Ok, I'm starting my first entry here, and for anyone who follows this blog, I'll let you know that I'll be posting whenever something irks me. Today, that something is Writers' Digest. For those who write and are trying to get published, this company seems like the writers' equivalent of Standard Oil. It practically holds a monopoly on the publishing guidebooks. Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind, but this company seems to have zero integrity when it comes to providing its readers with sound advice.
Recently, I saw that they have created a vanity press, which is extremely overpriced for what it offers. Magazines like this should be doing everything they can to steer new writers from this course, not guide them into it. Unfortunately for someone like me who is just starting, I've turned to Writers' Digest on several occasions for writing tips. Not anymore though, after receiving their Abbott Press e-mail, I'm kicking this company to the curb.
Another issue I have with Writers' Digest is the garbage articles they publish. I mean come on, has anyone seen some of them recently. My particular favorite is this one written by an agent who explains why she rejects potential writers. She offers a variety of samples, but the article is rather uninformative, at least to a serious writer. Anyone could read those passages and realize the writing was crap. No, what I wanted to see was high quality submissions written by pros that were turned down, not what the rank amateurs submitted.
I'd love to continue this diatribe on WD, but some real work is calling my attention at the moment. Thanks for reading.
