Note: This will only be of interest to other writers. The rest of you can come back Friday and read a new chapter of Deluge.
New writers often ask me, “Should I join the HWA?”
I used to be a member of HWA (Horror Writers Association). I joined as a young, impressionable horror writer, during the Somtow/Kramer administration. I soon learned that pretty much nothing got done because of bickering egos and in-fighting, and that the organization was little more than a life-support system for the Bram Stoker Awards.
So I quit.
Richard Laymon convinced me and a whole bunch of other folks to re-join after he became President. When Dick passed away, I stayed in and watched all of the hard work he’d put into the organization crumble because of bickering egos and in-fighting. HWA once again became little more than a life-support system for the Bram Stoker Awards.
So I quit again.
Last year, I was talked into rejoining. I was told it was a better organization–that things had changed. That it was more focused. More professional. They needed veterans like myself (because yeah, ten years later, I was now a veteran) to join the organization and provide guidance and advice and wisdom to the newer writers.
So I did. I’ve been back four months, and I’m here to tell you, children—ain’t a damn thing changed. It’s still bickering egos and in-fighting, and it still all revolves around the Bram Stoker Awards.
The really sad part is that there are some wonderful veteran members—folks like Ellen Datlow and Robert Weinberg (and until recently, Lee Thomas and Nick Mamatas, who have now, like me, quit), who still have sound advice and wisdom to offer. Unfortunately, they are either ignored, shouted down, or pushed aside by those with an ego to assuage and attention to seek.
So, my advice and guidance and wisdom are as follows:
ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS: Don’t join HWA. DON’T DO IT! The organization offers absolutely nothing that you can’t get for free elsewhere online: mentoring, a message board, a newsletter, and the chance to submit to anthologies. That’s it. That’s all you get. And you can find each of those (indeed, you can find much better versions of each of those) elsewhere. And it won’t cost you $65. So, instead of joining HWA, take that $65 and buy yourself subscriptions to Cemetery Dance, Shroud, Rue Morgue, Fangoria, Publisher’s Weekly, and Locus. Between them, you’ll get all the industry news you need. Then attend either a Borderlands Boot Camp or a professional convention such as World Horror or BFS or even Necon. You’ll get much more guidance and advice and help at one of these. There will be better networking opportunities. Your career will be better served. (Note: Depending on where you are in your career, you may want to join the International Thriller Writers, although it is not an organization for beginners).
ADVICE FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN HWA: The only way to fix the organization is to destroy it. Seriously. At this point, the cancer has advanced too far. It has metastasized. Soon, the organization will be nothing more than a giant tumor, swelling and pulsing and spilling poison all over the world. HWA is a slavering, rabid dog–a mad beast on the loose in the forest, flecks of foam dripping from its jaws while worms burrow deeper into its brain. We should shoot it in the head and put the poor thing out of its misery. Nuke it from within. We don’t need Stokers. We’ve got the IHG awards and the Shirley Jackson awards and the BFS awards and the World Fantasy awards and a whole slew of other awards.
That’s my advice. As the great sage Geoff Cooper has said, “Your mileage may vary.”
Testify, my brother.
There are good folks in the HWA – always have been, always will be – but the org is malfunctioning. Its credibility has been slipping for a while now, and while much of that is attributable to the market (a.k.a. “Horror” is no longer a bankable marketing category, and what with “Horror” being part of the org name… ), but this recent round of foolishness has been the result of officer error. The leaders should be looking out for the interests of the membership, not huffing and puffing that members aren’t respecting their choices – even the bad ones. Yes, those are volunteer positions, and often they are thankless, but the officers knew that going in, so it’s not a palatable excuse for inaction or reprehensible reaction.
They were elected to serve, and elected to better the org and the careers of those in it. That’s all. They weren’t elected to stand on pedestals above reproach.
Sad to watch. Glad I’m out.
See ya.
Glad I saved my money and never joined. Something else always seemed to come up – plumping, car repairs, something – good to see I’m not missing out on anything.
SFWA’s been having similar problems, although I think with their current president that org may turn itself around. Can’t say for sure since I’m not a member yet…
Sorry to see you go again.
drop me a line sometime. – KP
As sad as it is to hear, it doesn’t come as a surprise. I even think at one point, that was a goal of mine lol.
Hearing the same from all corners, unfortunately. I’ll use the money to upgrade MS Office–seems the better investment.
The sad part is, the Stoker award is, was, and probably always will be the big nudge that sends alot of writers names into the mainstream. That’s a sad price to pay.
Now, to stop dreaming over that application and hit the MS website…
Yes, when I think of quitting HWA (like now), I pick up the little castle and wail “I wish I could quit YEWWWW!” And I know I won’t go through with it.
Kim, you know you can win a Stoker without being in the HWA right?
My mileage didn’t vary.
Yes, Nate. I didn’t mean to imply that.
Well, since I don’t write, the HWA doesn’t effect me, but this post did motivate me to buy a Shroud magazine subscription!
Well played, Geoff! Shroud is phenomenal.
And to bring it full circle: Shroud = my third pro sale that earned me Active status in HWA! Yay!
Brian, this means so much to me! I was thinking that HWA was the end all be all was the shizit! It bums me out that the drama, in which I detest as crept into a system that I looked up to.
I guess my theory is true: Life is one big high school and filled with the same BS, its just done by older folks.
Thank you once again for being the beacon for us new writers!
You are the man. Speak the truth.
-Tom Erb
Awwww… nertz. And I get Shroud on a regualr basis to begin with already…
Bah.
You can get free mentoring online? Where might that be?
I have hopes for SFWA pulling itself back together. I quit over the Andrew Burt brouhaha. I re-joined recently, mostly because of their grievance committee. They have been very helpful over the years when I had issues with publishers and editors.