Inkspot User Feedback

More user comments here and here.

"Inkspot has helped me with my writing in so many ways I cannot begin to count. The environment here is like none other on the internet. Where else are there hundreds of mature writers gathered together with the common goal of helping each other out? Though I have yet to be published, I feel that Inkspot has put me on the fast road to the publishing world."

"I should let you know that in last month's Inkspot, there was an e-zine featured who wanted articles about parenting. I sent a query letter; they requested a copy of my article and reviewed it. They accepted it for publication and it will be published in their December edition. This is very inspiring for a first-time writer so I want to thank you again for your wonderful publication. I've told all my writer friends about it and highly recommend they subscribe to Inkspot. "

"I don't know if you get this very often, but I wanted to make sure I thanked you for having Inkspot available for the masses. I've really liked and learned from what I've read."

"Been reading the Inklings newsletter for many moons and never bothered to say thanks for all your work. How rude. Thanks."

"I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for Inkspot. I really enjoy each edition and find it encouraging. I'm still trying to break into print. I find the information in Inkspot helpful and even more often, encouraging. Thanks for making Inkspot available."

"Just wanted to drop you a line. I have been reading Inklings for a few years. I am a new writer with about 12 publishing credits to my name. Over the past few months, I have had a great deal of rejection, and was ready to give up and go back to school and become a Webmaster. Also, I had followed up on a few of the market listings in Inklings, and again rejection for articles I submitted on spec. Literally, I was ready to give up on my writing this week, and go back to school.

Today, I got a call from a market you listed in the classifieds (I sent my resume and writing samples) and landed a five figure contract for a long term writing project. I just wanted to thank you for the Web site and helping writers make connections with editors and publishers."

"I just wanted to take a brief moment and say thank you very much for sharing your pages in INKLINGS to announce to your subscribers about The Page ONE Newsletter. The outcome and response for subscriptions was unbelievable. I have yet to have the numbers of requests from subscribers that I have had from your publication."

"I just wanted to thank you for your email newsletter. I've only gotten 3 so far, i just subscribed, but in the first one i recieved, there was the notice about the Cat Fantasy Contest that Del Rey was holding. Well, i whipped up a story and sent it off, and ended up getting Honorable Mention, and a book signed by the author of the book the contest was a promo for! So thanks for sending out such an informative mailing - it really boosted my novice writer spirits to get that award, and i wouldn't have known about it without you!"

"Dear Debbie, I just wanted to let you know that your site has launched a new career for me. I knew nothing about the publishing industry until I came across your site. I watched, I read, and asked a question or two about how to get a book published. I was not "a writer" but I had, what I thought, was a good idea for a non-fiction book. So, I haunted your site and read everything! The information that I recieved helped me develop a book proposal and I recieved a publishing contract from one of the two publishers that I sent the proposal to four days after I sent it out. I got an extremely large advance(from what I have been told from agents that have now approached me) and my publisher is treating me like a v.i.p. I just wanted to let you know that what you do is important and appreciated."

"I owe you a debt of gratitude for announcing the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children. I applied and was accepted for January. I'm thrilled."

"Thanks to you I've two agents interested in Bitter Creek. Sent off a copy snail mail to Ms. McHugh, after first sending her chapters and a synopsis. Also had interest expressed by Talewin. Thought you'd like to know."

" Just wanted to say, THANKS! I have been wondering how to get started and this is really perfect - all my questions now have answers."

"I feel as if I know you because I so enjoy Inkspots and Inklings that you do for us! I decided this morning that I needed to tell you that! I have encouraged all the members of the writing group that I lead to "access" you and learn tons. You are an important part of how I am defining myself as a writer. Continue to keep up with the load because I can hardly wait to read each issue of Inklings and to see what new stuff is on the Inkspots site. Thanks again!"

"Dear Ms Ridpath, Just wanted to thank you for all of the great market info and links on your site. I have been subscribing for six months or so and always find in useful for finding markets and great links to info and support. Keep up the great work, your inkspot really hits the mark for freelance writers and other ink-stained wretches."

"I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for providing such an informative site. You have been most gracious, allowing writers and various services, such as mine (Writers' Showplace) to post ads free of charge. I appreciate your generosity and can see why you now want to charge for listings in the Classfieds. Inkspot has quite a circulation! You should benefit from that. Anyway, thanks again for your help (we've acquired a few writers because of your site) and we will be sending you a "paid" ad in the very near future."

"Just a note of thanks for all the info you provided. I don't know what you get in return, but you are certainly doing a great service to a great many people. All through my life I have helped countless people in many different ways, never expecting anything in return. But now I feel they have paid me back abundantly through you. Keep up the good work!"

"We're the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's TV arts program, 'Adrienne Clarkson Presents' and we're linking to you. On Sunday, September 27th, we'll be repeating "Les Belles Etrangeres", a show about Canadian writers who are making a name for themselves in France. Viewers who check out our website and want to surf for more info about writing will discover our link to Inkspot, the writer's resource. You can view our website at http://www.tv.cbc.ca/acp/96-97/ belles/index.html."

"As a subscriber to Inklings and long time fan of Inkspot, I wanted to let you know that Inkspot.com was mentioned at the Saskatchewan Writers Guild Annual General Meeting this past weekend in Saskatoon. Writer Ed Willet gave a talk on writing for on-line markets, and mentioned Inkspot as a very good starting point."

"You have an EXCELLENT SITE and I will visit it often! Keep up the good work. As for me, I'll tell my friends! "

"You have been my homepage since I first hit upon you. I have mentioned Inkspot at writer's groups and conferences. I just had to comment on site update even though I haven't had time to run around in it. I really like it. Thanks for a great job!"

"Love the new look of your website and its easier to navigate. In EditorInk, your tips on creating a website were so good I offered them to my son who has just finished a web page on geocities. Lastly, your link to the Mining Co led to some useful articles, and there I joined my first mailing list which seems to generate hourly activity from working writers and journalists. Thanks for maintaining your wonderful site. In spite of all the competition, it's still one of the best."

"I have so far received three copies and have thoroughly enjoyed the newsletter and find it excellent. As a Canadian I am always reassured when something as good as this is produced in Canada. Even if it is in Toronto The Good. As a former editor with CBLT-TV News I feel I can be mildly derisive when it comes to TO. Especially after I went to Australian Broadcasting News in Sydney and found all my old Toronto friends in Australia. We ex CBC types who wandered away were always sought after. I am now developing at least three historically based novels and will be looking forward to you journal for clues and hints as well as marketing and agent suggestions."

"I'm a student at Emerson College with a major in Writing Literature and Publishing, but your web site was far more helpful to me than any of my classes (so far.) Thank you so much for "Suggested Agent Checklist for Authors" and "Freelance Writer's FAQ." It was and will be very helpful - if I ever get myself going."

"Just to let you know how much I look forward to and appreciate the newsletter. I faithfully print each copy and they're in a binder to which I've referred several times. Keep up the good work! It's a real service to us out in cyberland!"

"Your homepage and links are way cool, and they SHOULD not be linked to writers stuff, cause we writers are the worst to get net addiction, net addiction provides all the stuff that neurotic writes need, except writing, there are real other people safe enough away that but cool and good enough for imagining, but not touching, information irrelevant to earning an income, stuff with values outside the dollar, stuff worth sitting in your chair at your computer typing away into the darkness of night, without writing a page, a chapter, a story a line, a whatever. Really liked your stuff, will enjoy inkspots etc and want to send you all possible positive vibrations, and find your writing to read it. I am even resisting the fragrence of my own creation of italian spicy bread with parsley and oregeno and garlic and thyme wafting from my bread machine to my terminal to write this. Go get em girl all praises to the Ohis"

"I am writing to thank you for the valuable service you are providing for writers. I am a new writer and I have realized how tough it is to be successful. There were a lot of questions I had when I began my horror novel a year ago and your site has answered them. Inkspot has also given me a lot of hope and helped me to realize that there are many others like me out there. I check your site frequently, on a variety of topics and deem it as a necessary resource for any writer. The fact that it is free is also great, especially while you're barely making ends meet till your career is established. Thanks again and I hope all goes well for you in the future."

"Just a note to say thanks for providing inkspot. I am an unpublished writter and posted my book. I had 2 emails within 2 days from a publisher and an agent!"

"I hope this is the right spot for this message - I'll be brief. I've just subscribed. Thank you for putting up such a useful site. I feel i have friends. This is important when your'e plugging away between working and sleeping. Appreciatively yours, John (in Ireland)."

"Just a note to thank you for offering writers Inkspot, most especially the Market Listings. Through your listings I have "sold" 4 or 5 pieces of fiction/articles to Shatter the Glass Ceiling and had my western short story, DUNNIGAN, accepted by Mind's Eye, an online mag that selects just 26 of 1,117 submissions. Would never have known about either had it not been for you. Moreover my western novel is in the hands of an agent and also is being reviewed by an online publisher. Again, thanks to you."

"Perhaps you receive daily accolades about this web site . . . but, just in case you don't, I want to say that it is the best on the web for freelance writers."

"Just wanted to tell you that I love your site. It is filled with more information than any other writers site I have found. This is especially true with genre. I write science fiction, fantasy, horror, erotica and poetry, and your site has something for all these areas. I look forward to visiting your site often. Thanks again for a great site."

"I just found this website from a recommendation on the Mindspring home page. Where have I been all your life?? This is great!!"

"I love it!! I have found many writer's sites, but this one has them all beat! It's terrific. Thank you for maintaining a site with so much information and help."

"I just had to drop a line to say thank you for this wonderful site. I have always had a notion that I could write a novel (haven't we all?) but had no idea how to start or what on earth to do after that. Then someone gave me a gift of MSFT Bookshelf - and in that I found a link to your site, best click I ever made! Thanks to your amazing efforts, I have all the information that I could possibly wish for. I may never write that book, but thanks to you I'm definitely going to have a try!"

"Thank you for putting the information about whether a potential market pays or does not pay right out there where we can see it!! Saves time! Saves heartbreak! And while I'm at it, thanks for creating this site, and your newsletter."

"I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you what a wonderful site you have here. It is loaded with information for readers and writers...I don't think I have found a place quite like this on the net. Keep up the great job you are doing!"

"I'm so glad I found this site. It is a wonderful resource. I could stay up all night and still not run out of informative topics. Thanks"

"This is a beautiful site ... EXACTLY what I have been looking for in terms of helping me to write and to share my writing. You offer an invaluable service. Thanks!"

"My feed back is I luv Inkspot. It's cool, quick and to the point."

"I wrote you yesterday and I just had to write again and say what a wonderful site I think this is! I've been spending more time here today, searching around and reading just about everything you've got on here. I am inspired to pick up writing once more, after having my first manuscript rejected. I will certainly be frequenting this site often in the days to come, and I look forward to new and informative articles. Thank you for helping my writing to get back on track. Keep up the wonderful web page!"

"Just wanted to tell you that I'm getting two articles published thanks to your sites. In the market info. I found Papyrus and they will be publishing my article in their spring edition. Tapestry (found in Classifieds) will be publishing a personal essay for their January edition. Thank you for providing the information. "

"Just discovered your spot on the web and must offer my thanks. I certainly enjoy "splended isolation" when writing, but hey, you gotta connect with others once in a while. :) Good job!"

"Inkspot is listed at the top of my "must see' sites. Your hard work at presenting and keeping up the best and freshest site for writers, deserves an award! Heck, an Oscar!!!"

"I'd just like to say that your site is just what I've been searching for. I am fifteen and have always loved writing and reading, but have never known where to begin or how to deal with people who dislike my work. After just browsing, I can tell that this site has a lot of the answers. The new format is very good - keep up the terrific work! Thanks!"

"We need more sites like yours for students and teachers to point to as good resources."

"Thank you so much for putting together Inkspot! I love it! Especially the Young Writers' section. I'm constantly going into the Young Writers' Forum. It's inspired me so much, answered many of my questions, and hooked me up with some new friends! Everybody is so friendly and welcoming. All the resources and links are also very helpful."

"I'd like to tell you how much, and how valuable I think Inkspot is. I am currently writing an article for a writer's mag' have included Inkspot at the top of my list of favorite sites for writers. Keep up the fantastic work!"

"Let me use this opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate all the work you put into Inkspot and Inklings and how important they are to me. I like the new look!"

"The site keeps getting better, Debbie. I have subscribed to INKLINGS; looking forward to that. "

"I Love YOu! Inkspot is my cyber space home!"

"This is the best website I have found for writers. It's exactly what I was dreaming of when I first decided to venture out here, and you must know how wonderful it is. You are to be commended for this atmosphere you have created, and cultivated and nurtured into a living, growing thing."

"I was searching for information about colons for a student of mine. Your site was the only one that had a link that helped! Keep up the good work!"

"Just wanted to say thank you for your helpful service. I've already made one paying sale of a short story with hopes for more Thought you should know."

"Just want to tell you that I've just accessed your web page. It's beautiful and so are you! Love Inklings and thank you for helping writers."

"I love your site. It's nice to have up to date markets for my writing. "

"Debbie- Recently a beginner writer wrote to thank me for the helpful information in some of my web pages. She said she appreciated people like me and DEBBIE RIDPATH (I'm honored to be in the same sentence with you) for taking the time and effort to put helpful sites online. That reminded me that I owed you MY THANKS for Inkspot which has become one of the few places I visit on the Web. Like you said in your other e mail reference about "time for my own writing," I have noticed what has happened to that aspect of my life since I became hypnotized by this media. Again, thank you for establishing a lifeline for us isolated people called Writers. "

"I just wanted to let you know that Inkspot is outstanding and that I appreciate the service."

"I came, I saw, I like."

"I just stumbled onto your site today and I love it. I'll probably be here all day long."

"You've done it again. Just visited the writer's forum and ended up posting an answer (my very first) under general discussion. I'm impressed. I don't know what possessed you to assist writers, but I'm glad you're there!"

"I think you're doing a fantastic, stupendous, wonderful, great, terrific, outstanding job."

"Outstanding site! I plan on featuring your Young Writers location in a book I am writing on Teaching with the Internet. Keep up the outstanding work!"

"So nice to see such fantastic work you've done with your web site. And congrats on the great promo in WD!!!"

"Thanks so much, Debbie, for providing such a wonderful wealth of information. I had no idea about your web page until reading about it in this month's Writer's Digest magazine. (page 40) I hadn't gotten a chance to peruse the magazine until yesterday, and I am so happy I did. God bless you for your great work."

"I just wanted to write and say "thanks for Inkspot!" I was surfing the net last night and was absolutely thrilled when I found Inkspot!"

"Debbie, I just visited your site and added it to my favorites list. My visit was pure delight. You are extremely talented to have done all that you have done and to be maintaining it."

"I'll make this quick!! I have been searching for a useful writer's page for a long time, and your is the first one I've seen that does the trick. As a Canadian woman, trying like mad to be published, your website does more than inform, it HELPS! Inkspot's been bookmarked for good! Thanks."

"Just discovered your site and I'm really excited about it. This is the first writer's site that I've visited that seems to cover almost everything!"

" Just wanted to say "thanks" for a goldmine of a WWW site ... really great stuff here and an excellent service."

"I have just found your web site - it is fantastic!!! I've only been on the internet a short time and your site is exactly what I have been searching for."

"Thanks again for linking me from Inkspot. I'm so pleased to be included on such a wonderful and valuable site. You really do a terrific job with those pages.... I'm embarrassed to tell you how often I visit and browse, because I'm sure you'll wonder when I ever get any writing done! ;-)"

"Bless you bless you bless you a hundred times and may you have all the hot fudge sundaes and fresh strawberry shortcakes you desire without gaining an ounce."

"I was thrilled to find the latest issue of INKLINGS in my e-mail. Just wanted to pass along my compliments again. This is the most useful resource I access on the 'Net. If you ever decide to charge for this publication (and at some point you might want to!), I'll be your first subscriber."

"Dear Editor Debbie: I hope you don't mind me using your title as a salutation. I so love this newsletter and receiving it feels more natural (and certainly more worthy) than addressing Bill Clinton as President. Is it too much to say that perhaps you do more for writers than the Bill does for the country? T'is true." I just want you to know it's appreciated!!!"

"Hi! Just wanted to drop you a short "e" to tell you how much I like your site! Not only is the site itself entertaining, it contains a WEALTH of informatiion! Keep up the good work! "

"I just happened across your page while I was doing updates for my zine and discovered a fantastic writer's resource! I didn't know about your publication until now, but I plan to visit again often."

"I am a published children's author and wanted to tell you how wonderful it is to see this on the Net. If I had been able to use this when I was starting out, it would have saved me a lot of time at the library, and subscribing to various magazines.I will be in touch again. Keep up the excellent work!!! "

" I'm so thrilled I finally looked up your site (read about it in Writer's Digest). It's wonderful! I'm a grantwriter at California Institute of the Arts, but I have a feeling I won't be getting quite as much work done now that I've found you! Thank you!"

" Finding this site was like getting a Christmas present in February. Thanks for being out there for us! :-)"

" Just want to keep letting you know how much I appreciate Inklings. Having it show up in my mail regularly inspires me onward with my writing."

"I love your site. Being a new author, (a dime a dozen I suppose), and just finished my book, I had no idea where to turn to for help in publishing and agent searches. Thank you so much for your cyte. It is truly what the Internet is about."

Page One is a free site and a free newsletter so this editor generates zero in revenue to put put back into the newsletter for advertising and promotions but if I did have some extra $$ you better believe I would advertise with your publication. You have my full permission to send my words of support for INKLINGS to your advertisers and let them know.

Thank you so much Debbie for giving this little newsletter an ocean of new ears and eyes to share our literary content."

"As a first time visitor to this site I am absolutely amazed at the content and the myriad of links. My hat is off to you. I am currently working on a page to promote Canadian authors and their works. Having seen the content here, I obviously have a great deal more work to do. Keep up the good work."

"I just found your web pages and the most I can say right now is WOW! You have so much useful information here. Thank you!"

"Very in-depth work. I'm very impressed."

"INKSPOT is the best resource for writers on the Internet. Congratulations on presenting such a comprehensive and useful tool. I spend 90% of my Net time with you."

"I was inpressed with the fullness of the site and will be back many times. Thank you again for this inspirational site. I know the effort you must put into it and I appreciate it."

"INKSPOT is a truly OUTSTANDING page! Congratulations for all your hard work."

"Sincerest congratulations. I've been roaming the Net for months watching for just this kind of service. I hope every publisher and agent eventually makes use of your service. Today, it's the only way to go. Incidentally, I don't know how others feel, but I certainly would NOT object to online advertising to support your service should you sometime decide to go that route. Best of luck!"

"thanks for putting the effort into a great resource. I am just beginning to explore the potential of the web and finding little gems like yours just astounds me. being able to link worldwide to people/information sharing common ideas etc is fantastic. P.S I just by coincidence happen to be half way through the morgaine/mrgause/lancelet saga. Good reading. Thanks again Bye from down under or as we more australocentric inhabitants prefer to say. "up over"."

"I discovered inkspot this morning and am both entralled and grateful. I have been able to do a number of things quickly and effectively as a result of this resource."

"Just a quick note to say thank you for taking the time to send out the helpful instructions to me. I had no idea my request would require such a long response and I really appreciate your help. I've been referring people to Inkspots as a fine Canadian site for kidslit and related writing stuff. "

"I've just stumbled onto your great site! As an aspiring childrens writer, it's a terrific resource, packed with information."

"Your GIFs are WAY T00 K00L. Yuh got Fractal Painter huh? Ware'd the CoffEE and PL00M go? NEWay, Inksp0T stiil R00LZ!"

"Your site just keeps getting better and better! How good can you get!?"

"I've spent a lot of time over the last months surfing around looking! I've had some good experiences and a lot of rather disappointing ones. I teach English and English as a Second Language so I have a rather definate idea about what can be useful to me. I was delighted today to discover INKSPOT. The home page is delightfully designed - easy on the eye and concisely packed with information. The links are great!I've thoroughly enjoyed wandering through the different areas. Congratulations on a job well done!"

"We have been very busy. Love the new pages. Bang! Suddenly out of nowhere about fifty million pages appear. Hey I guess you are wearing out the old keyboard again ."

"This is one of the best sites I've seen on the net. Very useful information, good links, nice graphics but not so much that it's a bandwidth hog. Very nice job."

"I'm thrilled to death to discover you! I'm looking forward to receiving my newsletter, and I'm going to pass along info about your Web page and newsletter to my other writing pals. Thanks! :)"

"Thank you for doing all this work. It's greatly appreciated. I'm going to tell all my Clarion West alumni about your helpful page."

"Your page is the most useful one for children's writing I've found. Thanks!"

"Just a note to say how great the page looks. I'm constantly surfing around looking for writers pages to link with, so I can officially say that Inkspot is simply the best there is."

"I took a look at your additional homepage sites and thought they were extraordinarily good...I wish to express my sincere congratulations on a job well done in your writing resource pages."

"Thanks for posting our writers' conference. Inkspot is great and keeps getting better. I'm teaching a course on children's writing in the fall and I'm going to plug inkspot."

"Wow, I checked into your homepage, and just lost 2 hours of my life again...you have so many links in there that I always end up saying that I'll just check 'One-More-Site', and suddenly it's lunch time. I'm impressed and jealous."

"Hi! Just came across your Inkspot page. I love it! It's great! I've been looking for a place like this for a long time.

"Your site is great, tons of useful info. Can't wait to explore the whole thing."

"Your site is wonderful."

"Well, your Inkspot Web site is working fine for me! I just received email from the editor of the newsletter for the Alberta Christian Writer's Fellowship (ACWF) in Alberta, Canada, asking permission to publish my article, which he saw in Inkspot.

"Thank you again for making your Web site available and for going to all the work to put so many sites and articles in it. You have made a very worthwhile contribution to writers everywhere. Just thought I would add my appreciation to your growing list of fan mail."

"I looked up INKSPOT and fell in love with it! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I feel like I could easily use my allotted sixty hours/month just in there! I printed out several handouts yesterday, and studying them is like sitting in a creative writing class again! Thank you for such an inspiring, thorough effort!"

" I stumbled across the Inkspot a few weeks ago, and it is now one of my favorite sites!"

"...I wanted to say thank you so very much for the wonderful job you've done with Inkspot! Anything I might have ever hoped to accomplish on a simple home page and so much MORE! It's the first place I go most often when I turn on the computer and I recommend it to all my friends. Keep up the good work!"

"Well, I finally found your Web page, and I can say that I am DAMNED impressed!"

"(A friend) told me about your site and I just had to have a look! Fabulous!"

"Just wanted to thank you for your www home page, especially the Inkspot link. I've yet to see a more comprehensive listing of writer's resources on one page. Even GNN or Yahoo miss some of the links on the Inkspot page."

"I am glad to say that I knew about Inkspot *BEFORE* it was the cool site of the day. That makes me cooler than anyone else."

"Well done...I must comend you on an excellent job on this site. Nice graphics, well designed, and a much needed resource."

"Your GIFs are WAY T00 K00L. Especially the CoffEE and PL00M.
Inksp0T R00LZ!"