NAIWE

There are many reasons to join a professional organization…

• Membership in a professional organization is an investment in your professional credibility.
• It’s an investment in personal development, and growth.
• Membership is a way to stay connected to fellow writers and editors who are going somewhere, and don’t mind sharing knowledge on the journey.

As a professional association, NAIWE works hard to help you succeed. You receive tools (including a high-quality member website) and training to help you grow. We offer support as you meet professional challenges, and opportunities to develop your marketing skills so that you can create the kind of creative career you really want.

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But really, what’s the main reason to join?

Membership can help you succeed.

• You can connect with readers, clients, agents, and publishers through your member website and blog.
• You’ll learn how other writers and editors have created multiple streams of writing income, and how you can too.
• You can join even if you’re just getting started so that you can build your career strategically.

“Whatever your specific field, if there’s a National Association . . . , join it.”

From Zen and the Art of Making a Living by Laurence G. Boldt (2010)

 

No matter what kind of writing you do or what type of editor you are, you need to belong a strong professional organization. In addition to tangible member benefits such as your free website and blog, free access to basic legal advice, discounts on professional development, and much more, NAIWE offers larger benefits such as group marketing, a searchable database, and the SEO advantages of a large, content-rich website. Our members know they can count on us for advice, opportunities, and warm, personal support.

For your readers and clients, your membership in a professional association demonstrates credibility, commitment, and professionalism.

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As a member of NAIWE, you can learn from our growing Board of Experts, including:

Book Mentor for Faith-Based Writers Mary DeMuth

Ethical Grassroots Marketing Expert Shel Horowitz

Ghostwriting Expert Claudia Suzanne

Well-Fed Freelance Expert Peter Bowerman

…and many others.

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You get a Member Website

One of your biggest member benefits is an SEO-friendly member website and blog that can be your primary home on the web, and a quality incoming link to any other site you own. Writers and entrepreneurs need a way to connect with readers and clients, and your NAIWE site is an ideal place. The search engines love NAIWE member sites, because they are linked into the larger Association site, which helps drive up search-engine rankings for all of us. We even show you how to edit your site yourself (it’s as easy as writing an e-mail)!

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Marketing and Professional Development

As a member, you can promote your business and continue your professional development with:

• The Freelance Life podcast with Member of the Month interviews, Book Chats with our authors, and more.
• The Edge: Success Strategies for People Who Work With Words e-newsletter
• The Member’s Edge: Opportunities for Members Only

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Networking and Referrals

You have the opportunity to network and swap referrals with other members. Imagine being part of a professional network where you can find other writers and freelancers to learn from, create joint ventures with, and simply celebrate achievements such as a new book, an award, a great contract, and more of the good things that come with success.

“I appreciate the opportunities NAIWE provides for networking with other freelancers; ours is a pretty solitary enterprise, after all, and it’s good to know that there’s a free database of pros in almost every aspect of writing and editing available to me through the site, people I can call on when I find myself in need of expertise that’s different from my own.”

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There are no barriers for a 21st-century writer or editor.

We know you can work with anyone, anywhere, any time.

We know it’s possible build a writing career with multiple streams of income.

We’d like to help you make it happen.

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If you…

We invite you to join NAIWE, the career-building professional organization for freelance writers and editors.

You don’t have to be traditionally published before you join. You don’t even have to specialize in just one area–we realize that writers and editors can find many ways to earn a freelance living. Most of us don’t have the luxury of writing only fiction, or editing only academic monographs. In fact, we encourage NAIWE members to create multiple streams of writing income because it’s your best guarantee of financial stability.

Many NAIWE members write articles, evaluate manuscripts, offer writer workshops, or teach classes in grammar or copyediting while writing novels, poetry, or short stories. They’d rather earn a living using their writing knowledge and skills than waiting tables or spending time in an office. If you’d like to do that, we help you see the possibilities and learn how to create your own streams of income.

“NAIWE has inspired me to market myself as a freelance writer/editor much more aggressively than I have in the past. I think membership in a reliable, respected professional organization is important to members of any profession; and it is probably more crucial to those of us who work independently.”

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Why Choose NAIWE?

There are many writer’s groups. The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors isn’t the largest or oldest…yet. However, membership gives you specific advantages. When you join NAIWE:

Join us today, and let’s work together to meet your goals!

*Comments shared are excerpted from an e-mail by member Mary Mowen. You may read the entire note on the NewsWire blog.