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b'As you may or may not know, Mary Robinette Kowal is currently the Vice President (a volunteer position) of SFWA, the Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. And after killing two minutes talking about acronyms and the composition and pronunciation thereof, we start into the actual topic -- professional organizations, why or why not to join them, and what they offer.
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\\nWe spend a lot of time talking about SFWA specifically, which is hopefully useful to anybody who might want to write genre fiction. We talk a little bit about the National Cartoonist\'s Society (of which Howard is not a member), and about NASE (the National Association for the Self-Employed) to which Howard and Sandra do both belong.
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\\nMary then gives us some considerations for joining any professional service organization -- personal reasons (what can the organization do for you specifically), and societal reasons (what additional clout can your participation in the organization generate.) Dan talks to us about the Horror Writers Association, a group with the awesome "horror.org" domain.
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\\nIf you\'ve ever wondered what SFWA or other professional organizations have to offer, this \'cast may be helpful.
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\\nAudiobook Pick-of-the-Week: Cryoburn, by Lois McMaster Bujold, narrated by Grover Gardner. This novel has been nominated for the Best Novel Hugo Award this year.
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\\nWriting Prompt: Come up with a way for Howard to join SFWA. It must involve rappelling.
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\\nProfessional Organization Links of Note: SFWA,\\xa0NCS, and\\xa0NASE, the\\xa0Horror Writers Association, and\\xa0Webcomics.com.
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\\nMary\'s Herculean Task: Get 952 science-fiction and fantasy authors to vote on the upcoming SFWA ballot.
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