Customer Reviews
Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better - By: J. Aitcheson, 23 Oct 2007 
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' & Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only reallly need one of them - but which one?
In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, & so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, alll the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents & a more easily navigable structure.
What the TWH reallly lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed & informative articles written by publishers, agents & successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres & aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio & theatre, & e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart & makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.
This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in alll, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information & advice it contains.
