The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook: A Writer’s Best Friend

If you’re planning to publish a novel, then there is no greater resource than the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Every year, Bloomsbury publishing puts together the UK’s most comprehensive list of agents and publishers. It also includes invaluable writing and publishing advice from the very best in the industry.

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is one of those hidden-in-plain-sight resources. Many writers have never heard of it, but you can’t live without it as soon as you do. It collects a lifetime of expertise that a single human could never gather on their own and puts it together into a single reference tome. And I use tome intentionally, as this is a hefty book.

Despite being a UK publication emphasising the UK book market, many international writers, publishers, and agents are included in its pages. It is also not genre or style specific, so writers of novels and non-fiction, poems, screenplays, children’s literature, YA, and even illustrators will all find the information invaluable to them in their writing journey. The advice offered is both creative and practical. It’s all about giving you the best chance of getting your book in front of the right people.

What is the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook?

As well as being one of the most valuable resources for writers available, the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook has a long history. It was first published in 1906 by A & C Black, a publishing firm founded in 1807. The first edition was an 80-page booklet (a far cry from the 2024 edition’s 816 pages!). It included the details of 89 publishers and just seven agents. Bloomsbury now owns the publisher, but many of their titles are still in print, rebranded under the Bloomsbury name. The 1914 edition of the Yearbook was the first to offer additional articles with writing and publishing advice, and it’s been in print, with a new edition released every year since.

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is the number one bestselling guide for aspiring writers and illustrators. Because of that, they’ve expanded what they offer over the years to capitalise on emerging technologies and publishing trends. While the original Yearbook is terrific on its own, there are now supplementary yearbooks designed for Children’s writers and self-publishing.

To give you a taste of the kind of articles included in the 2024 edition, here are some of my favourites:

• Peter James, “Becoming a bestselling author: my writing story”
• Alice Jolly, “Crowdfunding your novel”
• Sarah Clarke, “My rocky road to writing success”
• S. J. Watson, “Keeping the writing dream alive”
• Samantha Shannon, “Real people write books”
• Femi Kayode “Shelf space: a debut writer’s journey to claim his place”
• Ed Needham “Setting up and editing a new magazine”
• David Wightman “Getting books to market: how books are sold”
• Scott Pack, “The mathematis of publishing”
• Sam Delaney, “Guerilla podcasting”

Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing

Offering independent and reliable advice for authors who want to self publish, the Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing is the newest resource in the Writers’ and Artists’ series. It covers every aspect of the self-publishing process through editing, cover design, budgeting, and marketing. However, one of the things that makes it such a great resource is that it helps simplify the process of finding and working with reliable freelancers with professional industry experience.

According to the guide’s introduction, the trick to self-publishing is to think like a publisher. This is terrific advice in and of itself. Self-published authors need to do all of the heavy lifting that is often left to publishers in a traditional agreement. Knowing where your book places in the market is often one of the most challenging parts of self-publishing, but the Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing helps writers determine the best approach. It gives you the opportunity to tailor your strategy for your book specifically and make sound, informed decisions about where to best invest your money and time to give your work the greatest chance at success.

Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook

Following the same structure as the original Yearbook and filled to the brim with fantastic resources and information, what sets the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook apart is that it is geared specifically to children’s publishing. It covers everything from board books to picture books, middle-grade fiction and YA, but also emphasises illustrators who are such an essential part of the children’s book market.

With tips and resources for every part of the writing journey, it’s an invaluable book for any children’s author. No matter what stage of your journey, you’ll find something in its pages to help you along. It includes advice on writing for different markets and genres, how to submit to literary agents and publishers, and even offers tips on navigating the waters of the financial and legal aspects of being a writer.

The guide includes supplementary articles from well-known children’s authors across varying genres. Examples include:

• Christopher Edge “Plotting and pace in your middle-grade adventure”
• L. D. Lapinski “World-building in your fantasy fiction”
• Anna Wilson “Finding your voice and point of view”
• Rachel Bladon “The learning curve: writing for the children’s educational market”
• Jenny Bowman “How to hire a freelance editor”
• Sophie Clarke “The life and works of a literary scout”
• Rachel Rooney “Writing poetry for children”

No matter where you are on your writing journey, the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is the number one resource any writer should have on their shelf. No matter your genre, or if your goal is traditional or self-publish, there is something in its pages for you.

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