Skip to Content

Stuart Aken review

Magazine

WritersServices website: a review

By Stuart Aken

on 27 July 2010 in his blog Must Mutter

Writers’ Services has over 2000 pages of advice, information and tips for writers. Most of the resource on this website is free, with some professional services offered at a charge. (As is my habit, I’ll concentrate on the free stuff; it’s up to the website to market anything they want you to pay for). There is a monthly online magazine, packed full of news and comment and columns from well established figures in the writing world. An up to the minute News section details all things writerly, as they happen. The Comment section holds information listed under a great variety of headings and has links to the archives so you can find items published in previous years. Under ‘What’s New?’ you’ll find diverse articles; e.g. 26 July 2010 headings are: John Jenkins’ July Column – dealing with dialogue; News Review, looking at Amazon; The English Language, publishing world; Comment, looking at translations; Latest changes in the book world, where Chris HolifieldManaging director of WritersServices; spent working life in publishing,employed by everything from global corporations to start-ups; track record includes: editorial director of Sphere Books, publishing director of The Bodley Head, publishing director for start-up of upmarket book club, The Softback Preview, editorial director of Britain’s biggest book club group, BCA, and, most recently, deputy MD and publisher of Cassell & Co. She is also currently the Director of the Poetry Book Society; During all of this time aware of problems faced by writers, as publishing changed from idiosyncratic cottage industry, 'occupation for gentlemen', into corporate business of today. Writers encountered increasing difficulty in getting books edited or published. Authors create the books which are the raw material for the whole business. She believes it is time to bring them back to centre stage. looks at Creative Commons; and more.

Writers’ Web holds information and articles on everything to do with the web as it applies to writers, including links to free software, quantity versus quality, inexpensive printing, security, etc.

But it is the Resources pages that really make this site stand out from the crowd. Here you’ll find reviews of books and software, listings of agents, self-publishing facts, educational matters, health and safety advice, and there’s a new feature, reviewing writing magazines.

You’ll see there is a great deal of information on this site. It’s well presented and easily navigated, which is as well, considering the number of pages. It’s a site I browse often and I think you’ll benefit from a good look at this one.

Why not have a look at Stuart's excellent blog?