As Alison ponders the usefulness of the RWA for career-focused authors, I have just signed up for two special interest chapters. This will be my first foray into joining a chapter. I’m hoping the experiences are good ones. I’ve been a PRO member of the RWA for almost a year and will need to renew shortly since I have two entries in the Golden Heart. Then of course I’ll renew in 2006 because my book will out (hopefully more than one!) and then again in 2007 so I can enter in the RITAs. (Wow, it’s a trip to think that I’ll still be doing things with this anthology two years from now! 
) I’m hoping joining these chapters will increase the worth of my membership in the RWA and by that I mean I hope I’ll get more out of it. So far I’ve gotten contest wins and the RWR (which has given me a lot of useful information), but that’s it. I’m hoping that by becoming more active, I’ll reap some more benefits.
In the meantime, I’m avidly paying attention to the multitude of complaints I’ve been hearing about the RWA and I’m glad I have friends willing to take the time to expain their POV.
Yes, Cece is right about the multiple online chapters. I didn’t join Outreach. I joined RWAOnline.
And Alison, that is too cool about the MICA Award.
on December 29th, 2004 at 10:21 am
Alison I never thought you were badmouthing and I can definitely see where you are coming from
Even I can see the push/pull of cliques and it makes me not want to get involved. 
Kate I agree about Pro
Sasha there is more than one online chapter
on December 29th, 2004 at 10:15 am
oops . . .”bound to have some good repercussions” I mean ALL of these discussions about the RWA running around the blog world!!
on December 29th, 2004 at 9:55 am
so what would be the ideal organization for pubbed authors? something more along the lines of the authors’ guild?
I have a similar discussion going on in my blog. It’s bound to have some good repercussions — food for thought and perhaps someday growth (says the optimist.)
I know my crit partners, the ones who’re all-but-pubbed, don’t get a lot out of RWA meetings now. They don’t need to work on craft (heck, they’re better than a lot of people who hold the workshops). They can’t join PAN, PRO might be good someday but it’s not really informative YET.
I wonder what the organization could do for them. . .I guess PRO was that answer.
on December 29th, 2004 at 9:53 am
Hear, hear, Alison!
Sorry, if I came across too preachy! My intent was only ‘different strokes for different folks’, which you graciously echoed.
on December 29th, 2004 at 4:24 am
I’ve been seriously considering joining a few of the RWA special interest chapters and finally made the decision to go for it recently. Right after the first of the year I plan to join RWA online and the Paranormal chapter. I really want to join the KOD chapter also. But we’ll see.
I’ve been a member of GRW, my local chapter, for two years (well it’ll be two in March 2005) and have learned so much. I get so much out of going to the meetings it amazes me.
on December 28th, 2004 at 5:12 pm
You know, we all have reasons for joining or not joining, for giving or not giving. And that changes over the years. I first found out about RWA when I moved from Dallas to Houston in 1989 and met author Nikki Benjamin who writes for Silhouette and lived in the same area of town I did. I joined, loved it. Met Christina Dodd and Susan Wiggs and Kimberly Raye and Nina Bangs and my very best friend in the writing world, Jan Freed.
At the time I joined, the chapter advisor was author Jan Hudson. She asked me to take over as secretary when the current officer had to vacate. I did. Loved it. I wrote newsletter articles. I organized the chapter’s first big conference in years. (BTW, this is the NorthWest Houston chapter of RWA - the original chapter! This is where I first met Evan Fogelman, Erica Spindler, Marsha Zinberg, etc. Many many industry professionals who inspired me.)
I also started the first chapter contest. In fact, they still give the “MICA Award” today, named after me.
But all of this was before I was published. And it was before a lot of life altering things happened. A divorce, a move, kids in therapy, being the only monetary support for many many years. Then I sold. And I was still active. But I also found the online community of GEnie RomEx in 1993 - and that changed my life!
So, you have to consider that I have FIFTEEN years of experience in RWA. I’m not coming at this like I’ve never done anything and badmouthing the organization because I don’t like it. I’ve loved it for years. I’ve given and given and given. I’ve hugged and inspired and all those touchy feely things. *ggg* But a funny thing happened on the way to the farm . . . what I gave did NOT come back to me tenfold. I couldn’t get answers I needed because of so many cliques that only shared their knowledge with their members. Because I was published, aspiring authors were intimidated (which is dumb as a rock *gg*). And because I was newly published, other published authors were wary in their welcome. Was I good enough? Was I going to take their slots?
Maybe as a new member today, the organization is different. But as a LONG time member, I don’t get anything out of it except socialization. Which is fine. I love going to the conference each year and knowing I’ll see my friends, I’ll get to be wined and dined by editors, and go to faboo parties!
on December 28th, 2004 at 1:30 pm
I joined RWA, but have yet to join a chapter. There are NONE near me to join, so the “in person” aspect of it isn’t a consideration for me. I’ve looked at the OUTREACH one a few times and think about it often, but to be honest, I think I do get just as much from my online friends as I would from a chapter. If there was one close by, that I could meet in person, I would rethink it though.
on December 28th, 2004 at 12:39 pm
I joined one of the online chapters and also the Beau Monde, neither of which require me to leave my house. LOL
Eventually, I intend to join the Orange County chapter which boasts a lot of great authors and also attracts HUGE speakers. Dean Koontz spoke in December and Jackie Collins before that. But first, I feel like I need to concentrate on writing and getting more work contracted. I don’t want to be a one-book wonder. 
Thank you for your support in my GH entries.
The competition is fierce this year, so I’m not holding my breath. (But I’m dreaming…)
on December 28th, 2004 at 12:17 pm
Interesting reading all these thoughts here and on Alison’s blog. As a UK author starting to be published in the US I’ve just been thinking about joining the International outreach chapter. To me this would be a fab online community to be part of and I long for it, but I have to pay RWA dues, plus chapter dues (plus air mail postage for mag.) I’d be an online community member, and won’t be able to attend events this year, much as I’d LOVE to. In that context the cost is a real stretch of logistics. Strikes me it should be cheaper under those circs, cos I’d really like to be part of it… just my take on it. And of course would love to be there to see you with a Golden Heart, Sylvia
on December 28th, 2004 at 12:12 pm
Sweetie what chapters did you join? I rarely make my chapter meeting because I can’t ever find a sitter (so I don’t get to participate as much as I’d like) but I did find a small local chapter that I really do enjoy.
I like what Annette said but I do question some of the decissions the RWA makes and the purpose/usefullness of some of the things they do and that’s all I’m gonna say except to add this. Every organization has it’s problems.
on December 28th, 2004 at 12:08 pm
I’m an RWA member, and have been for just over a year. I’ve learned heaps about the writing profession (and romance writing in particular) through my membership and through conferences I’ve attended. I don’t really feel the need to defend the RWA, but thought it might be helpful to others to explore the other side.
I joined the RWA because it’s a requirement for joining my local chapter. I didn’t really know much about it before then. I had absolutely zero expectations, and perhaps because of that, I’ve been happy with my membership. Yes, I get the RWR, and yes, I get access to their website. But that’s not what the RWA is to me.
It’s a place where I first found other people like me who heard voices in their head and felt the need to write the conversations down (many of you found each other via the web, but I’m not very adventurous). I met other writers & pubbed authors willing to give of their time and advice, talk about their experiences, and share the heartaches of this business. I’ve met and talked to some of my favorite authors, who all in all, turned out to be just regular gals, like you and me.
But in recent months, as I’ve matured as a writer, I’ve realized the real reason I belong to the RWA isn’t to get something, it’s to give something. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to and encourage other writers on the road to realizing their dreams. Yeah, I know you can do the same for people on the web, for free. And I know many of you do it selflessly. But you can’t actually hold their hand or give them a hug when they get a rejection letter and think about quitting. You can’t clap until your hands sting when they get a piece of good news. And a cyber-blush just isn’t the same as the real thing when they laud your accomplishments in return.
I volunteer in my local chapter (last year as Secretary and Registrar, this year as Secretary and webmaster). Yup, it sucks up some time, time I could be spending on writing. But my chapter wouldn’t exist without volunteers, so I think it’s only fair to pitch in when I’ve gotten great stuff in return.
‘Nuff said.
Sylvia, I hope you get everything you need out of your SIG memberships, and I’ll be there in Reno when you accept your Golden Heart!
on December 28th, 2004 at 9:02 am