New SFWA guidelines, thoughts?

[Juliana]

SFWA has changed its guidelines for membership to become less exclusive and more international: Membership Requirements - SFWA

And here's a Twitter thread on it:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1507012926661570570

I added up everything I've been paid for stories over the past seven years (not including royalty participation projects like our Chrons DISTAFF anthology) and I'm just over the requirement for full membership. Wondering if I should apply...

Is anyone else looking into this?

 

[The Judge]

Today's rate of exchange on one site I've found is 1 USD = 0.7583 GBP.

So on that basis I'd also appear to be eligible for full membership category.** (Pity we have to exclude our Distaff earnings, though -- we'll have to do better with Femmes Fae-Tales!)

Is anyone here a member of SWFA? Is the c£76 annual membership worth it for what it provides?



** having read further down the page, I see it refers to short story "qualifying markets" -- I'm not clear if that means it's only payments by certain specified magazines which count towards eligibility. Perhaps someone who has jumped through the hoops already could confirm.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

** having read further down the page, I see it refers to short story "qualifying markets" -- I'm not clear if that means it's only payments by certain specified magazines which count towards eligibility. Perhaps someone who has jumped through the hoops already could confirm.

There was a post on the SFWA facebook page which mentioned they were putting together a list of eligible markets - but it does look like only some magazines count.

 

[alexvss]

SFWA has changed its guidelines for membership to become less exclusive and more international: Membership Requirements - SFWA

And here's a Twitter thread on it:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1507012926661570570

I added up everything I've been paid for stories over the past seven years (not including royalty participation projects like our Chrons DISTAFF anthology) and I'm just over the requirement for full membership. Wondering if I should apply...

Is anyone else looking into this?

I have been obsessed with qualifying for the last couple years, but now I'm not so sure. I'm on a FB group that's discussing this, and many people have been saying that it's not worth it.They are questioning if there’s any real advantage to belonging. Honestly, I really don’t see any. And I'n not going to pay a hundred bucks to vote for the Nebula, a prize that I didn't even like the most recent nominees. I still want to qualify though, but I don't know if I'm really going to apply once I do.

There was a post on the SFWA facebook page which mentioned they were putting together a list of eligible markets - but it does look like only some magazines count.

No, not only some magazines count, and that's the whole point of this change. Before this, they had a list on their webpage, but the markets listed were only recommendations; any market that paid at least U$ 0.08 a word was eligible. Now, you just need to put together everything you’ve sold: if it totals more than U$100.00, you’re qualified. I was considered unpublished before; now, I count U$ 50.00.

They're seemingly dropping the "pro-rate" thing and are reportedly looking for a new way to evaluate markets, and thus the list is currently suspended:

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I’ve been eligible for quite a while but have never joined - I’m just not convinced it’s worth it

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I used to belong for several years, many years ago. I let my membership lapse when I was going through a bad period financially and never got around to rejoining later. It was just laziness, really, because it was actually worth the money for the contacts and information while I was actively writing.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I used to belong for several years, many years ago. I let my membership lapse when I was going through a bad period financially and never got around to rejoining later. It was just laziness, really, because it was actually worth the money for the contacts and information while I was actively writing.

i wonder, though, if codex fills the same gap in terms of networking though?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well living in the US it was possible for me to attend the Nebula weekend (I wonder if they still have those?) and make in person contacts. I remember going out to lunch with my editor which was exciting. And as I said it was a long time ago so I don' t know much about it now. And for that matter have no idea what codex even is.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Well living in the US it was possible for me to attend the Nebula weekend (I wonder if they still have those?) and make in person contacts. I remember going out to lunch with my editor which was exciting. And as I said it was a long time ago so I don' t know much about it now. And for that matter have no idea what codex even is.

Codex are a private sff writing group that you can only join if you have a certain number of pro writing credits. It’s useful but their forum is seriously clunky - but they are planning to move to discord only soon I think so that might help that end of things. as far as I can see the main benefit of SFWA is that they will support in payment disputes with publishers. Plus the kudos of being able to join, i guess - although that might be eroded, ironically, by this

 

[alexvss]

Codex are a private sff writing group that you can only join if you have a certain number of pro writing credits. It’s useful but their forum is seriously clunky - but they are planning to move to discord only soon I think so that might help that end of things. as far as I can see the main benefit of SFWA is that they will support in payment disputes with publishers. Plus the kudos of being able to join, i guess - although that might be eroded, ironically, by this

Yes, and FYI Codex Writers also changed its requirements to be $100 cumulative (i.e. not in a calendar year). Their webpage still lists a sell that paid a "SFWA-qualifying rate" as one of the possible requirements you have to meet in order to join. I'm guessing they'll have to change that too because the concept of "pro sale" seems to be falling into disuse.

 

[Juliana]

Interesting! I hadn't heard of Codex.

 

[Toby Frost]

Me neither. I wonder if it's worth joining?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I’m in but don’t use it a lot. Some good info re agents and publishers in it though so worth checking out when on the hunt