FAQs

How is NAIWE different from other publishing-related associations?

NAIWE is distinctive for its focus on career building. We welcome you at any stage in your career, and we support you through articles, webinars, on-demand training, discounts, and more. You can read a full description of our mission on the About NAIWE page.

What makes NAIWE the success association for its members?

We provide an easily findable location for freelancers to create an online platform. In addition, NAIWE has a strong focus on creating multiple streams of income. Through webinars, linked articles, and other member’s posts, you’ll learn how other freelancers use their skills to create financial stability and how you can do it too.

Why does NAIWE focus on career building?

Whether you’re writing literary fiction or providing editorial services or designing book covers, you need to connect with your audience. With our focus on creating a multiple-streams-of-income career, we can help you focus on long-term financial stability, rather than just the next thing.

We realize that many service-focused freelancers are specialists in writing or editing or designing, but lack a formal business background. Many lack experience in important areas such as marketing, creating a platform, finding and working with clients online, managing time, setting up systems, establishing rates, and other things that make a difference in how successful a freelance business will be.

Our goal is to provide ongoing resources and training to help you build business and marketing skills for maximum success. We believe that working with words is the best business in the world and that one of the keys to success is to realize that your love of words can be a business, as well as an art. We want to provide the service and support that will help you create the career of your dreams.

How can a prospective client evaluate and choose a service provider from the NAIWE membership?

Each new NAIWE member is requested to post a professional profile, including education and years of experience, plus a sample of evaluated work, and a business description on the new NAIWE website. A prospective client would visit the Find a Professional page and search for the type of freelancer needed. From the list of potential service providers, the client will view chosen Professional Profile pages and select members to query from the information provided. The more information you post on your member site, the more likely you are to attract your ideal clients.

Who are the members of NAIWE?

NAIWE members are professional, independent writers, editors, designers, and other publishing professionals from any country in the world. They include

• • Writers of fiction or non-fiction
  • Editors of fiction or non-fiction
  • Publishers and self-publishers
  • Copywriters
  • Copyeditors
  • Screenwriters
  • Songwriters
  • Editors for ESL writers
  • Indexers
  • Coaches (in the fields of writing, publishing, book marketing, and related areas)
  • Proofreaders
  • Developmental editors
  • Academic evaluators
  • Fact checkers
  • Writing tutors
  • Manuscript evaluators
  • Book doctors
  • Consulting editors
  • Writing teachers

Who looks to our members for professional publishing-related services?

The members of NAIWE serve a broad clientele, including, but not limited to

• • Writers
  • Self-publishers
  • Small businesses
  • Corporations
  • Students, including homeschooled students and parents
  • Academic instructors

How do you pronounce NAIWE?

Because it’s a mouthful to say, “National Association of Independent Writers and Editors,” in casual conversation we refer to it as NAIWE, pronounced “nay-we.” It’s a lot simpler! Of course, we don’t have pronunciation officers patrolling the ranks, so if you want to pronounce it differently, that’s okay too.

When I join NAIWE, how long will it take to get my website set up?

As soon as your dues payment is processed, you’ll be able to log into your member dashboard with the username and the password you chose.

To activate your website, simply log in to the dashboard and look in the right sidebar. You’ll see links to your new website. Click to explore these, and your new WordPress-based website will be activated and ready to use. The username and password for your website are the same as your NAIWE login.

How do I add and edit information in my member website?

There are video tutorials on the NAIWE member site, and they’ll show you how to add posts and pages, insert images or clips, and use tags and categories. They cover most of the basics you’ll need.

There are two pages included in your new website: the Professional Profile page and the Portfolio page. You may add more pages, post different things on them, and use them in the way that best fits your needs. The Professional Profile page is what visitors will see when they click to your site from the searchable database, so you want to include your contact information and anything you want visitors to see.

Each of the default pages contains text that suggests what you might want to post. To edit this, select “Edit” from the “Page” or “Post” menu in the blog administration panel to replace this information with your own text. Be sure to put contact information on your Professional Profile page or create a Contact page in your site where potential clients will be able to query you for more information.

To create a new page or post, choose the “Add new” option on your blog dashboard, and type your information directly into the space provided, using the editing tools at the top of the text box. Pasting copy directly from Microsoft Word does not work well, due to hidden coding that’s incompatible with the site and usually results in text that runs together. If you want to cut and paste text, paste it first into a text editor such as TextPad and save it as plain text. This strips away the coding and makes it usable online.

What if I get stuck or mess up my website?

If you have any questions or difficulties with your NAIWE website, please contact us. We welcome your questions and are able to provide website assistance.

Can I cancel my NAIWE membership?

Requests for cancellation are considered on a case-by-case basis; they are not guaranteed. When cancellations are granted, there is a $35 administrative fee that is never refundable.

Read more about NAIWE benefits, and join today!