Guides and Directories Books

This is a very useful book. As well as the market information, I liked the insights of the writers which are offered in the Insider's Reports sections. There was a great interview with Robert McBrearty concerning his collection of short stories, A Night at the Y. I read A Night at the Y and thought it was one of the funniest, most touching books I'd ever read. I'm glad Writer's Digest called the book to my attention.

Although this book would come in handy for anyone who has a good foundation and knowledge in the publishing process, for anyone who hasn't--like me--this book would not help much. It provides a few helpful tips and words of wisdom here and there and even gives an excellent example of a book prosposal, but for the inexperienced beginner who might not even know what a query letter is, I would not recommend this book. The book doesn't go into enough depth about the writing/publishing process. If you want major detail and have no idea where to start, don't stop here.

While this book is a handy tool for those already familiar with the publishing process, it does not provide much detail for the inexperienced writer. I received this book as a gift and read through it, hoping it'd give me a good foundation in the writing experience, but truth be told, all it gave me was a bunch of phone numbers and email addresses, and a few tips here and there about writing. Don't get me wrong--several of the book's words of wisdom are invaluable, and it provides an excellent example of a book proposal. But if you're a newbie to the field--like me--and you don't even know what a book proposal or a query letter is, then I suggest you look up some other books first be4 going straight for this one.

To sum it all up, if what you're looking for is an in-depth analysis of the writing/publishing process and have no idea know where to start, don't stop here.

Every year (or just about) I purchase a copy of Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. Is the guide useful? Well, yes, but I feel I need to qualify that "yes." Writer's Digest, the publisher, does a decent job, but like so many Writer's Digest books, their guides seem aimed at a broad, rather general, audience. If you're a newbie on the scene (and I'm directing this review more towards the literary writer rather than the genre writer), you'll soon learn that the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market's listings of literary magazines are cursory rather than comprehensive. There are lots of small yet respectable literary publications that simply aren't mentioned in this guide. The result: you'll potentially miss out on places to break in to publishing (especially for new writers). My advice: check out the much more in depth International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses. I don't know of a serious literary writer who doesn't rely heavily on this book.

Don't get me wrong. Novel and Short Story Writer's Market is an interesting place to start, but there's a lot of filler (all the interviews at the beginning of the book, some of which are interesting, some not; the listing of literary agents (if you land some decent publications, trust me, the agents will get in touch with you!); the articles on craft, etc). Nevertheless, I'd recommend this book in tandem with the International Directory of Little Magazines because, after all, the Int'l Directory doesn't focus on book publishers and large circulation publications.

This book contains useful information for any writer of fiction. I do feel compelled to respond to the author who states that it is impossible to have your manuscript read by a publishing company if you aren't already published. Talk about shooting people down in flames! I can speak from personal experience, yes, I received many rejection slips (this was two years ago), but I didn't give up, and WITHOUT ANY CONNECTIONS I was able to have my book published by a small firm that brought my novel into publication. The amazing thing is, a few weeks after I signed the contract, Simon and Schuster wrote me a letter expressing interest in seeing my entire novel. By then it was too late. In some instances it is beneficial to have an agent, but it is not impossible to get your book published on your own without connections if it is a quality novel. You have to keep trying...

I have used Trailer Life Directories before but this one is even better.
I really appreciate the charts that show trailering laws and etc. for each state. The campground descriptions are very complete and accurate. It is worth the money.

I think this is a great book containing a lot of good info. Though it doesn't contain all. But it's a good starting anchor point for beginners' RV trips.

We recently went on a vacation that we planned to be non-structured. We did not make reservations anywhere. Just drove until we felt the need to stop. This directory made our trip and finding a campground a memorable experience. We relaxed and had such a wonderful time!! We didn't want to come home!

Actually, I don't own the 2007 Trailer Life directory. I own the 2006 and 2008 editions (the latter has been out about two months). For 2007, I purchased Woodall's Directory instead. My wife and I spend a few months camping each year--often without prior reservations. We are primarily tourers rather than destination campers, covering a large section of the US or Canada each year and not staying in one place more than a few days at a time. Thus, some of the campground amenities like recreation programs are unimportant to us. We do care about issues like price and cleanliness, and both publications do on-site ratings of many of the listed campgrounds each year. We both preferred Trailer Life over Woodall's because it gives more information we do want to know, like if a facility has showers. Neither Trailer Life nor Woodall's lists anywhere near all the campgrounds, but both are comprehensive enough to be useful. However, the information becomes dated pretty quickly, and the most current edition is always a year behind in terms of ratings and prices (e.g. the 2007 edition would show 2006 ratings and prices). Although I'm sure the 2007 edition is as good as the 2006 & 2008 editions, I wouldn't recommend it now because its information is now essentially two years old. I would instead purchase the 2008 edition from the publisher or from Amazon.com when they have it available. If I was rating the most current edition I would give it 4 stars.

It's true this telephone-book sized guide has many listings. However, it has nearly as many ads for it's apparent sponsor, the Good Sam Club. We found it extremely annoying to plow through pages of ads looking for the actual campground listings. We also had to tear out a bunch of ad inserts that if left in, made the book fall open to where they were inserted. Finally, none of the campgrounds we've used and enjoyed in Northern and Central California were listed in the book. Could it be because they're not part of the Good Sam network? All in all, barely 3 stars for us. We take Tom Stienstra's book over this one any time.

i bought this book to go along with the guide to litrary agents. it was completely pointless. i wish i had returned it. it had nothing to do with what i was looking for and it was rather pricey, considering a new one will come out again next year. i needed something that was more to the point and easier to look up.

I buy this book every year when the new edition comes out and love it. It is up to date, and a great resource.

The 2009 Writer's Market is a must have for any freelancer. It gives great information to help you find exactly the publication that might make use of your materials. Magazine, Book (Fiction and Non), Poetry, Photography, etc. Writer's Market has it all. One tip, make sure you check (on the internet or from a recent physical copy of publication) that the entry you are using still contains the correct information as to who is the Editor in Chief, etc. before you send any queries.

In general, the Book has loads of good leads. I really like being able to sit down and relax with Writer's Market. For anyone who wants updated information, just sign up for the online Writer's Market. They list new information regularly so you never miss out.

In regard to the Book, it is nice to have when you don't want to go online, but you still want to look for a place to sell your writing. You can always check a market listenings' website for updates.

If you can afford to purchase the text and subscribe online, even better.

2009 Writer's Market

My wife loves this book as an invaluable resource. She has already contacted and submtted manuscripts to several publishers based on the accurate information found in the book.

This book was ordered before Thanksgiving Day. After waiting for 6 weeks, I canceled the order. It might be a great book, prefect for my needs, but does me little good if I can't get a copy.

I have read a lot of camping guides and this is one of the few that made me laugh out loud. The information is solid and the writing style is engaging to boot. The author covers public campgrounds only so if you want an RV park guide, this is not it. When I read a guide I want to know where the campgrounds are, what they are like (scenic? convenient? rainy? crowded?) , what kind of people camp there (bikers? hikers?) and how to go about getting reservation if needed. I highly recommend this book to people who want to camp in Washington State.

When you're exploring our great state, this is a really useful guide to find a car-camping oriented spot to pitch your tent. It definitely caters to the RV crowd, in the sense that many readers adventures end once they hook up the RV or pitch their tent. I like to use these spots as the starting point for deeper exploration into the backcountry. Bottom line, keep it in your car, and where ever you find yourself, this handy book will help you find a reasonable place to crash that may have a great view and not be stuffed with huge tribes of families. Of course, if that's what you're looking for, you can find those too.

_Camping! Washington_ is a great book for anyone looking to find the perfect spot for a camping getaway. Whether tenting or RV'ing, this is a truly useful book!

It's easy to see from the writing that the author truly loves camping and being outside, and that he really has spent a lifetime camping in the Evergreen State. His enthusiasm for great campsites comes shining through, and the entries for each campground are very easily read.

There are several useful maps which show campgrounds' locations, and the rating system is very straightforward - 1 tree (barely worth mentioning) through 5 trees (absolutely don't miss this.) Those campgrounds rating 1 tree generally only get mentioned in the backs of the chapters, with very little space devoted to them - the author wants to give us the best camping possible, so he doesn't waste a lot of time telling us what's awful, noting that he only puts them in so that people who hear of these grounds, or who see them on a map know what they may be in for.

The books gives a total number of sites within the grounds, and breaks them down by service: "32 full hook-ups, 35 water/electrical hook-ups, RV's to 65 feet." He also gives contact info for each site, whether or not they accept reservations, and what the open/close dates are (if any.) Very handy! His descriptions of the overall feel of the campgrounds and the surrounding areas are vivid and enjoyable in and of themselves - he's really reawakened the Camping Bug in me.

The book goes over the whys and wherefores of making reservations ahead of time, common pitfalls and downsides to certain areas, and what to expect in terms of general costs (though they don't list individual grounds' prices, as they frequently change.) They also do not mention privately-owned grounds, and go into why they don't. They give a few handy tips about each park that'll make everything easier, too.

Keep in mind that this is not a *how* to camp in Washington book (going over bear precautions, et cetera,) but a *where* to camp book - and it does its job really, really well. Highly recommended to anyone planning to camp in our beautiful state.

This guide, by far, is the best guide to Washington campgrounds. It is well-written, filled with good humor, and painstakingly researched. You get the feeling the author has spent at least one night in every campground listed in this book.
It is obvious the author has spent much of his time in the great outdoors and camped throughout the state, and of all the camping guides, this one is written by a local author and longtime Washington resident. He knows what he's writing about, and it shows in the accuracy of his reporting.
If you spend money on one Washington camping guide, this is the one.

An excellent book, but a bit tedious. Gives the GIS user an excellent review of what makes a map visually useful. GIS users aren't necessarily the best cartographers and this can help them along

This book reviews the very basics of map design and hardly touches on cartographic representations. It is probably a good starting point for first timers to GIS and mapping, but for the average map maker/cartographer it is too rudimentary.

This book addresses all major topics needed when considering what color to assign to a group of layers, which symbols and scales to use, how to annotate maps and how to complement maps with text boxes.

It is well written so it's easy reading and does not require extensive background from other fields.

Getting from here to there is simple enough by scanning the chapter index.

Great reference for map designers, both beginners and experienced ones.

If you analyze data and make maps, this is well worth the money.
It helps if you use ArcGIS too....

Since I am relatively new to the world of GIS Mapping, this book was an invaluable aid to designing more attractive maps. It's a beautifully laid-out book with lots of common-sense tips in it. Well worth the price!

Linda Pierce
Pray, Montana

Cruise section is more up to date than ports of call. Very useful.

As a person looking to take a cruise for the first time I found most of the info I was looking for in this book. It contains very detailed descriptions, especially of the various cruise lines and the type of activities, food and service that they offer. Of course, the opinions expressed are of the authors only and your taste may vary considerly. But overall they give a fairly objective assessment of the wide range of cruising experiences offered. Recommended.

this was a pretty good guide geared towards cruisers--only buy if you're interested on going on a big name cruise ship. port information was good for st. john, st. thomas, barbados, and aruba. the info on martinique was not good. the author described martinique's main town as cosmopolitan, people dress like paris, fort du france looks like new orleans. i don't know when he went to martinique. martinique was seedy and falling apart.

Whether you are a seasoned cruiser and are looking for something new or have never cruised before this book is very handy. I have cruised three times but was not sure where I wanted to visit next and which cruise line I wanted to take to get me there so I borrowed Cruises & Ports of Call 2005 from the library. I spent the greater part of an afternoon studying cruise lines, ships, itineraries, and cabins. It immensely helped me choose which cruise was right for me because it went into a very detailed description of the ins and outs of each port and line out there.

This massive book (691 pages) manages to touch on just about every major cruise ship and port of call that there is in cruising. You get a little taste of everything.

First, you get about 100 pages on the basics of cruising - how to get a good price, what to wear, how a cruise ship works. That will get you started on what a cruise trip is all about.

Next, you get 300 pages on the actual cruise ships. While this seems like a ton of pages, they actually only do 1-2 page reviews of each ship in most cases. In many cases it's a review not just of that ship but of that ship class. For example if Carnival has 4 ships that are similar, you could get one review that covers all 4 ships, with small mentions of things that stand out on a given ship. Since no ship is REALLY identical to other ships, this isn't great.

That being said, I really found the information given here to be FAR more valuable than in similar books. They actually review based on real information from real humans, not just copying from the cruise line's book. They tell you about "ridiculous 108 square feet" cabins. They warn you that on the Promenade deck, you're likely to have joggers running past (and peering in) your windows. They warn you which areas are noisy, they point out which lounges are usually not found by the masses and therefore are perfect places to escape from the noise.

The rest of the book is a quite good write-up of the main port locations. Many people travel in to a port town and consider the port town part of their vacation. This area includes maps of the area, what to see, directions to the docks, and other information.

I was a little put off by the 2005 in the title, implying that you had to buy a new book every year. On one hand you want to get a relatively new set of information - but even with this being "2005" I found errors in pricing. Obviously they can't update every single page in this every year. So it's a trade-off. Again, the book provides good guidelines but should never be taken as absolutely true.

There is obviously no way that one book can cover ALL information on all towns, ships and ports!! Again, this is a sampler. You look through to find out which items appeal to you. Then you should get a full book on that ONE TOPIC. If you're going to Bermuda, don't expect this book to give you the full details. You should get a book on Bermuda.

However, for what this book does, it does it very well. It takes you from the point of not knowing about cruising at all to the point of knowing what your options are and having a top-5 list to persue further. At that point it's time to go to those cruise line websites, to go the forums, and to get some books on specific ports. That will get you the detailed information you need to make your final decision, and to enjoy your cruise!

Very nice book on Pyrex ware. It is a nice guidebook to have for collectors.

I utilize glassware references often and already own PYREX: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide, 3rd edition. I purchasd the new 4th edition only to be disappointed. Page for page, the 4th edition presents the same information found in the 3rd edition, except for the addition of a few new photos. Author Barbara Mauzy missed the opportunity to create a 'must-have' supplemental with new information identifying unknown patterns, including dates of production for known patterns, and updating values, for example. Save yourself the expense, and buy a good-used 3rd edition.

Big fat glossy softcovered waste of my money. Way too many pages on boring items like glass pie plates etc. Soooooo glad I didn't buy book on ebay though--that seller wanted 27 + shipping. The corning ware & vision cookware book is much better then this Pyrex book.

First, I want to point out that except for one other of the 7 reviews before mine, all were written previous to 2008--the copyright date of this book. So those reviews DO NOT pertain to this edition; they pertain to earlier editions. I have been using the previous (2002) edition of this book, so I was delighted when I discovered that a 2008 edition was coming out. It has a nice, new updated cover--very appealing. But it looks like that's about all that's changed. From what I can tell, the inside of the book is exactly the same--same pictured items, with no changes that I can see. I assume the prices are updated, although I can't really tell because I can't compare them with the old edition (which was from the library). Even though I got the book on sale, it was a big disappointment and not worth my money--I can go back to the library and get the same old thing!

With every book on collectibles people will say or write they couldn't find what they were looking for. This is true with antique and collectibles books but we need to determine if a book of this type is relevant to our needs.

As a seller of antiques and glass collectibles I find the Pyrex "Unauthorized Collector's Guide" has a wealth of information, if you will, a cornucopia of Pyrex history, excellent pictures, descriptions and range of valuation, which should serve the most discerning individual.

I would prefer a hardcover book and that is my only complaint but that's being too snobbish. The glossy pages fill your eyes with cookware, flameware, ovenware, Pyrex colors, glassware and even takes on some unknown patterns. I discovered so much more about Pyrex than I ever expected.

Identification of merchandise is of utmost importance for my online store and the customer should expect that. I am a stickler for accuracy and in a very short time this book has help me merchandise my Pyrex inventory for sale and has encouraged me to look for much more and not be afraid to make future Pyrex investments for my store.

This book will now accompany me on my antiquing journeys and will come in handy when it's time to identify, value, and purchase. It should serve you well in your library for collecting your favorite Pyrex. Indeed!

Everyday when I come home from work, I feel a bit let down with my personal performance. It's a good thing Lee Ellis had the time, money, and energy to prepare this book...it's like it is geared just toward me. There's no way around the fact that I am dissatisfied with my dead-end job in a Baku fishmarket, but I can find an escape by writing to various celebrities and getting their autographs. After all, whatever they write on a used napkin is more valuable than my life--they are idolized in America and around the world, and with good reason. Possessing a piece of them is like possessing eternal happiness. They have succeeded where others have not, and our blind grovelling to them is well-deserved. When I got an autographed picture of that guy who plays Kenny Bania on SEINFELD, my life was complete. He has succeeded in life, and so has Lee Ellis. May it be Allah's will that Lee Ellis someday be considered among great writers like George F. Will, John Steinbeck, and of course Chaucer. He is truly a great man who has helped me feel like a success, and he can help you, too. Order the book--your first step toward happiness and fulfillment.

I don't know about you, but I buy a book like "The Celebrity Address Directory" to save time and money. Sure, I could go on the Internet and find some of the addresses in this book but would it be worth it? I would spend many hours plus contend with the aggravation and frustration of the crashing of my computer and not being sure if I got a current address. That's why I say let the author do all the research. I sit back and let him put up with long hours and compiling the names and addresses. I can't go wrong buying this book. If I get a return to sender, I just notify the publisher and they research the address for me. They will even research a name that's not in the book.

What could be better? This book has the best categories of celebrities to choose from, the best names with address to choose from and the best guarantee of any celebrity address book. I've been collecting autographs by mail for a long time and I'll stay with "The Celebrity Address Directory."

...and rather misleading - the large quantity of addresses the author claims is due to the fact that a large number of people are "lumped" under a common address - for instance, all Olympic athletes, past and present, are given a generic address of the U.S. Olympic Committee, all members of congress are listed together, all members of a sports team are listed with one address, etc. Much of this "information" can be found for free on the Internet.

The book is also poorly organized when compared to others on the market - a straight alphabetical approach would be easier to use. I returned this one day after I bought it - I've found the books by Mark Allen Baker to be better.

Using the "Celebrity Address Directory & Autograph Collector's Guide 2001" has been a thrill. I must say that even though there are some letters that come back my successes are so exciting that they completely outweigh the returns. I have been building a collection slowly and am enjoying my new hobby more than I ever imagined. I've done real well with football players. The presidents (living) I did real well except Ford, and I love the signed photos John Glenn sent and personalized one for each of my 2 kids. I don't mind personalized autographs because I'm not into it for money, I just like to frame and display them. Actors have been great; I have received some fantastic pictures with autographs but occasionally get the mass-produced facsimiles. Oh well what can you do. I prefer to send my own pictures since the ones I pick are usually a lot better than the ones they send. Some of my favorites include....Newman, Pacino, Duvall, DeNiro, Travolta, Jane Fonda, Sophia Loren, Mickey Rooney, Sarandon and too many to list.

Once in a while I am disapointed to find the mom & pop places are closed up & replaced by a corporate place. Those that pan out are right on the money with the reviews that are included in this book. Calling ahead is always smart.

For a book on travel, it seems that the index would be from the viewpoint of (in this order) State; City, Restaurant. In this book if you are in Podunk, Somewhere you can't find it in the index unless you know the name of the restaurant.

More "out-of-city" locations would have been preferable.

In the text, list the State, City and restaurant with maybe one or two lines of description with a rating code.

Sorry, I was't impressed and am returning the book.

I started reading Jane and Michael Stern in "Gourmet" magazine and soon realized that they obviously have no home other than their car, truck or trailer. They are ALWAYS on the road and when they are not busy eating, they are certainly busy writing. Here I am in New York City where many of the top restaurants in the world are located and, frankly, I'd rather be eating a stack of diner pancakes or snacking on a lobster shack crab roll or finishing the meal with a slab of chocolate cream from a pie palace! After all, I am the guy who drove once from Miami to Key West, stopping way too many times to decide whether Key Lime Pie was different on each and every Key.

The Stern volume can squeeze into your glove compartment and while you're driving, whoever's in the passenger seat can whet your appetites reading out loud about what's coming up ahead.

The book is easily, cleverly divided into large chunks of states and then again into individual states. Do you know where to get flannel cakes or schmaltz? Ever drunk a cabinet? (no, not a cabernet.) Do you know the difference between Indian and Grape-Nuts pudding? Read the book.

This is a funny, charming and totally informative volume. You'll love it. And you'll USE it.

The best parts are the "sidebars", short articles on things like different styles of clam chowder and lists of good steak houses or pie spots that you might want to copy down for quick reference if you travel a lot. However, the restaurant listings are far too incomplete to really use this as a comprehensive source of advice for long road trips. Even "500+" listings have to get spread pretty thin over a country as large as the good old USA! And be warned, this is a meat eater's book that lists LOTS of steak houses, hot dog stands, hamburger joints and bar-b-q spots.

There is an average of about 10-12 places listed for each state, with no apparent relationship between the size of the state and the number of restaurants listed: Maine gets 20 listings (surprise, there're a lot of lobster shacks along the coast up there!) while New York gets just 19, and our largest state, California, only gets 26 (of which 70% are in SF, LA and San Diego).

Western states are particularly sparsely covered. There are only 7 tips for Colorado, but the Sterns guide us to 16 culinary Meccas in Alabama. The Sterns can't find even one place to list in Phoenix (admittedly not a great restaurant city, although I managed to find a few good spots the last time I was there). "Oh well, Mildred, there's nothin' here, we'll just have to drive a few hundred more miles to LA before we can eat."

Based on the authors' selection of restaurants for the area of the country where I live, Seattle, I concluded that the Sterns have no more insight into the identities of good local restaurants than you can find in a typical travel guide. My experience is that most conventional city and regional guidebooks list at least as many worthwhile places as the Sterns and they are usually written by locals who really do know some of good spots. For metro areas I've had good results with the Zagat surveys.

There are only 10 to 12 restaurants per state, but the ones that are listed are great. If you are driving across the U.S. and would choose your route based on great food, as much as sightseeing, then this is the perfect book for you. If you rarely get outside of your home state, then this book will be a disappointment for you.

Hopefully, one day Jane and Michael Stern will have enough reviews to publish several big thick books covering different regional areas in the United States, where they will have 50 to 60 restaurants per state.

This has some great gift ideas for everyone on your list. It lists web addresses, phone numbers and great contacts.

Interesting. . . not mind-boggling. Anyone who subscribes to magazines other than National Geographic probably has a lot of this information already. I'm guessing you could Google any gift idea and get more website suggetions than you could handle. . . maybe that's the problem? Anyway, I don't think you'll get unbelievably new ideas from this book.

Gifted is a list of "1,000 Gift Ideas for Everyone in Your Life." The book is not a list of ideas or inspiration; rather, it contains specific product descriptions and websites where such items can be purchased. For anyone looking for a "unique" or offbeat gift idea, and directions on how to obtain it, this book is invaluable. Dozens of chapters focus on parents, siblings, children of different ages, gay men, co-workers, professional relationships, religious gifts, gifts for life events, and more.

The book is overly large for the amount of text--with some better formatting and paper, it could have been half the thickness. Since it contains webstore products, there is a risk of items (or entire stores) being discontinued. The information presented herein, in fact, would be better suited to an electronic document with hyperlinks, but I'm not sure I would have paid the cover charge (book price) to get to a list of gift ideas on the web. As it is, this book is a perfect item to check out from the library at the holiday time or when you are in a pinch for good ideas.

This is a great book full of ideas for gifts. It's also a huge source for where to purchase the items.

I found the book to be generous with ideas for many categories of people. Some were as stated pricey but the ideas were good and if the mind wanders led to other things. I think it will keep for a number of years with updates in the future. I used it for Christmas but will retain and refer to it throughout the year for different occassions. Worth buying.