Many writers, including myself, have been looking ahead to 2010 and realizing just how much things have changed…and not changed.
One way to get ready to angle your career for the future is to look at the past. And if you are interested in doing this, I can recommend two great resources:
Special 90th Anniversary Issue of Writer’s Digest: Wow. It’s pretty amazing to think about a magazine being in business for 90 years. Think of all the technological advances that this company has witnessed in almost a century of helping inform and inspire writers. I love the round up of author quotes and just the dedication to diverse, detailed advice for writers. Hats off to editor Jessica Strawser and the whole gang (Zac, Brian, Kelly, Scott, Melissa…everyone) for an amazing and groundbreaking year. And I also enjoyed being able to read this retrospective in contrast with another Writer’s Digest Magazine that is on stands now… (or order here)
The other Writer’s Digest issue that I think is really cool lately, is The Writer’s Digest Writer’s Yearbook 2010. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m in this one, my platform article from earlier this year is reprinted in there, in case you missed it in the May issue.) But besides my own published writing (which I can never read without grimacing and squirming, anyway) what I find really interesting about this issue is the way it so perfectly encapsulates what has been going on throughout 2009 for writers due to massive system change in the industry. So, if you haven’t been keeping up with all of that, or keeping up as much as you would have liked, I’d just go ahead and pick up one of these special issues and read it with a cup of strong coffee. Because the news isn’t all bad; it’s just changing. And that’s a good thing. Cuz change is good. (The image of the cover isn’t available yet. No doubt because it just came out and will be on stands until Feburary 14th. So you’ve got plenty of time. You can even add it to your Xmas gift if you like.)
And speaking of the future. I’m going back there in January, when I will be a panelist at Digital Book World. I’ll tell you what, I am so excited about the education I am going to get at this conference. Isn’t ongoing professional development one of the best parts of being in business for yourself? I think so.
I cannot wait. If you’d like to learn more about Digital Book World, just click on the badge below:
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