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Keeping the dialogue going: Editor's Notes, October 2002
Published: August 22, 2002 This year, The Writer has been on the road. Senior Editor Ronald Kovach and I have attended writers conferences in New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, Denver and Oak Ridge, Tenn. We presented workshops at several and met with many writers. They had come to learn more about the craft and business of writing, to exchange experiences with their peers, and to talk with editors, agents and publishers. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to hear writers' concerns and find out what they would like to see in the magazine.
In preparation for our workshops, I went through back issues of The Writer and put together a brief history of writing concerns. I found that many of the questions writers ask us today are the same as those their counterparts asked 25, 50 and even 100 years ago. But the answers to these questions vary with each generation, depending on the publishing climate of the time.
One constant, it seems, is that writers, no matter what their level of achievement, want to improve their art. This desire is expressed at conferences and in the mail we receive from readers. What also strikes me is the generosity of the writers, editors, agents and publishers who share valuable information and advice to help one another.
We came away from our conference sessions energized by the commitment of all the writers we met and full of ideas for future issues. We think it's important to keep the dialogue going.
Each issue of The Writer brings to your door a mini-conference full of intelligent, practical and timely advice from experienced writers and publishing professionals. In this issue, for example, Sue Grafton offers suggestions for recharging your batteries (page 34). Newbery Medal-winner Linda Sue Park talks about the influence her Korean roots have had on her work (page 24). David J. Eicher, who wrote a 1,000-page military history, gives tips on managing a big project (page 28). A team of four veteran writers tells you how to set up a critique group that works (page 38).
We are continually looking for ways to improve the magazine and serve our readers. To do that, we need your feedback. We invite you to complete our online readership survey at www.writermag.com. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that we meet at a conference in the future.
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