Professional societies
Filed under Soapbox on September 10, 2004
Tagged: SFWA
After I won the Maiden of Pain open call, I decided to check out the SFWA website. For those who aren’t aware, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America is a professional society for authors in the SF&F genre. I’ve been part of a professional society before. I was a member of the Society for Technical Communications in college. I attended some meetings, which usually consisted mainly of networking, speakers giving “state of the industry” updates, and sometimes a training seminar. I’ll be honest, I didn’t find it much of a benefit. Having it on my resume or mentioning I was a member in an interview never got me a job.
I think the biggest draw to most professional societies is the chance to be recognized by your peers. This can take the form of a society-sponsored award, being appointed or elected to an office within the organization, or being asked to be the keynote speaker on some subject. Some societies, such as SFWA, offer additional benefits, like limited legal protection or medical insurance. Perhaps they also do some lobbying, attempting to raise awareness of the industry.
I’ve heard pros and cons from other authors about SFWA. At this point in my career, and with my previous experience in professional societies, I don’t see any clear benefit to joining. I look forward to hearing from Marcy about her experience. Maybe that will change my mind.
