Student Discount

General and Associate Member applicants or renewing members who are enrolled full time at an accredited institution are eligible for a 60% discount on their annual dues! Enjoy all the same member benefits for only $39 per year (regularly $99). Applicants will be asked to provide proof of full-time enrollment (12 credit hours for undergrad, 9 hours for graduate students).

RWA membership offers romance writers the opportunity to stay on top of the latest trends in the industry, technology, and craft. As the world of publishing shifts, RWA is able to adapt and provide information to help its members pivot within their careers as the landscape changes. RWA advocates for romance as a whole as well as stepping in to help individual members and groups of members when the need arises.

A membership in RWA provides the opportunity for education and networking on national, regional, and local levels. Whether you are just beginning your career or are trying to figure out what is next on the horizon, RWA offers its members data, advice, insight and encouragement.

• General RWA membership is open to published and unpublished romance fiction writers who are interested in creating and maintaining a long-term career writing romance.
  • Annual Dues: $39 with Student Discount
• Associate membership is open to people writing romance but who haven't completed a novel/novella, people writing solely in genres other than romance, as well as publishing industry professionals, and bloggers.
  • Annual Dues: $39 with Student Discount

Please note, all new and reinstating members are subject to a $25 processing fee.

Anti-Discrimination Policy: In order to create a safe and respectful environment, invidious discrimination is prohibited in RWA. Membership shall not be denied to adults based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, or religion. Read more about our anti-discrimination policy and code of ethics here .

About Membership Types
Student Discount FAQs

Join or Renew with Student Discount

Membership Types

General Membership ($39 with Student Discount)

General membership is open to all persons seriously pursuing a romance fiction writing career. Only General members shall have all rights of membership, and only General members shall have the right to vote and the right to hold office in RWA. General members must prove serious pursuit of a romance writing career. Please read more about our Serious Pursuit qualifications.

All qualified applicants for General membership are automatically approved as Associate-Writers. Once applicants provide proof of serious pursuit of a romance writing career, Associate-Writers become General Members.

Associate Membership ($39 with Student Discount)

Associate membership is open to all other individuals, including employees of RWA and its contractors, who support the organization and its purposes but who do not meet the requirements for General membership or who are not permitted to participate on RWA’s general discussion forums by reason of being involved in the acquisition process*, i.e., publishers, acquiring editors, or agents who actively acquire romance fiction or actively offer representation to writers of romance fiction, as further described in RWA policy. Associate members shall not have any voting rights or the right to hold office in RWA.

Associate members receive a copy of the Romance Writers Report magazine, have access to the RWA website (with restrictions to industry professional access to General member forums), RWA University (only for Associate members who are writers), member resources, and receive the member rate for RWA conferences and workshops.

RWA asks those pursuing membership as Associates to indicate if they fall into one of the following areas:

• Associate-Writer: A writer who is not seriously pursuing a career as a romance writer or does not fit the Serious Pursuit qualifications for General Membership.
• Associate-Acquiring: A publisher or acquiring editor or agent.
• Associate-Other: A person who supports the purpose of RWA but does not meet either of the qualifications described above and does not qualify for General membership (not seriously pursuing a career as a romance writer).
  *“Acquisition process” means the process by which manuscripts are reviewed and evaluated by any individual who is employed or contracted by a publisher that actively acquires romance fiction or by a literary agency that represents authors of romance fiction, for the purpose of either recommending that a manuscript be considered for acquisition or representation, or be rejected and removed from consideration by that publisher or literary agency.

Student Discount FAQs

I am already a member of RWA. Will my membership type (General, Associate, etc.) change if I renew with the student discount?
No. Receiving a student discount does not affect your membership type.

Will I receive the same member benefits with a student discount?
Yes, members who receive the student discount will enjoy the same benefits relevant to their member type (General, Associate, etc.)

What do you consider full-time?
Undergraduate students currently taking 12 credit hours or graduate students taking 9 credit hours are considered full-time. If you have questions about this, please contact [email protected].

What do you consider an accredited institution?
We use this directory to determine if an institution or program is accredited.

If I am a new or reinstating member applying for the student discount, do I still have to pay the $25 processing or reinstatement fee?
Yes, you will still need to pay this fee.

I am a current full-time student, but did not realize there was a student discount when I joined/renewed. Can I still receive the discount?
The student discount went into effect October 6, 2019. If you joined or renewed after that date, please contact [email protected].

What information is required to prove full-time status?
A screen shot of a current class schedule and a student e-mail address.