Authors Guild Insurance

You have to be a published writer to join.

As the plans vary by state, I think you'd need an opinion from someone in your state. The carriers (CIGNA, etc.) all look reputable, but I don't know how the plans work.

I like it that they provide contract reviews for members.

Here's a link to the membership rules - http://www.authorsguild.org/?p=191

I actually like being a member of The Authors Guild, in large part because I really enjoy their quarterly bulletin. I find the interviews and articles very interesting. And I really like the detailed pieces they do on what's going on in the courts vis-a-vis writers, literary matters, etc.

They also offer a website design service, which I am considering using, though I have not as of yet. Their websites aren't super fancy or sophisticated by any stretch, but they "get the job done" in terms of getting your information to potential readers in a clear, direct way.

Also, I like their "sliding scale" policy regarding dues. Depending on your earnings, you can pay the full rate ($90 per year) or you can pay less.

I hope this information is useful. (I can't comment specifically on their insurance offerings because I have not investigated that particular service.)

-hopeful

SFWA requires members to have either one paid sale of a book or three paid sales of short fiction to qualifying venues.

SFWA membership requirements

I'm a member of SFWA, NINC, and the Authors Guild. SFWA and NINC (like SCBWI, RWA, HWA, and MWA) are more genre oriented, and good for networking. The Authors Guild and NWU are more about advocacy and issues that affect all writers and journalists.

- Victoria