ARCHIVE OF
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS |
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Our author's submission service assists writers of poems, short
stories, essays, and book manuscripts in getting their work published.
We work very hard to promote our clients' work. Letters from clients
follow below. (Originals with signatures available upon request.)
September 20, 2008
Dear Writer’s Relief Staff:
I have received editorial and agent-procurement assistance from Writer’s Relief for about two years. The service has been very satisfactory in every respect. To me, personally, the proofreaders have been very helpful, especially Ms. Joi McClary, who has shown exceptional editorial ability.
Ilmars Birznieks
September 18, 2008
My need is to write and that does not leave me time to research the publishing market or keep track of all the business associated with sending out poems. The Writer’s Relief staff has allowed me to publish. They have listened to me and surprised me by very quickly understanding what I am doing. Often they can explicate what I have done far better than I can. The people I have worked with have been exceptionally skilled and efficient. But what has made their help and support delightful has been their humor. Along the way I have also learned of their compassion toward others, both clients and members of the staff.
I have had, and am having, poems published in a number of journals that I knew nothing about before receiving help from Writer’s Relief.
Alita Pirkopf
September 18, 2008
Dear Ronnie:
I have recommended Writer’s Relief to several writer friends as an effective way to get work out into the world in a professional way. I have had 16 poems published so far. Your staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and their process keeps me organized.
Judy Bebelaar
September 17, 2008
I have been a client of Writer’s Relief for nearly two years. Thanks to your services, I was able to get an essay accepted by a first-rate literary journal without spending several days collecting addresses and preparing pitch letters. I highly recommend your services to writers who are just getting started and to those who are established, but seeking different markets for their work.
Sincerely yours,
Kim Hedden
September 15, 2008
Dear Ronnie,
I’ve done two packets with you and had two poems taken. I was a finalist in a prestigious poetry prize contest, I wouldn’t even have entered had an editor not called me and asked me to submit—an editor whose magazine I wouldn’t have sent work to, had you not sent me their way. It’s slow going getting poems out there—and, of course, I hope to have more taken next time—but I’m glad you are helping me with the legwork of finding places to submit to. There’s a psychological burden you’ve lifted from me as well—it helps to let you guys think about where to send—not that I haven’t sent to places on my own, but somehow it frees me to allot that job to you in my mind—and therefore to rest more inside and just do my work.
So, thank you for what you do.
All best,
Kate Fetherston
September 13, 2008
To Ronnie Smith:
This cycle I’ve had work accepted byTightrope and California Quarterly—two magazines I hadn’t even known about before. With Writer’s Relief submission process, it is a lot more efficient and even enjoyable. The staff is smart and supportive. Even though I had published in magazines before, I dreaded opening my mail. Now rejection notes feel like a normal part of the process of finding the right venues for my work.
Hilary S.
September 4, 2008
Dear Writer’s Relief Staff,
I write to express my thanks to Writer’s Relief for the great package that walked me through the preparation and mailings (yesterday and today) to the 30 agents. When the preparation was completed—the outline, book, synopsis, and query—it looked professional, and I have great joy and thanksgiving that Writer’s Relief taught me how to send out a state-of-the-art inquiry, at least that is the way I perceived the mailings. I am so very thankful.
Annie Shaw Barnes (a la carte client)
August 18, 2008
Dear Ronnie:
I now have been a poetry client of your submission service for almost a year and can see that Writer’s Relief is producing superior results to what I could have accomplished on my own.
The bottom line is seven acceptances, by good-quality journals, three for my own poems, four for translations from the Chinese. While these numbers don’t feel overwhelming, they are a great improvement of my unassisted efforts, and, besides the strictly numeric, I have experienced many additional benefits, both educational and psychological.
For instance, I have become far more knowledgeable, thanks to Writer’s Relief, about how the system works—the odds, the protocols, the messages encoded in rejection slips. Your library of journals and guidelines, your generation of submission lists far exceeds my own research capacity. It saves me a great deal of work to have Writers’s Relief provide the cover letters, mailing labels, and duplication-ready copy for me to send out, energy I can now devote to producing new work.
The staff have been uniformly intelligent, supportive, and responsive—a great psychological benefit, because, as we know so well, writing is an isolating endeavor, and the stress of multiple rejections can be very high.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
June 14, 2008
Dear Ronnie and staff,
I just wanted to let you know how happy I am with Writer’s Relief.
The occasion is the receipt of four rejection letters, which would not normally be cause for celebration. Still, you have sent me material to prepare me for the number of rejections I’m about to receive, and I’ve been gratified by the personal nature of some of the responses. I recognize that publishing is a tough business, and that agents have to make difficult business decisions about what they feel enthusiastic for and what’s marketable.
Of the five rejections I’ve received so far, two bore indications that the synopsis and sample pages I sent were read and carefully considered. I feel I’m a strong writer, and to get a fair read of my materials is all I can ask for. I remain hopeful that the project will be picked up soon.
A couple of personal notes of my own: Simone has always been available for virtual handholding and to guide me through this process. As a “newbie,” I deeply appreciate that. Joi’s proofreading was spot-on. Over a long career, I’ve had my writing proofread hundreds of times, by many different editors, and I have to rank Joi’s work at or near the top.
Even though it’s early in the process and I’ve seen nothing but rejection—thanks to the preparations of you and the Writer’s Relief team—I feel I’m ready and that my work will get reviewed by agents who might want to see it. That’s much more than I had hoped for. I’m a happy client.
Anonymous
June 3, 2008
Dear Ronnie:
I want to summarize that my cover letter is dazzling! No, there’s no way that I could have captured EXACTLY what my book is about in so compelling a style. THIS is what I am paying for, what I believe my novel deserves. What I have been unable to give it in the year since it’s been finished. Now we’re on our way. Thank you!
Destiny Kinal
May 12, 2008
Dear Ronnie and staff,
I sent my nonfiction story to the 27 magazines suggested by Writer's Relief. I was pleasantly surprised when the first response was an offer to publish in The Big Muddy, a journal of Southeast Missouri University Press. Your system really works and saves a writer valuable time. As you know my background was in television news here in Chicago for many years. I had an article published in the Chicago Sun Times back in 2000, but print is fairly new to me. The help of Writer's Relief is greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Peter Nolan (a la carte)
April 22, 2008
Dear Ronnie and staff,
Thank you for your positive feedback and support. I was really okay with this (negative comment from an agent) because you guys have helped me publish so much. And because I do have that one nibble from a different agent.
I kept thinking what if I had just put that together without you at Writer’ Relief and hadn’t published pieces or done readings. It could have been devastating.
So I want to thank all of you guys again so much for the support you give me and I’m sure all your writers. When one gets a totally, terrible e-mail like that from an agent on a Sunday afternoon, you have to be really intact to brush it off (I think). And you guys have made me believe that I can transition from academic writing to my own personal kind of writing.
So hugs and many, many thanks all around, because you are so much more than a submission service. I can see that this is a tough process, and I am very glad not to be doing it without you.
Hugs all around,
K. M.
April 18, 2008
To Ronnie Smith:
My association with Writers Relief has borne fruit. I divide my writing life into before Writer’s Relief and after.
I have been writing for over 30 years. Before I became a client of Writer’s Relief, I never published any of my work.
I had seen Writer’s Relief advertisements in Poets and Writers but never considered them seriously until an oft-published friend shared her secret: Writer’s Relief. I was dubious, but I decided to give it a try.
A year on, I have five recent or forthcoming publications in prestigious national literary magazines. In cases where pieces have been accepted by more than one magazine, Writer’s Relief staff gives detailed advice about how to handle the delicate situation of publishing one piece in more than one venue (explaining such concepts as first North American rights, one-time rights, etc. etc.).
Writer’s Relief will send your work to 25 carefully selected magazines. If you have attained a certain level of literary craft and been accepted as their client, one or more of the publications they select for you is almost bound to accept your work. Writer’s Relief has cracked the system.
Sincerely,
Esther Lupescu
April 8, 2008
Dear Ronnie,
I acknowledge that, without the aid I received from Writer's Relief, I never would have identified The Distillery as a target publication for my work. In fact, I had never heard of any of the 30 publications for which Writer’s Relief provided mailing labels. Thank you again for your help.
Sincerely,
Chuck Teixeira (a la carte client)
April 6, 2008
Dear Friends at Writer’s Relief,
My name is Christina Harlin. I was a client of Writer’s Relief in 2003 and 2004, during which time your excellent service helped me submit 150 query letters with samples of my novels to literary agents. You also helped me track and catalog 148 rejection letters until suddenly I had a choice between two interested agents. I signed with a terrific agent who really believes in me. I am delighted to say that she and I have worked diligently together, and I, at last, have a book deal with Sourcebooks and a publication date set for September 2008, for my novel, My Boss is a Serial Killer: A Tale of Murder, Romance and Filing.
The road to publication has been an arduous one, but I never would have gotten there without the help of Writer’s Relief. Could I have managed 150 submissions on my own? I doubt it! Could I have survived 148 rejections without your service? I doubt that even more. But your supportive staff and streamlined system of submissions and response-tracking made it all seem like a business venture, taking the stress and pressure out of the equation. I hate to think of what I might have missed, had I given up after rejection number 147. Writer’s Relief made sure that didn’t happen. I give you my sincerest thanks and appreciation, plus an acknowledgment on my author Web site. I hope a lot more aspiring writers come your way.
Yours truly,
Christina Harlin
March 10, 2008
Hello Ronnie,
The staff at Writer’s Relief has guided me to a higher level of clarity, focus, and professionalism in dealing with the business of submitting my writing.
To start with, I thought I had a cover letter pretty well figured out, but when your staff worked with me in composing a new one, I was impressed at how the changes they suggested made the letter really stand out. Then came the copy edits—an educational and humbling—experience. How could I have missed so many little details? With each piece I submitted, I received such patience from staff members who worked on my stories, especially Joi, who answered my questions in detail and with clarity.
Signing up for Writer’s Relief has given me much more than publication—I’ve received caring encouragement and an education in the business of writing. I’m no longer timid about sending out multiple submissions with Writer’s Relief at my back.
My story “Pinochle Dance” will appear in the Winter 2008 issue of The MacGuffin. Thanks, Writer’s Relief.
Wishing all the Writer’s Relief staff and the writers they assist ongoing success,
Kat St. Claire
March 6, 2008
Hi Ronnie,
I would like to add a quick letter of reference to the pile of references you have no doubt already received.
I have only been a client for roughly six months, and, in that time, I’ve received two acceptances in magazines (admittedly, one of those was on my own) and several handwritten notes from editors requesting more work. Normally, I had enough time to submit to, at best, 5-10 journals a month, but with Writer’s Relief’s help in targeting my pieces to a more receptive publication, I am tripling and quadrupling my output, thus tripling and quadrupling my chances of being accepted! The staff has been incredibly kind and helpful, and I hope to be with them for a long time to come.
Thanks,
Todd Whaley
February 3, 2008
Dear Ronnie,
Your service is an excellent tool for writers. I have contracted both of my novels with The Wild Rose Press. What a fascinating journey to begin in the middle of my life!
If it weren’t for the conversations with you and your staff, the rejections from my first round of submissions, and my subsequent passion to create the most gripping query letter I could, I don’t think I would have had two publishers to choose from and handwritten notes from literary agents encouraging me to keep on writing.
Writer’s Relief pushed my creativity up a notch. You forced me to represent my work in the best possible way. I will always be grateful for your input, and I would recommend your service to anyone who is serious about this craft.
I have no idea how many books I have left to write or how many books I will sell. That doesn’t matter. This is a personal success for me, and Writer’s Relief helped me achieve a goal that many only dream of attaining.
Thank you again!
M. Flagg
Author of Retribution! and Consequences
Published by The Wild Rose Press
January 7, 2008
Ronnie:
As an experienced writer and editor, I can recommend Writer’s Relief to both beginners in the publishing effort and those who have been fighting the battle for years. You have an excellent and well-vetted list of agents and also some healthy realism—I recently acquired an agent for a book with help from Writers Relief’s staff. It took a lot of queries, as you warned me it would, but you were there through the whole process whenever I had questions or concerns. In 50 years of writing, editing, publishing, and running a journalism school, I’ve developed some skepticism—but I have nothing but good things to say about the folks at Writer’s Relief. You’re good people.
William Bridges
December 7, 2007
Dear Writer’s Relief Team,
I received my submission materials two days ago (they’ll be in the outgoing mail tonight), and I had to write and say how thoroughly impressed I am with the company and the great service you provide.
Every step has been utterly professional and well-executed. The value you deliver is WELL worth the fee.
Thanks in advance. Who knows if my novel will ever be published? But I’m 100% certain you’ve helped to increase the odds many times over.
FYI—I also have a great nonfiction proposal I’m planning to get your help with next year.
Thanks again, and happy holidays to all of you.
Keith Harmeyer
November 20, 2007
Dear Ronnie and staff,
This holiday season, I want to take this opportunity to thank Writer’s Relief for starting me on my way! My career in writing has really jumped in the last month. You secured my first publications, Porcupine and Homestead Review, and now I’ve used your lists to snag The Hurricane Review for “The Great Christ Heist,” and descant for “The Fountain Tuner.” In the midst of this small flurry of successes (two this month!), I actually had multiple acceptances for “Christ Heist” and while negotiating my way through this mini-minefield, the publications I had to turn down, now want me to send more stories directly to them! Wow. Now my problems have switched from lack of publication to lack of new stories to send out. This is a wonderful development!
I certainly would never have done this without Writer’s Relief, and I’m always recommending your service to my writer’s club. As a matter of fact, I just sent out your contact information to one of my new writer friends today.
I hope this holiday season brings all the Writer’s Relief staff great gobs of turkey with all the fixins as well as a joyous Christmas, a splendid Chanukah, and a fabulous New Year.
I ’ll be contacting Writer’s Relief for editing purposes, so will be in touch soon!
Sincerely,
Tory Hartmann
November 2, 2007
Hi Guys—
I have been writing, studying the craft of writing at various colleges and writers’ conferences for more than 25 years. I write short stories a difficult genre to sell. I attended many panels and lectures on “how to publish.” “Go through Writers’ Market,” they said. “Send away for copies of the journals and read the stories they publish; find those who publish work like yours.” I diligently did this, in the early years, though the journals were expensive. I often waited for months for my copy, and then the question—“Is this work like mine?” No two stories are alike. As nearly as I can describe them, they seek to reveal what I see about human behavior. It’s a broad gambit. But I selected a few journals, sent them my stories, and after months and months I got rejections from all of them. I gave up, feeling that the business end of marketing one’s work was not wedded in my personality, with the self that needs to write or create.
I learned about Writer’s Relief from a poet at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She said she had written for years, never published; signed on with Writer’s Relief, and to her astonishment, began to be publish a lot. I was 60 and thought, “If I don’t at least try this—let someone else figure out the administrative end of the craft—I will not have given this my best shot in life.” I have not regretted a single penny of the cost. Writer’s Relief is efficient, thorough, professional, and the staff is amazingly polite and compassionate. They provide me with deadlines and a structure, without which, I would wallow in self-pity over rejection and make excuses not to write. In selecting markets I would never find myself, and in preparing cover letters that take hours to generate, they free me from hours of tedious business that I, simply, am not good at. They treat me as if I were a client with a real job, something most of the people in my own world don’t acknowledge or accept, because after all, who takes writers very seriously “What a good hobby to fill the time…”?
I have received two acceptances in the year I have been with Writer’s Relief, but I am surprised that it is not the most satisfying aspect of the experience. In the end, the fact of publication did not matter as much as I thought it would. In the end, what has mattered is the sense of direction, purpose, and credibility that working with Writer’s Relief has afforded me. I am not sure how one defines “success” in writing, but I’m fairly certain it is not by number or ranking of publications. I think it comes from getting up each day and having the discipline to do one’s best, to keep working at it not withstanding repeated rejection. Most people, I’ve found, think in terms of costs and benefits and “bottom lines.” We need to count or measure everything, and rewards need to be tangible. I find it embarrassingly hoaxy to admit that my “bottom line” has turned out to be self-fulfillment and the realization of individual potential. I am much closer to achieving it with Writer’s Relief than I was in 25 years going solo.
Jen Calder
October 31, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
A note of thanks for the wonderful service and support from Writer’s Relief. Thanks to your organization, I am realizing my dream of becoming a published poet. I now have several acceptances.
The entire staff is great. The editing and proofing help is valuable; the shrewd choice of magazines has proven very effective. I also found the reassurance and statistics about rejections especially helpful. I would never have had a thick enough skin to brave the inevitable rejections on my own.
Best wishes,
Eleanore Lee
October 27, 2007
Ronnie:
I am very happy with the work that you and the rest of the staff at Writer’s Relief have done for me.
Although I have enjoyed writing for years, I did not know the first thing about getting my work published. The few times I tried, I quickly became frustrated, discouraged, and more than a little cynical about what it takes to be published. I was resigned to having my poems read by only a small circle of family and friends. Several months ago, a friend of mine—I knew that he wrote, but did not know that he had published—told me about Writer’s Relief and how you had helped him to get started.
Your assistance in proofreading my work, formatting my submissions and correspondence to professional standards, and, most importantly, identifying and targeting the appropriate publications for my submissions has been invaluable. In less than four months, three of my poems have been accepted for publication in nationally recognized literary journals (including The South Carolina Review and California Quarterly). This would not have happened without your help. I am confident that we will continue to have success publishing my work.
I look forward to continuing to work with you.
Sincerely,
James Adams Baker
October 26, 2007
Dear Ronnie:
I want to take this time to write a few words. Without the professional attention of the staff at Writer’s Relief, I believe that my work would not be published at this time.
I have little patience for the detailed effort necessary for getting my work out into the marketplace.
I have also found everyone at Writer’s Relief genuine and helpful. It makes a difference.
Thank you for all your work,
Ann Minoff
October 26, 2007
Hi Ronnie,
I heard about Writer’s Relief from a woman at a writing conference who told me she had her poetry published in the Harvard Review. I was intrigued because, although I have published a book and won the 2003 Jim Angell Award for it, I was about to give up on submitting further work. I’m a busy psychotherapist in private practice, and I’m terribly inefficient at the submission process. I decided to try Writer’s Relief, and besides being impressed with their professionalism and their prompt responses when I needed help, I had an essay published in The Rambler, a great magazine I wouldn’t have known about on my own. The folks at Writer’s Relief are not tied to my insecurities and will send my writing to places I might not consider. I like the way the Write’s Relief process spurs me to polish my work and to submit on a regular basis, and I appreciate their timely prompting, so that I don’t have to feel too much of a time crunch. It’s a fine resource for writers—I’m glad I found it.
Carol Morrison
October 23, 2007
Dear Ronnie:
Many thanks to you and to your staff for helping me to secure an agent to represent my nonfiction book proposal. I’m a first-time author and really value the practical advice I received while shaping my material for submission. The list of agents you provided was also obviously on the money since I received two offers of representation from my very first round of submissions.
All in all, it was a professional and worthwhile experience working with the team at Writer’s Relief.
Best,
Ron Fierstein
October 23, 2007
To Ronnie Smith:
Writer’s Relief is a very useful author submission service, especially for busy professionals. Their caring and supportive staff takes the guess work out of how and where to send writing. I’ve been writing for several years and have received many rejections. After just one submission period, Writer’s Relief made me a published author! That’s a great feeling. Thanks, Writer’s Relief!
Jodi Adamson
October 21, 2007
To Ronnie Smith:
I have garnered more publications in the past five months with Writer’s Relief than I have in the past ten years of submissions on my own. The Writer’s Relief staff is better than a literary agency, more thorough and easier to contact, whether by e-mail or phone. They have a wonderful knowledge of the literary market that relieves me of the arduous task of wondering where to send my work and what the cut-off dates are. Also, it makes rejections easier to take because I now have acceptances in my field. The staff is considerate, supportive, and answers my questions in a prompt manner. I highly recommend them. Five of my friends use them and rave.
Ann Robinson
October 21, 2007
To Ronnie Smith:
In a little under a year of working with Writer’s Relief, I have had ten poems placed in eight journals. I rate my experience extremely satisfying. The submission cycle inspires me to write regularly, and it’s a relief to know that the destination for each submission is the product of informed decision making by the staff. This frees me up to just write.
I trust Writer’s Relief and look forward to another year working together.
Sincerely,
Richard Bailey
October 21, 2007
Dear Ronnie and all at Writer’s Relief,
I was one of those poets who just didn’t send things out. Everyday I’d say, “I really should send out my work,” and everyday I didn’t. No wonder I never got anything published! Since I signed up with Writer’s Relief, in May 2006, I’ve had 23 acceptances. This has made me very, very happy.
I knew nothing about the publishing world. Writer’s Relief has been my strategist and my secretary. I now feel more connected, more confident, less alone and less afraid.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Rose Black
October 19, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
As a rather prolific poet, and as someone with a hectic work schedule, the submission process is something I have traditionally dreaded. Let’s face it, writers have three jobs: 1) to write, 2) to make a living, and 3) to promote and submit his/her writing. Yikes! Where does one find time to live? That’s where Writer’s Relief comes in. Not only does this group of smart, professional, and extremely supportive team alleviate the writer’s submission headaches, but they also act as a kind of safety net.
Typically a poet sends work into the world solo. The responses range from respectful to rude to bewildering. Dealing with editors’ responses, or lack thereof, is one of the many things that Writer’s Relief helps with. As a result, I have managed to get about 30 poems published in one year alone, and many of the journals are upper-echelon.
In addition to being a poet, I have written a memoir. Approaching agents is terra incognita to me. As such, the process is terrifying. Sadly, I have tried this on my own; and because I really didn’t know what I was doing, I failed miserably. In contrast, after having my query letter, synopsis, and sample chapters edited meticulously by Writer’s Relief, and after having appropriate agents chosen for me, I managed to get the interest of four agents in merely two weeks. Although I am not a wealthy person, I have come to think of the money I spend on Writer’s Relief as a crucial investment in my future.
Lastly, let me not forget to add how incredibly warm, smart, and personable the staff is. Thanks to all of you!
Sincerely,
Dean Kostos
October 18, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
My work would never have reached as many journals as it has during the past year without Writer’s Relief. Certainly, if I had been preparing my own work to submit, my poetry would not have looked as beautifully prepared as it always does when Writer’s Relief does the job. In addition, the cover letters and address labels to editors are extremely professional looking. The high quality of the appearance of my submissions announces that I take my work seriously.
Furthermore, since Writer’s Relief assumes all of the responsibility of researching appropriate journals where I can send submissions, my poetry has gone to many more venues for publication than I would ever have been able to reach on my own. The amount of time Writer’s Relief has saved me from preparing manuscripts and finding places to send my completed work is literally beyond belief. I have gotten results; my very first packet had a poem accepted. More than half of the groups of poems I have sent out have garnered acceptances. I can honestly say that Writer’s Relief has made all of this possible. Heartfelt thanks to you, and everyone of your wonderful staff for all you have done to support me and my writing. I don’t know what I would do without Writer’s Relief.
Sincerely,
Alma Nugent
October 18, 2007
Dear Ronnie Smith,
I am happy to recommend Writer’s Relief to anyone who is serious about his or her writing and pursuing publication. They know the markets; their manuscript preparation is impeccable; and I have found their staff knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. Their database is a great plus to keep track of submissions and acceptances. Writer’s Relief has revitalized my writing career and enabled my work to find acceptance in top markets.
Sincerely,
Marsha Lee Berkman
October 17, 2007
Dear Ronnie:
I am thrilled with the service provided by Writer’s Relief. You do so much of the work of submitting for me. I’d never have been published in Westview without your service. I also appreciate the editing service you provide. No matter how often I go over my poetry, your editors still find errata!
Once again, thank you for your superb service. I’ll close by thanking your employees for being so friendly and pleasant in their dealings.
Blessings,
Anni Macht Gibson
October 17, 2007
To Ronnie Smith:
With thanks to Writer’s Relief, I have had several poems published in good journals in the year and a half I have been a client. Some of these journals include Atlanta Review, Carquinez Poetry Review, Connecticut Review, Eclipse, Flyway, International Poetry Review, Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, Nimrod International Journal of Poetry, and Prose, Paterson Literary Review, Phantasmagoria, Quercus Review, South Carolina Review, and Spillway. They are extremely helpful with their excellent proofing of the poems, selecting journals where work might be published, and answering calls with warmth and courtesy. I highly recommend their service for busy writers.
Perie Longo
October 17, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
My first year with Writer’s Relief has been a positive experience on balance. The due dates and the discipline require moved me to edit old work and produce new on a scale that never would have happened if left to my own initiative. Having my poems accepted by a number of leading journals around the country has increased confidence in my own work and led me to join a local poets’ reading group.
Regards,
Jim Cahillane
October 17, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
Writer’s Relief is efficient and effective. The editors are first-rate and have transformed my attention to my work in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The supplies and directions given to the writer are clear and concise. The Writer’s Relief staff has honed their intentions to such a degree that the feeling one has is depicted in their moniker: Writer’s Relief. I haven’t been with Writer’s Relief for long and have gotten some good news recently. I highly recommend contacting them and starting the process.
Best,
Anonymous
August 24, 2007
Ronnie,
Thank you for your words of congratulations. To say I’m delighted to have my poems published is an understatement. You and your team have been such a great support for me; there is no way I could have done this on my own. However, the greater support I’ve received from your organization is the encouragement to continue writing. This is such a lonely endeavor that having a team to support me makes the creative process more joyful.
Cathy Parilla
August 7, 2007
To Ronnie Smith:
I know my strengths and weaknesses, and getting my writing out there for the right people to review in a regular and organized fashion, as well as making sure that it isn’t filled with typos and format problems, is among the latter. Writer’s Relief is superb at both, and their very competent, supportive, and pleasant staff makes the whole experience not only painless, but—despite the frequent rejection letters—actually enjoyable.
Regards,
Howard Reiss, Esq.
August 1, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
I’ve been singing your praises from the beginning.
I think what you do is invaluable to the writer and the reason you have so much success is not luck, but a result of the hard work you put into researching potential agents and knowing when they will read. I got very quick responses to all of my packets. Some, it almost seemed, came by return mail.
Everyone that I have dealt with in your company has been courteous and a delight to talk to. I am not an easy client. I raise Labrador Retrievers and have 31 pups at the moment. I also run two other small businesses, and I have been handling my mother’s poetry through Writer’s Relief. She, too, was successful on the first mailing and had two poems published in different literary journals. Once again, I know that was due to your targeting abilities. But, as I said, I am wearing so many hats that often I have been late and didn’t follow directions. The Writer’s Relief staff was always patient and firm at the same time about deadlines. It is good practice [for the writer] for what lies ahead once an agent is secured.
In my busy life I just don’t have time to research which agents might be good for my work. Also, people move around and change so much in this business so I can never be sure if my submissions are going to an active agency. I certainly do not know who is reading and when.
Thank you Writer’s Relief!! This never would have happened without you.
All the best,
Carla Reuben-Carbone
June 22, 2007
Dear Ronnie,
Just wanted to drop you a little note to tell you what I will be doing today. I have assembled a group of eight poets who are going to read at our local library for a poetry luncheon. [This event] got great publicity, and we expect a large crowd from all over the state! Our South Carolina Poet Laureate will be reading as well as the most famous poets in South Carolina.
I could never have pulled this off without a little credibility…that I got from Writer’s Relief!
No one listens to a poet who has never been published. My recent acceptance to South Carolina Review has put me on the top 1/3 of the heap!
Thanks to you and the staff for all of your hard work. It has really paid off for me!
Have a great day, and pat yourself on the back. Or maybe, take the day off!
Best,
Janet Hull
May 17, 2007
Dear Ronnie:
I cannot say enough about the wonderful care and guidance I received at Writer’s Relief. The staff is always professional, and they made the process of sending out my manuscript easy (even fun). From the very beginning I knew that I was in competent hands. All paperwork was well-organized, and directions for submitting packets and recording agent responses were clear. Any time I had a question, I simply called and spoke to my knowledgeable contact person, Barbara.
In addition to helping me ready my manuscript for submission, Writer’s Relief also effectively targeted appropriate agents. This can be a monumental task as anybody who’s ever looked through Writer’s Market knows; yet each time I sent out my manuscript, I secured an agent. (I sent it out twice because my first agent retired before we were able to find a publisher.)
All in all, I would say that my experience with Writer’s Relief has been excellent. I would highly recommend that anyone who wants the burden of finding an agent lifted or lightened, try Writer’s Relief. It certainly worked for me!
Sincerely,
Diane Ross Glazer, Ph.D.
March 2, 2007
I have just secured wonderful agent representation in NYC. I am a Fulbright fellow (seven times) and a professor emeritus.
Writer’s Relief has been the sterling guide behind my writing career.
For ten years my work has found representation and publication because of this fabulous organization led by Ronnie.
Fond regards,
Rosary O’Neill
February 28, 2007
Ronnie,
I had spent four years writing my first novel Nantucket Sleigh Ride. I had never written anything longer than a college paper in my life. When I thought it was ready, I searched the Internet and “stumbled” on to Writer’s Relief. I found good information on the business of book publishing and getting agent representation. My ignorance level was high. I called you up to inquire what SASE meant, and you graciously answered.
The requirement to submit a sample of my work to Writer’s Relief and when you took me on as a client were turning points for me. For the first time my work was validated by someone else besides friends and family.
My first submission bundle went out in January 2006 and I secured representation in May 2006. I did double submissions the entire time. I had three agents request a full manuscript and one agreed to work with me Theron Raines.
Then the real work began. The novel became 50 percent longer and, working through the summer and fall, we polished it up, and it is out to publishers now. I await their decision while working away on my next novel.
Best,
Bill Jones
February 1, 2007
Dear Writer’s Relief:
While I am deeply ensconced in a new novel that has already been receiving interest from publishing houses, I wanted to tell your readership that I still have a completed novel out there and under consideration after using your service’s immeasurable and meticulous help.
I was certain that the novel was “dead.” With your excellent guidance, databases and sound advice, I created a blind submission package that, on the first 29 letters, received four responses from major agents asking to see the whole novel. Subsequently, on the second round of submissions, there were two more—still in the consideration process.
What I deduced from my experience with Writer’s Relief was that the end result of using your service was equal in time and effort to the efforts and time involved is using personal and/or previous contacts. (I have had three previous agents who took forever to respond.)
While my experience in the past has been both easy and hard—two earlier novels were accepted by pub houses but were derailed in business debacles—, this era demands that writers submit and submit and submit. You have proven to me that if I have a good sample package, I will not be lost in the agent-finding process. I may not get any further than a request to read my entire manuscript, but it shows that many agents do read what is sent to them—perhaps it takes a long time, but so does the writing. Perhaps some of them have silly response mechanisms: One sent a rejection the size of a fortune cookie’s message and another suggested I read more about their agency. In general…expedient and effective.
Thank you for making the process of sending out and getting back the package merely “white noise,” while the real activity is taking place in the present—in today’s writing. Having been the editor of a literary magazine for five years, many years ago, I want writers to know that when a pile of mail two-feet high lands on your desk, it takes a long time to go through, and sometimes, at the end of the day, you just can’t absorb one more word.
Keep trying, writers! Keep trying. That’s the only way to break through the sound barrier.
Sincerely,
Ina B Chadwick
January 11, 2007
Dear Ronnie:
I hired Writer’s Relief before I ever looked for an agent or published a book. Writer’s Relief explained the process, identified my likeliest prospects, and did all the dirty work of organizing my search. Without their efficient, professional help, I might still be shopping around for representation.
Sincerely,
Kevin Mednick
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