What About Professional Organizations?

I believe in staying up to date with industry news and also networking with authors, learning new skills, and furthering my knowledge of the writing craft. I also network with other services providers and try to give back to the self-publishing community. Here are some of the organizations I belong to:

• The American Copy Editors Society: This is a terrific professional organization for editors, both practicing and aspiring. They provide ongoing education, industry news, and opportunities for networking.
• Association of Independent Publishing Professionals: A professional organization that I cofounded. Its mission is to help freelancers with the business side of our professions. Members consist of editors, artists, website designers, author's assistants, formatters, narrators–anyone in the publishing industry who works with indie authors and small presses.
• Editorial Freelancer's Assocation: I belong to the EFA for the same reason I subscribe to Merriam-Webster and own a huge collection of reference materials—to enhance the skills that will make your book the best it can be.
• Romance Writers of America: RWA advances the professional and common business interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy and by increasing public awareness of the romance genre. They work to support the efforts of their members to earn a living, to make a full-time career out of writing romance—or a part-time one that generously supplements their main income.
• Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America: SFWA promotes, advances, and supports science fiction and fantasy writing in the United States and elsewhere by educating and informing the general public and supporting and empowering science fiction and fantasy writers. They also host the Nebula Awards, a prestigious industry award.