Why Should You Join a Professional Association?
The professional association with the career-building difference.
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.
But really, what's the main reason to join a Professional Association?
Membership can help you succeed.
No matter what kind of writing you do; no matter 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.
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.
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)!
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-zine
- The Member's Edge: Bonus Success Strategies for Members Only
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 acheivements 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."
There are no barriers.
We know you can work with anyone, anywhere, any time.
We know it's possible build the writing or editing career of your dreams.
NAIWE can help you make it happen.
The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors is more than just a professional association. We're a friendly partner in your success.
- We believe that writers and editors, both commercial and literary, are worthy of respect, support, and success.
- Through our searchable database, our members and their clients, agents, and publishers are able to form working relationships across the globe.
- Member websites provide an international platform through which member writers and editors can connect and communicate with readers, potential clients, and publishers worldwide.
There are readers and clients who are looking for you now!
We welcome members who:
-
Earn a living by working with words
-
Are serious about building a profitable writing or editing career
-
Want an easy-to-find home on the internet to connect with readers, clients, and publishers
-
Value networking and referrals
-
Are focused on actively developing their craft
-
Would like to eliminate the "feast or famine" income cycle
-
Welcome opportunities for professional development
-
Understand the value of developing an author platform.
-
Appreciate the credibility that comes from membership in a professional association
"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."
If this sounds like you, and you are...
-
Committed to the highest ethical standards
-
Serious about using technology and best practices to build your career
-
Committed to ongoing professional development
-
Serious about being the best at what you do
The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors can help you meet your goals!
We are open to literary and commercial freelancers who love their work and intend to succeed.
We invite you to join NAIWE, the career-building professional organization for freelance writers and editors. We don't require that you specialize in just one area--we realize that freelance professionals wear many hats. Most of us don't have the luxury of writing only fiction, or editing only academic monographs. In addition to our primary job description, we may write articles, evaluate manuscripts, offer writer workshops, or teach classes in grammar or copyediting. It's okay to write marketing copy during the day, literary poetry at night, and juvenile fiction on the weekend. We respect your initiative, and we absolutely believe in the benefits of creating multiple streams of income. There are no barriers for the committed freelancer!
Why Choose NAIWE?
There are many groups on the Internet. 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:
-
You have a partner who is committed to helping you build your business.
-
You have an immediate Internet presence, even if you're not a technical wizard.
-
You are included in a database that is searchable worldwide.
-
You will benefit from instruction from members of the NAIWE Board of Experts-- all successful writers and editors.
-
You are welcome here, even if you are a writer or editor who doesn't fit neatly into a genre or specialty.
-
Your business will benefit from our commitment to research, ongoing professional development, and marketing.
And finally, we believe in the power of working independently—setting our own hours, working with people we enjoy, being there for family, and having time for friends, travel, and great books.
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.
