With a circulation of more than 70,000 readers, Poets & Writers Magazine is one of the leading trade journals for creative-writing professionals. The magazine offers a wide range of information on the literary life, including writing advice, interviews with writers, and calls for submission.
However, the magazine's online hub, located at www.pw.org, doesn't aim to simply reproduce what already exists in print. The website is its own unique entity, with extensive databases, discussion forums, and a wealth of online-only content aimed directly at teachers, students, readers, and writers.
One of the most valuable elements on the site is an online version of their Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers. This database lists names, addresses, and publication credits for over 5,000 authors. The directory is especially useful for editors, agents, reading series coordinators, or, simply, as the website says, for writers "interested in connecting with their peers."
Other online resources include literary news items, teacher guides, short essays by well-known writers, a newsletter, and a clearinghouse of contest announcements and industry classifieds. Their comprehensive grants and awards section is an invaluable resource, offering upcoming deadlines and information about recent winners.
Writers can also connect in the Speakeasy Message Forum. This discussion board allows users to pose questions to the Poets & Writers community, answer other questions, and carry on electronic conversations. There are more than a dozen forums available, with subjects such as Poetry, MFA Programs, Literary Magazines, and Shameless Plugs. A recent tour of the Poetry forum visited discussion threads on the state of verse in America, political poetry, baseball poems, and recent poetry books. Registration is required to access the forums, but it's free.