Writers' Organizations - an Introduction
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
(NB This article refers mainly to writers' organizations located in the US. If you'd like a similar article on UK or other countries, let me know)
What is A Writers' Org?
WRITERS' ORGANIZATIONS exist for many purposes. Some are social groups, staving off the loneliness of the writing life. Others are critique groups, helping to hone craft. Still others are professional associations aimed at maximizing business opportunities and protecting its members’ rights.
If you are thinking of joining an writer’s organization, you have a
dizzying list of organizations to choose from. It is important to find out what each organization is about, how active it is, how active you are expected to be, and to find out what it can do for you.
Among the thousands of writers’ organizations, there are some that stand out. Most of the organizations mentioned below are high quality, high energy, or high profile. They are likely to be able to help you in some way and are unlikely to disappear with your dues and an evil cackle.
Which Organization?
If you are a working freelance writer, novelist or author, and want a professional organization you might want to join the National Writer's Union. It is a real union, affiliated with real, burly union-types --- rather surprisingly the United Auto Workers (UAW) and through them, the AFL-CIO. The NWU is all about protecting authors rights. If you have a dispute with someone who owes you money, the NWU is a good source of support. The great thing about the NWU is that they will accept, and fight for, anyone calling herself/himself a writer. You don't have to prove it, as you do with some of the other professional orgs. It also offers health and dental plans for freelancers.The Author's Guild is similarly elitist, as is Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
If you write romance, want to be traditionally published, and are in the US, you should absolutely belong to the Romance Writers of America . They are very active and big author advocates within the traditional publishing field. Since they exist to help romance writers get published (and treated well) they don't really want to pay much attention to self-publishing or subsidy publishing, so bear that in mind. RWA has loads of chapters all over the place, many of which host conferences and retreats. The annual conference in Washington DC is one of the biggest writers’ conferences of the year.
Other good organisations for genre writers include: Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and, for Christian writers, the Christian Writers Fellowship International.
When choosing an organization you also have geographical options. This might be appropriate if you expect to be especially active, or if you write about your area. Examples include: SouthWest Writers, Washington Independent Writers. There are even combinations such as the New Jersey Society of Christian Writers!
Getting The Most Out Of Your Membership
To get the most out of your membership, think about what you want to get out of an organization (critiquing, professional help, craft-enhancement, fellowship...) and then pop over to the writers' conferences section of the Shaw Guides. First, browse the conferences that sound most interesting, then note the handy contact information for the organizations that host them. After this exercise, you will have a better idea of what you want from an organization.
More...
If you still haven’t found the perfect organization, browse online directories of organizations, always bearing in mind your aims for your membership. You can find a great list of organizations at WritersWrite and a smaller one at Novelist Inc.
