Shop
  • Deals
  • Deal checker
  • Black Friday
  • Buying guides
  • Brands
  • Stores
Travel
  • Flight deals
  • Hotel deals
Company
  • Research
  • Press
  • deal.ai apps
Black Friday 2026
  • Walmart
  • Best Buy
  • Target
  • TVs
  • Laptops
  • Headphones
  • Apple
  • Gaming
  • Vacuums
  • Kitchen
  • Toys
  • Smartwatches
  • Tablets
  • Furniture
  • Mattresses
© Deal.ai Inc.
TermsPrivacy
Deal.ai › Books
O
On Writing (Paperback, 2016)

On Writing (Paperback, 2016)

Best price now

$5.03at alibrisChecked Nov 8

65% under what the other stores charge

Compared across 3 stores. Prices are checked against each store and labelled with when. Store links may earn us a commission. Price via Klarna.

Visit alibris

Ask our agent about this product

It checks today's price at every store, compares the alternatives and answers in about a minute.

Enter to send, Shift+Enter for a new line

Price facts

  • Last seen at $5.03 at alibris on Nov 8.
  • Checked at 3 stores.
  • Our take on the On Writing (Paperback, 2016)

    On Writing is a collection of Charles Bukowski's letters about the craft, edited by Abel Debritto and published by Ecco. It gathers decades of correspondence in which Bukowski argues about discipline, editors, money and why he wrote at all. It suits readers who already know his poems and stories and want his unfiltered views on the writing life. Unlike craft manuals, it offers no exercises or method, only one stubborn writer's opinions in his own voice.

    Best forBukowski readers who want his views on craftAspiring writers who prefer blunt talk to how-to guidesFans of literary letters and biographyReaders interested in the small-press poetry world
    Pros
    • Candid, funny, often profane letters in Bukowski's own voice
    • Shows his working habits and attitudes toward editors and publishers
    • Covers decades of correspondence, so his views shift over time
    • Short letters make it easy to dip in and out
    Cons
    • No structured advice or exercises for writers
    • Repetitive themes across many letters
    • Assumes familiarity with Bukowski's life and work
    • Some letters are slight or mainly business

    On Writing (Paperback, 2016) prices at every store

    • alibrisNew

      In stock

      $5.03Checked Nov 8
      Visit alibris
    • TargetNew

      In stock

      $14.48+ $5.99 shippingChecked Nov 8
      Visit Target
    • BooksamillionNew

      In stock

      $19.99+ $7.98 shippingChecked Nov 8
      Visit Booksamillion

    Store links may earn us a commission. Some prices via Klarna.

    On Writing (Paperback, 2016) price history

    Lowest price we've seen: $5.03 on Nov 9 at alibris. Tracked across 3 stores since Nov 9.

    What reviewers say

    Readers who come for craft advice often find the letters more about Bukowski's life, opinions and dealings with editors than about technique. Fans of his voice enjoy the blunt humor and honesty; others find the material repetitive and thin on practical guidance.

    What people mention
    • Writing adviceMixedReaders say the letters offer attitude and discipline more than practical technique.
    • Bukowski's voicePraisedFans enjoy the blunt, profane humor that carries the correspondence.
    • RepetitionCriticisedSome find the same themes and complaints recurring across many letters.
    • Editors and publishingMixedThe letters show his fights with editors and small presses, which some readers find more interesting than others.

    Specifications

    Format
    PaperbackSource
    Language
    EnglishSource
    Release Year
    2016Source
    Genre
    Biographies & MemoirsSource
    Publisher

    Questions and answers

    Is this a how-to writing guide?
    No. It is a collection of Bukowski's letters about writing and the writing life, with no exercises or step-by-step method.
    Who edited it?
    Abel Debritto edited the collection, drawing on Bukowski's correspondence held in archives.
    Do I need to know Bukowski's work first?
    It helps. The letters assume some familiarity with his poems, stories and the small-press scene he worked in.
    Is it the same as his novel about writing?
    No. This is nonfiction correspondence, not a novel, and it is separate from his fiction and poetry.
    What edition is this?
    This is the Ecco paperback in English, released in 2016.
    Where is the On Writing (Paperback, 2016) cheapest?
    At alibris, for $5.03, 65% under what the other stores charge, as of our latest check.
    Where can I buy the On Writing (Paperback, 2016)?
    3 stores we checked sell it, including alibris, Target, Booksamillion.

    Shoppers also compared

    • O
      On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
      On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
    • O
      On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
      On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
    • O
      On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
      On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
    • 1
      100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Updated): Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power, (Paperback)
      100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Updated): Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power, (Paperback)
    • O
      On Writing (Paperback, 2010)
      On Writing (Paperback, 2010)
    • T
      The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing
      The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing
    • S
      Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
      Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
    • O
      On Writing Horror (Paperback, 2007)
      On Writing Horror (Paperback, 2007)

    Stores we've priced the On Writing (Paperback, 2016) at

    • Target deals and prices

    More writing books

    • O
      On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume II (Paperback, 2021)
      On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume II (Paperback, 2021)
    • O
      On Writing and Worldbuilding : Volume I by Timothy Hickson (Paperback) (Paperback, 2021)
      On Writing and Worldbuilding : Volume I by Timothy Hickson (Paperback) (Paperback, 2021)
    • W
      Wrede on Writing (Paperback) (Paperback)
      Wrede on Writing (Paperback) (Paperback)
    • W
      Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from the New York Times (Paperback, 2002)
      Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from the New York Times (Paperback, 2002)
    • O
      On Writers and Writing (Paperback) (Paperback, 2009)
      On Writers and Writing (Paperback) (Paperback, 2009)
    • N
      Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing (Paperback, 2003)
      Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing (Paperback, 2003)
    • O
      On Writing Well - 30th Edition by William Zinsser (Paperback) (Paperback, 2006)
      On Writing Well - 30th Edition by William Zinsser (Paperback) (Paperback, 2006)
    • E
      Ernest Hemingway on Writing (Paperback, 1999)
      Ernest Hemingway on Writing (Paperback, 1999)
    Ecco PressSource
    Release Date
    2016-07Source