Last week, I posted about why writers should join writing groups. This week, I’m discussing some of the benefits of writing organizations and some of the difficulties they face. I admit, this might be a rambling post, but it’s an issue I’ve thought about a lot and one I’ll probably return to.
As mentioned last week, there is a sense of camaraderie when you join a writers’ group: you get the feeling you’re not alone in the writing world. You have people you can share your ups and downs with–people who really understand the highs and lows of writing. For me, that is the biggest draw for joining a writers’ group (even though I’ve only just started attending meetings).
Each organization has its own benefits: some offer certification in certain areas, such as editing, so members can say they are fully certified; some offer free professional development workshops for members; some have deals with companies to get their members discounts on goods or services; some provide legal advice, negotiating services and sample contracts for members; some provide job listings and some have searchable databases of their members.
There is, however, one main problem with writing organizations and as I write this I don’t know what the solution is. Many writers’ organizations strive to uphold certain standards for writers; for example, decent contracts that pay the writer what she’s worth and don’t strip her of her rights. The problem is that these organizations don’t have much clout unless they have high membership numbers.
Without much power on the part of the organization, however, many writers are unwilling to join such groups. It’s a catch-22 (I think). Many writers won’t join organizations that don’t have bargaining power or clout in the industry, but these organizations won’t be taken seriously unless they represent a good portion of the freelance writers.
Add to that the somewhat transient nature of freelance writing–here, I’m thinking of people who’ve just lost their job, figure they’ll try writing out for a while and give it up in a few months–and the influx of people willing to give up all their rights for very little pay, and these organizations are stuck fighting what appears to be a losing battle.
In the end, professional writers suffer because contracts that grab all the rights with no pay become more prevalent. (Here, I’m thinking of periodical writing–I don’t know that the same issue exists in corporate/business writing because writers have more say in the contract, but readers can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong on this).
I don’t know what the solution to this problem is. I know that because I’ve joined PWAC (Professional Writers Association of Canada) I understand more about writers rights, issues with copyright and moral rights and concerns within the industry. I know I won’t undercut another writer for the sake of a job and I won’t sign contracts that undermine and devalue freelance writing (although they make it difficult– with all the legal language in those contracts, who knows what’s being signed away?)
I can’t tell people to join organizations so the organizations have more clout, because there’s no guarantee that will happen. What I can say is that my PWAC membership has more than paid for itself, through all the jobs I’ve found via PWAC or PWAC members. I can say that the sense of community I’ve had in the last month, since becoming membership coordinator of my chapter (and actually attending a meeting) has far exceeded my expectations and given me hope for the future of writing.
And I can say that maybe if more writers joined these groups, we could put our heads together and fight some of these awful contracts. If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that no single writer can take on these publishers and win. But maybe as a group we can either win the battle or figure out a way around it.
Feel free to add your thoughts below–I know I’m less than eloquent on this topic, but I think it’s an important one.
Happy Canada Day! And Happy Independence Day for my American friends. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.
