How to become a member
To be considered a Professional Author Member, you must have written and had professionally published or produced in a market recognized by the CWC as sufficiently professional for the purpose, a work as defined below:
- at least one novel or non-fiction book with a crime or suspense theme; or
- at least two novella with a crime or suspense theme; or
- at least three short stories with a crime or suspense theme; or
- serials or feature articles with a crime or suspense theme, equivalent in length to a book-length work; or
- at least one feature film script or a number of shorter screenplays with a crime or suspense theme; or
- a full-length play with a crime or suspense theme; or
- a radio, television or audiovisual webcast script or scripts approximating a booklength work.
"Published" or "produced" means a work made generally available to the public in a format conforming to standard practices in the trade at a price commensurate with standard trade practice for like work or for which payment has been made by the publisher to the person or, in the case of a dramatic work, produced by a professional production entity, all as determined by the CWC.
What is Crime-Related Writing?
The field of crime writing is a broad category that includes crime, detective, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thriller writing, as well as fictional or factual accounts of criminal doings and crime-themed literary works. Cross-over novels, novella and short stories such as romantic suspense and speculative thrillers are also considered part of the genre. In broader terms, it includes any book-length work, novella or short-story that features crime or mystery as a central element.
If you do not have a crime-related publication to your name yet, but are working on something, you would join as an associate member; you can then change your membership status to professional author member once you are published in the crime genre.
Who is a "Canadian" author?
A Canadian author is a Canadian citizen living anywhere in the world, or a person from anywhere in the world who lives in Canada and has Permanent Resident status.
Cost of Annual Professional Author Membership (PAM):
2 years $224 (save $38)
Associate Memberships are for:
- writers and aspiring authors of crime books and stories, and professional authors who are not Canadian.
Associate Members (AM) have all the benefits of membership except book and event promotion and voting privileges at the Annual General Meeting.
Who is a "Canadian" author?
A Canadian author is a Canadian citizen living anywhere in the world, or a person from anywhere in the world who lives in Canada and has Permanent Resident status.
Cost of Annual Associate Membership (AM):
2 years $152 (save $56)
Supporter Memberships are for:
- publishers, editors, agents, and other related professionals
- booksellers and librarians
- people who love to read crime writing.
Supporter Members (SM) have all the benefits of membership except book and event promotion and voting privileges at the Annual General Meeting.
Cost of Annual Supporter Membership (SM):
2 years $152 (save $56)
