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Why I'm Unsubscribing From Writer's Digest

2/23/2013

20 Comments

 
Author disclaimer:  This article is an opinion piece.  Your mileage may vary.

There was once a time when Writer’s Digest was an excellent tool for writers of all skill levels.  The magazine was brimming with articles filled with writing tips, advice from authors and editors, and fun but informative essays.  When it made the jump to digital, I was happy to subscribe.

I didn’t think much of it when WD began pimping its writing contests left and right.  I didn’t have much of a problem when I saw how much it was charging per entry.  Most recently, however, I noticed the price had jumped to $100 per entry (for "early bird" submissions), which is a bit troubling to say the least.  Still, I remained on the mailing list because of the quality of many of its articles.

The webinars became more frequent, with prices spanning from $199 to $799.  No longer was all author advice a part of the subscription; for the really good advice (or at least we should hope so) one now needed to pay hundreds of dollars.  Still, I remained a loyal subscriber.

Today, however, I received an ad about WD’s latest venture—a publishing “opportunity” through its new partner, Abbott press.  It promises to be a better deal than Amazon and the like, claiming distribution in nearly every possible venue.  It claims everything you’d find in a vanity press and more, including access to radio interviews, exposure to movie producers, book signing tours, “affordable” advertising, and full editorial support.  Even more, authors receive a one-year subscription to the magazine and a free webinar of their choice.  Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

But wait—there’s more!  For “only” $500, authors can buy Indie Kirkus reviews; that’s only $75 more than what Kirkus would charge directly for the same service (never mind the fact that most people disregard paid reviews, including Indie Kirkus reviews).  So how much would you be willing to pay for this amazing “opportunity?”  $10,000?  $9,000?  Nope—this all comes for the amazing starting price of $499 for e-books and $699 for print books (the “economy” packages, which include benefits no better than Amazon’s optional author assistance services), although to receive all the “benefits” offered, one must spend anywhere from $999 to $7,999.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s the last straw.  The camel’s back has finally broken.  My respect for WD has dwindled as far as it can.  It’s time for this writer to unsubscribe.
20 Comments
Tom link
2/23/2013 02:16:38 am

I have to agree. I actually canceled my subscription for a few years because it started to feel like there was less and less of worth in the magazine. Also, they seem to be aiming at the lowest common denominator. Or, maybe I've improved as a writer and wasn't finding much of worth. But it feels less like they're trying to help writers and more like they're trying to convince people they can be writers if they buy enough stuff.

I recently resubscribed to give them another try but it still seems like the magazine is just a conduit for selling other stuff. That said, I do get a lot from some of their blogs.

Reply
L. M. Lane link
2/23/2013 06:24:00 am

The blog posts were what kept me subscribed for so long. It's a damn shame the magazine ended up going in this direction.

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Marva Dasef link
2/23/2013 02:47:07 am

I'm SO with you on this. I find it morally repugnant that sources that used to be trustworthy bearers of good information have pimped out to take advantage of naive writers. It's one thing to knowingly decide to self-publish and available yourself of the many FREE publishing venues and quite another to be ripped off by a vanity press. WD has jumped the shark.

Reply
Susan Deed
3/13/2014 07:20:08 am

I totally agree with your blog. I entered into one of their competition and all I get is emails trying to sell me something. Everything is a business opportunity for WD these days. It is a shame because they were a reputable company. One wonder how much selling they can do on writing, publishing and the rest of it. People will smarten up and realize that this company doesn't care about the art of writing, but how much money they can make.

Reply
JoAnn
10/14/2015 05:35:07 am

I really appreciate all this frank talk about WD. Being a new writer, I was about to subscribe. I would ask any of you what reputable organizations you would recommend. Thank you.

Reply
Lisa Lane
10/14/2015 09:57:43 am

I would start with organizations that put writers first, such as SFWA and HWA. Here are some links to get you started:

http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/information-center/
http://horror.org/writetips.htm
http://horror.org/markets.htm

And then there's Predators and Editors, which is a vast resource for anyone wanting to submit to agents or other markets: http://pred-ed.com/

For tips on grammar, check out my Words From the Grammar Nazi blog series: http://www.cerebralwriter.com/blog/category/grammar

JoAnn
10/14/2015 02:01:48 pm

Thank you so much, Lisa. I appreciate your help!

Mary Ann
3/24/2014 11:41:38 pm

Thank you for the warnings. Was suspicious and that is why I found my way to your website. Nothing is as it seems.

Reply
J F Benacchio
7/12/2014 06:26:35 pm

Thank you for the blog. I just recalled why I cancelled my last subscription years ago.

Reply
Jill
2/14/2015 12:17:31 pm

Good to know

Reply
PrinceofDarkness link
6/15/2015 10:14:56 am

You nailed it!

Reply
Cindy
8/26/2015 09:23:46 am

Thanks for the info. I'm a recent subscriber but have became wary because they flood my inbox with several emails a day, mostly trying to get money. I think I will cancel too.

Reply
PrinceofDarkness link
8/30/2015 11:30:09 pm

Concur... nice article!

Reply
Millie
6/26/2016 10:00:00 am

I found this article because I was searching for something about why Writer's Digest is now "just out to make money." Every day, I get an email promoting something I should sign up for. The latest was $89.99 to learn how to get an agent. This magazine is nothing like it used to be. I'm sure a lot of newbies fall into their trap. When my subscription ends, I will not be subscribing again.

Reply
Duke69
6/27/2016 06:09:15 pm

Do NOT sign up for a webinar at Writer's Digest unless you want 3-4 emails a day from them looking to part you from more money. What a scumbag organization ...

Reply
Neen
11/27/2016 11:03:50 am

Their forum community also became shady the more people that signed up for it. It was nice at first because the feedback you can get from other writers, but then a few of the writers started bullying other writers. It was one of the reasons I left the forums and I unsubscribed from their mailing list because I don't make enough to spend thousands of dollars trying to get my writing off the ground.

Reply
Rob Adamson
1/18/2018 09:18:40 am

Thank you to everyone for the comments. I am a retired banker looking to get into creative writing. I have several ideas for novels and short stories and am looking for some guidance.
I actually thought about taking the copywriters course from Writers Digest but am glad I found this blog. I kind of smelled a rat when reading their course description. It just sounded like their interest was cash based only. I had also read their magazine on the occasion in the past and it was good. No so any more! This is probably why they lost 6,000 subscribers over the past year.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Reply
Prince of Darkness link
1/18/2018 09:50:15 am

Rob, see if you can find a writing group near you... also, an earlier post suggested some great organizations to look at, including HWA... you can also find like-minded individuals on social media and many of the big comic conventions are offering writing components... you can also find some helpful blogs...

Reply
E. Shirk
1/18/2018 11:30:34 am

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented on the Writer's Digest website. I was looking into it for useful information and the like (just starting out as a writer), and was about to sign up with them when I realized that the website wasn't actually listed as "secure" in my web browser.
That always raises a red flag with me, so I paused and decided to do more outside research on the company itself, and found myself here. I'd like to start selling my work, but I know there's a decent amount of risk in having your work stolen or not being compensated for it. If anyone else has any advice they'd like to share, I'm looking for tips on how to make this work. Thanks again.

Reply
Leigh M. Lane
1/18/2018 02:04:11 pm

Like others have mentioned, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) has an excellent list of resources. You can find the main page at horror.org. The Science Fiction and
Fantasy Writers of America also have a wealth of information. Here's an excellent resource: http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/

Good luck!

Reply



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