FAQ

What is SFWA?

SFWA is a professional writers’ organization that serves and advocates for writers in science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. It was founded in 1965 by the American science fiction author Damon Knight and was originally named Science Fiction Writers of America. It now goes by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, to honor its international members. Today SFWA is known as the host of the prestigious Nebulas Awards and Conference, an advocate for writers in governmental and legal matters, and a community of over two thousand writers of novels, short stories, poems, games, comics, and more.

Is SFWA a good organization for a beginning writer to join?

SFWA is a professional organization, meaning its members are already established as professionals in the field. In an effort to welcome a wider variety of writers, and as part of acknowledging the swiftly-changing publishing landscape, we’ve lowered the eligibility requirements. Now, you only need to have made $100 from your writing in order to join at the Associate level. If you have not yet earned money from your writing, you are not eligible for membership, but you are welcome to take part in many of SFWA’s events, and to use the educational resources SFWA shares. We look forward to being able to welcome you as a member in the future!

What benefits does SFWA provide?

As a professional organization and a public nonprofit, SFWA provides two categories of benefits. One is member benefits, which you must be a member to obtain. The other category is public benefits, which SFWA provides as part of serving the wider community of writers and speculative fiction creators.

Member benefits include, but are not limited to:
– Promotion programs like the New Release Newsletter and the Games & Comics Quarterly
– Discounted access to NetGalley
– Voting rights in SFWA Elections
– Voting rights in the Nebula Awards
– Assistance with contract review
– Private networking spaces like the Forums and our Discord
– Professional development events through Quasar, Constellation, and committee events

Public benefits include, but are not limited to:
– Advocacy on behalf of writers at the federal level
– Legal advocacy on behalf of writers for lawsuits including class action suits
– Industry watchdog services and news through Writer Beware and press releases (for example, on the ongoing Anthropic lawsuit)
– Educational materials, including Information Center, Indie Pub 101, example contracts, and more
– The Nebula Conference professional development workshops and seminars
– Planetside, our online magazine, and its informative articles about writing
– Charitable funds like the Givers Grants, Emergency Medical Fund, and Legal Fund

SFWA continues to work to enhance the value of membership and of its public work. The most important benefit of membership is knowing you are contributing directly to advocacy for writers across the publishing landscape, as we all work to navigate an increasingly complex system.

Can SFWA review or publish my book? Can SFWA give me feedback on my manuscript?

No. We do not publish any kind of fiction. We do not provide manuscript review. Unsolicited emails with works attached will be deleted. Similarly, our online magazine, Planetside, does not accept articles narrowly focused on a specific work or author.

How can I join SFWA?

You can find the application form here. You will have to provide documentation of your earnings from your writing, but you should not upload copies of your work. If you don’t know how to document your earnings, email office@sfwa.org for assistance.

How can I donate to SFWA?

Thank you for supporting writers! You can give a donation of any size here. Donations go to Where the Need Is Greatest, a fund that allows SFWA to respond to emergent needs with agility and flexibility. However, you can also give to specific funds like the Givers Fund (supporting other organizations and people in speculative-fiction-related efforts), the Nebula Finalist Fund (helping Nebula Award finalists attend the ceremony), or the Emergency Medical Fund (aid for writers experiencing medical-related financial crisis). Simply include a note with your donation.

If you prefer to give by mail, our mailing address is:

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Inc. (SFWA)
2261 Market Street
Suite 86695
San Francisco, CA 94114

What are the Nebula Awards?

The Nebula Awards are an annual recognition of achievement in speculative fiction storytelling. A more full history can be found here. They are widely considered one of the most prestigious awards in speculative fiction, and have been awarded every year since 1965. Along with awards honoring titles published in a given year, the Nebula Awards also include The Damon Knight Grand Master, given to living authors as a lifetime achievement recognition; the Infinity Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement posthumously; the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award, which celebrates contributions to the speculative fiction community and field; and The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award, which recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to their fellow members.

What is the Nebula Conference?

The Nebula Conference is an annual conference for the professional development of speculative fiction writers. It is open to the public, and offers workshops, panels, networking events, and more. The Nebula Award Ceremony and Banquet are held during the conference, and we invite everyone to come celebrate the finalists with us! The conference is held in different locations each year, and is also home to a robust online event series.

How do I get my work on the Nebula ballot?

There is no specific way. We all hope our work will end up on award lists, but for the Nebulas like every other award, the only way is to share your work widely and hope it finds an audience. If you are a SFWA member, you may consider using promotion tools like the New Release Newsletter or Games and Comics Quarterly to share your work with the membership.

How do I get my work on the Recommended Reading List?

If you are a SFWA member, you can add it yourself! Make sure you are logged in, then go to the Recommended Reading List page and you will see the suggestion form. If you are not a SFWA member, you are not able to add works at this time.

Is the Recommended Reading List related to the Nebula Award?

Short answer: no. A work does not need to be on the Recommended Reading List to be a Nebula finalist or winner, and being on the Recommended Reading List does not guarantee your work is eligible or being considered for the Nebula Award. It is a tool designed to introduce people to great work by their fellow speculative fiction authors. Any SFWA member can add something to the Recommended Reading List themselves, including their own work, whereas you cannot nominate your own work for a Nebula Award.

How come [genre/medium] isn’t on the ballot?

If a specific genre or medium isn’t on the list of finalists, it is usually just because the nominations went to other titles. There is no enforcement of genre rules, other than that the works must be speculative in some way. Currently, the Nebulas accept short stories, novelettes, novellas, novels, comics, games, poetry, middle grade and young adult fiction, and media presentations (ie film, TV). Other awards may be proposed in the future.

Who can vote on the Nebulas?

If you are a member of the organization at the Associate, Full, or Senior level, you are eligible to vote for the Nebulas! Being a finalist does not make you eligible to vote, and Affiliate and/or Estate members are also not eligible to vote.

How do I vote?

Voting takes place in two rounds. First, you are able to submit nominations. After that round closes, the works with the most nominations go on to form the final ballot, and votes on the final ballot determine who wins the awards. You will receive a link to both of these ballots in your email as well as in the membership portal.

Please vote in as many categories as you are able. You do not need to be an expert in a given medium to vote. Members receive access the Nebula Packet, free copies of finalists’ work for evaluation purposes.

There are two rules to be aware of when voting, however. You may not nominate yourself or any work with which you are affiliated. If you end up on the finalist ballot, you can vote for yourself then. Also, you may not advocate for any voting slates. This means no encouraging people to vote for specific people in specific categories, no telling people not to vote for specific people, and no organizing groups of people to plan on submitting similar ballots. You may promote your own work and ask people to consider nominating you, but it is best to avoid anything other than positive general uplift for other potential nominees or finalists. If you are not sure whether you are able to say/post something, consider: does my statement encourage people to take a specific action? If so, it’s probably best not to post it.

Can I attend the Nebula Conference?

Yes! Anyone is welcome to attend.

Can I sponsor the Nebula Conference?

We are happy to accept sponsors, and will work with you to build a sponsorship package that best suits your needs. Please email office@sfwa.org for further information.

How can I celebrate finalists?

The best way to celebrate finalists is to donate to the finalist scholarship fund! Every year, we deplete the fund in our efforts to subsidize the cost of attendance for finalists request assistance. Your donations go directly to helping finalists each year! A gift today could be the difference between staying home and being honored in person for one of the highlights of any writer’s career.

How do I log in?

Click on “Membership Portal” at the top and you will be redirected to a login page. If that doesn’t work, you may already be logged in!

How do I pay for my membership?

Log in. On the Membership Portal, there is a big section titled Renew/Upgrade. Click on it, and you will see options for renewing. If you’re not able to renew, please email office@sfwa.org. You can also mail a check to:

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Inc.
2261 Market Street
Suite 86695
San Francisco, CA 94114

Why does my membership say “canceled” on it?

Our membership system has a slight quirk – it shows as canceled when automatic billing is not enabled. This doesn’t mean your membership to SFWA is canceled, just that the automatic billing isn’t turned on. It’s nothing to worry about, even if it looks alarming.

Why doesn’t my membership/payment history show up?

When we switched membership systems in early 2026, the membership and payment history was not transferred. We’re working on getting that fixed by including a “Member since” line on your profile, so that it’s not tied to the payment system anymore. Regardless, we have the records of your join date, they just aren’t on the site.

I have the wrong membership type. What do I do?

This is likely another artifact of the membership system switch in early 2026 – most people were transferred correctly, but a few got messed up. Just email office@sfwa.org and we can change it easily.

I got a renewal notice but I already renewed. What’s happening?

Some people have reported getting renewal notices when they already renewed. The good news is that the renewal notices are generated in a few ways, and sometimes the system gets confused and generates one even though you’ve already renewed successfully. You can log in and check the expiration date on your membership. If it’s passed, you do need to renew. If it’s in the future, the email is likely a false alarm. If you want to double check to be sure, you can email office@sfwa.org.

What resources does SFWA have to help me promote my work?

SFWA helps authors promote their work in several ways. Here are a few:

• The New Release Newsletter
• The Games & Comics Quarterly
• NetGalley Discounts
• Featured Author and Featured Book Programs
• Recommended Reading List
• and regular author spotlights, showcases, and other opportunities held through our committees and events

Participating in SFWA programming and community also helps you raise your visibility in the field. Events like the Nebula Conference provide opportunities to network and make connections.

What grants does SFWA offer?

We currently offer the Emergency Medical Fund and the Givers Fund Grants. The Emergency Medical Fund is to help offset the cost of acute medical crises for professional writers, and is open year round. The Givers Fund supports speculative fiction-related programming by other organizations and individuals, and has a grant calendar during which it is open for applications.

What educational resources does SFWA have?

SFWA offers many educational resources! These include:

• Writer Beware: The most reliable source of information of scams, schemes, and bad-faith actors in publishing. Regularly updated.
• Planetside: SFWA’s digital magazine. Offers weekly articles on the business and craft of writing, including deep dives into the professional nitty-gritty. Regularly updated.
• Model Contracts: Offers examples of contracts and contract language for you to use and/or compare with an offered contract.
• The Estates Program: A collection of contact information for the estates of speculative fiction authors who have passed away.
• Indie Pub 101: A guide to getting started with independent publishing, or self-publishing.
• Information Center: A hub for advice on all the writing and publishing basics.
• …and more!