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Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is an annual directory for writers, designers, illustrators and photographers. It is published in the UK each July, with a separate version for children's writers and artists published in August. The yearbook contains some 4,500 named industry contacts updated for each edition and includes articles about getting work published. In 2007, an associated website, known as Writers&Artists, was launched.
Contents
History
First published in 1906, by Adam & Charles Black, the original Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook was an 80-page booklet, costing one shilling. It gave details of seven literary agents and 89 publishers. It has been published on an annual basis since, expanding over time to include information for illustrators and photographers. A & C Black became part of Bloomsbury Publishing in 2000, and other titles in its reference division include Who's Who, Wisden and Black's Medical Dictionary. Articles offering advice first appeared in the 1914 yearbook. Forewords have been written by, among others, William Boyd and Kate Mosse. Following the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, a new section on writing erotic fiction – by an anonymous author – appeared in the 2014 edition.
Website and competitions
In 2007, Writers' & Artists' Yearbook launched an associated website. Initially this was only accessible to anyone purchasing the print edition. In 2009, the website was relaunched and now includes blogs from guest authors and a social networking feature that enables authors and artists to add a public profile. From 2013, the website featured a section focusing on self-publishing, also hosting a conference on the subject in November of that year in association with National Novel Writing Month. Writers' & Artists' Yearbook runs an annual short story competition and has also collaborated with Bloomsbury to run a competition for aspiring crime writers.
Sections and listings
The yearbook is divided into the following sections: