When you’re building a career out of your writing, especially as a self-published author, it’s imperative that you seek out networking opportunities, find support groups and gain access to learning tools. There are many organizations and groups that offer all of these things. One of which is The Authors Guild.
Joining an organization like The Authors Guild has many perks for writers at all stages of their journey. Because it offers different levels of membership based on those stages, it grows with you. I’ll cover some of the membership levels and the benefits of joining The Authors Guild. Whether you’re an emerging writer, student, or a professional, there is a membership level that will work for you!
What is The Authors Guild?
The Authors Guild is both a membership based organization offering benefits to dues paying members and also an advocacy group for author’s rights and livelihood. They’ve been around since 1912, so they know their stuff! You can read more details about The Authors Guild, their mission statement and how theyadvocate on behalf of authors here.
The Authors Guild Membership Levels: One is Right for YOU
Because the guild represents both traditionally published and independently published authors, including nonfiction writers, journalists and historians, they have a variety of membership levels tailored to your career level and needs.
The Professional Membership
If you’re a traditionally published author with at least one book under your belt, you qualify for this membership level. If you’re self-published or free lance, there are a few more requirements. Self-published authors need at least $5,000 in books sales in the last 18 months(not too high a reach, right?) and free-lance writers need to have at least three published pieces or made at least $5,000 off their writing in the same time period.
At $135 a year, or just $12 a month it’s worth it for all the benefits you get. Some of these include:
- Legal services
- Free access to seminars, workshops and events
- Resources list
- Media insurance
- Many others, including web services
A note concerning web services: I always recommend having a professional build your website. Because things like SEO are built in when designed by professionals, which makes your website more discoverable, among many other benefits. You’ll want a professional website once you get to a certain level anyway, so you may as well dress your website for the job you want, not the job you have.
Emerging Writer Membership
The Emerging Writer level membership gives you a lot of bang for your buck and it takes much less to qualify. This membership level is only $9 and offers so many resources to help advance your career.
This membership level is open to all aspiring writers, whether you’ve never published, or have but don’t quite meet the income requirements for the professional membership. The Emerging Writer membership offers many of the same benefits as the Professional Writer membership. One notable missing benefit are legal services, but when you start needing that benefit you’ll probably qualify for the Professional Writer membership anyway.
Some of the awesome benefits you get for your $100 a year, or $9 a month are:
- Invites to attend those same seminars, workshops, and events
- Member discounts
- Access to the guild’s quarterly magazine
- Media liability insurance
- And many more benefits for networking and staying on top of the professional writing world
Student Writer Membership
This membership level is ideal for all those aspiring writers who are currently on a path to a career in writing via school. The dues are only $35 a year for this one!
The Student Writer Membership offers all the benefits of the Emerging Writer level membership but it’s discounted(yay!) for Graduate and Undergraduate students planning on pursuing careers in writing of all types.
This is the perfect way to start your professional writer journey and you can move up the membership level tiers as you progress.
Joining The Authors Guild is a Great Career Move
At any level, joining The Authors Guild is a wise career move with an outstanding cost benefit analysis. The dues are insanely low for what you get from it. You have access to important events, educational material, legal support and an inside look at the industry. You’ll be savvy and it will make you feel more professional belonging to such a long-standing, well regarded institution. So, I say, go for it! You can find out more and join here!
PSSSST! If you don’t think the Authors Guild is right for you, or you just want more of a support and resource network specifically for self-published authors, you can check out ALLi (The Alliance of Independent Authors). They’re an IBPA partner organization, so you know they’re valuable and trustworthy. Their membership fees are very comparable to The Authors Guild too!
