Question about International Thriller Writers Membership

RJ_Beam

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I am new to Fiction writing (I have been writing for police magazines for a few years new) so am learning new things about being an author. Recently bumped into the organization called International Thriller Writers. This seems like a great group to be a member of.

I have a question about it. Seeing how I am not yet published should I pay for membership now? Do you get enough out of the membership that it improves your chances to at being published and thus eligible for other membership perks?
 

Bergerac

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I am new to Fiction writing (I have been writing for police magazines for a few years new) so am learning new things about being an author. Recently bumped into the organization called International Thriller Writers. This seems like a great group to be a member of.

I have a question about it. Seeing how I am not yet published should I pay for membership now? Do you get enough out of the membership that it improves your chances to at being published and thus eligible for other membership perks?

What kind of "published" are you asking about? Short stories, articles or novels? Traditional publishing or self-publishing?

What are your writing goals? Short stories, articles, memoir, novels, or?

What are you hoping that a membership will do for you (from any group)?

The answers to these questions will make a difference.
 

Bergerac

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Ah, wait... I see that you are an aspiring novelist.

The answer to your question if joining a group will help you with getting a novel published. No. Not absolutely no, but pretty much so. It is possible for you to make a friend anywhere in life or on the Internet who is connected to an agent or publisher who is so enamored with your work that they will recommend you, but this doesn't usually happen.

The best way to get a novel published is to write a great book, then write a terrific query that catches a good agent's interest, who will then take it on and send it out.

There are no shortcuts.

But welcome and good luck.
 

pdichellis

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I'm also interested in ITW membership and have looked into it.

The Active (author) membership is free, once you're published by an ITW-recognized publisher. I think that level of membership probably would be a positive "credit" on an author's bio and might help the author get future manuscripts read and considered.

I think paid membership, called Associate membership, could be valuable for learning via ITW publications and networking via ITW events, but because it's not based on publication, I don't believe it would help much as a credit on an author bio. So getting involved in ITW activities as an Associate member might help an author, but simply being an Associate member probably would not.

Just my opinion. Best of luck with your fiction writing.
 

RJ_Beam

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There are no shortcuts.

Not looking for a shortcut... Looking to find out what kinds of educational opportunities (if any) they offer to be a better writer. Or any other member only benefits actually involve. I know what the web page says you get with a membership, but is it worth the price?
 

Thomas Pluck

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ITW has good promotional opportunities once you are published, but I don't think it's worth paying for. Keep writing, when you have a story in an anthology by an accepted publisher, you can join for free. Educational opportunities at ITW tend to be at ThrillerCon, and that costs enough.
For mystery/crime ed, MWA was mentioned, LitReactor might be worth perusing as several crime writers give online courses there.