian Writers' Market Guide" is still the reference book every Christian writer needs. Consider this a gimmee. Buy this year's edition. Buy next year's edition. Plan on the following year as well.

What you need to know about this edition:

* 1,203 markets. Pick a Christian denomination (Catholic and Protestant), and their publication is likely listed. While this year has only a couple hundred more than the previous year, the value is in that these are updated. Many smaller and denominational publishers move and/or close.

* Over 700 periodicals, over 350 book publishers. Think of how many you are aware of? "Christianity Today," "New Man," "Decision" are probably at the top of your mind for periodicals. Tyndale (famous for "Left Behind" and "The Living Bible," as well as the calligraphy of Tim Botts), NavPress, InterVarsity Press (the publishing arm of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship) are probably among the book publishers you know. Maybe you know a few more. Here, you'll discover how vast the Christian publishing world is.

Literary agents, contests, advice for various markets, editorial services, market analysis, specialty markets (like greeting cards) all have sections. Stuart's market analysis can help new writers figure out the religious publishing mileau and improve how they target their writing.

If you are looking to connect with other writers, you'll be happy to find the lists of writers' groups and clubs, and for conferences and workshops. A key group is the Evangelical Press Association, but there are smaller ones geared for denominations and market.

The structure is similar to previous editions, but, as always, the current year provides the most accurate data.

Each publication starts with symbols indicating if it is new, if the data is confirmed, and if they pay. There's the title, the contact info including a URL, an editor's name, a brief description, the page count and circulation number, the subscription cost, percentage freelanced, submission preference, payment style, and general content needs.

Missing but I hope someday is included, is a purely digital version. Searching through a book to find, for example, what periodicals pay for poetry, can be frustrating when I know a sensible DVD version would allow me a complete list within seconds. Comparing this to its secular conterpart, "Writer's Market" by Writer's Digest, shows that the digital benchmark is not yet met.

Weak also are listings for foreign markets, but this may as much a fault of the publisher as the guide's editor, or may be due to the limited number of international Christian publications.

Add up the above, and you will see how any writer aiming for the Christian market at large would find this an indispensable volume. It fills in the gaps left open by the very useful "Writer's Digest" market guides, and provides the required tools for connecting writer and publisher.

I fully recommend the "Christian Writers' Market Guide," as it remains the best option for any Christian writer.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

The first time writer faces a whole series of problems in even getting some to take them seriously. Can you imagine what it must have been like to go to a publisher and tell them that you were writing this seven volume series about a boy going to Wizzard's school.

The key is to find a publisher that likes what you do. And that is basically a numbers game -- contact enough people and you will find one that likes what you write. This book is basically a list of people to contact. It covers not only the publishers (book and periodical) but also such things as writing groups, promotional contacts (book reviewers, publicists, writers conferences, agents) -- in short everything there is to know about the writing business with an emphasis on the Christian marketplace.

This book comes out every year, so you get up to date names, e-mail and physical addresses and of course the new publications that may not have a stable of writers.

Whether you dream of writing magazine articles or books for the Christian marketplace, you need this book on your shelf.

The key is beyond having it in your possession. Study the book and use the many tools built into the pages from marketing guru Sally E. Stuart. Every writer can benefit from her many years of expertise tracking the Christian marketplace.

Every aspect of publishing is constantly changing, Sally gives you the latest scoop in this solid reference book. Don't be caught using out-of-date information. How are you caught? When you submit to an editor who is long gone from a publishing house or a magazine. The annual edition of this book will serve you well.

Terry Whalin
www.bookproposal.ws or www.thewritinglife.ws

I attended a Christian Writer's Conference two years ago, a dizzying initiation into the subculture that produces much of the written material that American (at least) Christians read.

There I heard reverential references to Sally Stuart's annual publication and dutifully picked up my copy at the bookstand.

It truly is a marvelous reference work, published annually in order to track the rapid changes in the industry. Major sections include resources for writers (you never knew there were so many), topical/subject and alphabetical listings of book publishers, similar listings for periodicals and specialty markets, and a section on helps for writers. The latter includes an extensive list of literary agents who will pitch (after perhaps rejecting or reshaping) your work to the right publisher.

Sally's book is what it is: an indispensible gathering in one place of the data you need to get published in this sector. If this is your desire, you'll want to make sure you pick up your copy annually.

I needed this book for the locations of publishers and agents, it is a great tool.

This is simply the most comprehensive complilation of data for the Christian writer endorsed by author's, publishers and agents.