Professional organizations charge dues for books and publishing. Membership usually renews annually, offering access to members-only websites, discounts at conferences and events, subscriptions to professional journals or professional membership services, networking opportunities, industry updates/information updates, and educational resources as advantages of joining such associations.
Depending on your writing genre, organizations offering writers these benefits include the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), SCBWI, HWA, and others. Membership dues for these organizations range from $50-200 annually.
Becoming a successful writer doesn’t require joining a professional association. Still, it may provide invaluable networking opportunities among industry professionals and keep them up-to-date with industry news and information.
Publishers depend on dues as an integral component of publishing, helping ensure books are produced and distributed on time with enough resources for continued operations.
Dues serve two primary organizational functions – covering operational costs while funding programs and services provided. For instance, SCBWI dues cover staff salaries, office expenses, member benefits such as website hosting fees and online resources provided to members, and educational programs like webinars, conferences, and workshops. Similar dues support programs offered by AWP, such as their Conference, Job List, and Bookfair.
Publishers must close watch on any payments owed from authors to recoup some of their investments in author work. Publishers can ensure they get paid appropriately for all their hard work by keeping an eye on any dues owed by authors.
