Magazines for would-be writers crowd the news-stands. But are they any help with getting published?
It is a moot point whether Americans take books more seriously than the British. What is undeniable is that they take the actual writing of books more seriously. Would-be authors in the US need only go to the nearest news-stand, a few dollars in hand, for practical, sure-fire guidance on how to join the ranks of the published.
You can even choose your rank. For $5.99, F+W Publications offers Spiritual Writing: how to write to inspire. "Share your faith," the magazine piously instructs, "through fiction, essays, articles, and more." And make an honest buck (or more) while sharing. The December issue of Spiritual Writing splashes an interview with Jerry B Jenkins, co-author of the bestselling Left Behind series (the Book of Revelation fictionalised, for those not into spiritual writing). F+W also publishes Personal Writing ("Turn ordinary moments into extraordinary reading") - a magazine for tyro memoirists, essayists, diarists and bloggers.
Altogether, F+W puts out 20 such magazines, covering specialisms such as "romance", "westerns", "science fiction" and (most hopefully) "bestsellers". All are gathered under the house's master title, Writer's Digest (motto: "Write better! Get published!").
These how-to magazines have roots deep within American traditions of self-reliance and self-improvement. F+W's publications are descended from the "Funk and Wagnall" manuals of proper usage (the US equivalent of Fowler) that first appeared in the 1900s. Even more venerable is Kalmbach Publishing's Writer, which proudly declares itself on its masthead "the essential resource for writers since 1887". Henry James could have read it, but probably didn't. The September issue carries advice on "How to avoid four common 'plotholes'". Kalmbach also publishes The Writer's Survival Guide, the latest issue of which advises on how to "write killer queries" (that is, grab your editor by the eyeballs).
The articles these magazines contain fall into half a dozen general categories. The most useful pieces, probably, are strictly informational. The latest edition of Spiritual Writing, for example, identifies 30 "key markets" for faith-based authors. (That must be worth a few dollars.) The articles that sell the magazines most effectively are presumably those that promise the inside dope on the writing racket. Every issue will carry something like "Getting past the slush pile: what editors won't tell you (but we will)".
Central to every issue is the "tip sheet" - for example, "101 Tips to Make You a Better Writer" (eg, "rethink the inverted pyramid") in January's Writer's Digest. The problem here is that, over the course of a few years, any magazine will run out of useful tips (particularly if you throw them away 101 at a time). There are only so many inverted pyramids.
The professional advice articles on the risks of vanity and self-publishing, the ins and outs of contracts and "what's happening in the industry" are self-evidently useful, but inherently dull. Least muted are the motivational articles, such as "Free your feelings. Use your journal to dig deep!" (Personal Writing, June 2005), or "What to do when your creativity takes a hike" (The Writer, December 2005), or "How to massage your muse" (Writers' Journal, July 2005).
For those not struggling to enter the profession, the most interesting features are the author interviews, in which those who have made it pass on their secret. Poets and Writers (the highest-toned of these magazines) makes these its main selling point. Famous writers, it appears, are happy to be recruited and see the interviews as a kind of pro bono service to their less lucky colleagues.
Do these magazines actually help the would-be writer, or are they sucker-traps? Like the creative writing class (another peculiarly American invention), they probably help a few and raise false hopes in many. The most valuable advice an author can learn is: many are called, few are chosen. It's not something the magazines stress. Who would buy them if they did?
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