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The essential resource for writers

Join thousands of successful writers when you subscribe to The Writer magazine. Each month The Writer is full of features you can use to improve your writing, including before-and-after examples of improved writing, more literary markets than ever before, practical solutions for writing problems, selected literary magazine profiles, tips from famous authors and hands-on advice.

The tao of the Three Little Pigs

By H. Dair Brown

Don’t let an inner critic huff, puff, and blow your work down.

Features

What agents hate

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

The ultimate “don’t do this” list for querying writers.

Making room for the words

By Lauren Kosa

The 12 emotional stages of leaving your job to write.

Go your own way

By Kerrie Flanagan

We hear whispers that indie authors can make just as much as – if not more than – traditionally published authors. But who are these mythical indie authors, and how are they making it work? We tracked down five self-published successes and asked them to share their stories.

Confessions of a hybrid author

By Constance Hale

Why a best-selling writer with a national profile decided to dip a toe into alternative ways of publishing books.

Risky business

By Keysha Whitaker

Or, why one writer might be a best-selling author and never know it.

Story magic

By Jack Smith

Alice Hoffman is a master of blending the real and the fantastic.

Departments

WRITING ESSENTIALS

Not to be

By Gail Radley

Routing out lifeless be verbs.

FREELANCE SUCCESS

Surviving and thriving

By Elizabeth Fishel

8 ways to handle the shrinking print market.

LITERARY SPOTLIGHT

Cemetery Dance

By Melissa Hart

For three decades, this prestigious magazine has been the place to publish your horror stories.

CONFERENCE INSIDER

StokerCon

By Melissa Hart

This spine-tingling conference offers a one-stop shop for all things horror.

Also in Every Issue

From the Editor

Take Note

Featuring H. Dair Brown, Alexandra Kleeman, and more.

How I Write

Jess Riley: "You stuff your ego into a box, march your book right into the coliseum, and wait for the crowd to cheer, jeer, or collectively 'meh.'"