How can EFA help me become a better editor or writer?
Being a member provides you with publications and courses (both onsite and virtual), through which you can learn more about being a better editor or writer; our email discussion list, where members offer each other advice about the business of freelancing, tips on "fixing" knotty language problems, and resources for improving skills; and meeting events, which often focus on skill-building and resources members can use to enhance their professionalism.
What are some of the challenges of being a freelance writer or editor?
Being really good at what you do, finding and getting access to quality jobs and meeting deadlines are some of the many challenges. Ways to overcome such challenges include time and experience, patience, and membership in organizations, such as EFA.
Do you have any recommendations for someone wanting to make the transition from full-time to contract or freelance work?
Ideally, you'll begin freelance work while you still have a full-time job. It's also best if you're able to save enough to support yourself for nine months to a year before taking the plunge into full-time freelancing. Freelancing isn't easy. It takes skill, successful self-marketing, persistence, and time. It usually takes at least a year to become an established freelance writer, for example, though it may take up to five, so having savings to support yourself for a year can help the transition. Clearly, if you're already in the publishing field, the transition will be a lot easier than if you're not.
Can someone with no publishing background join EFA?
Although it isn't a prerequisite to have an extensive publishing career to join, we do recommend that you have some professional experience as a writer, proofreader, editor, and the like, before joining.
Where do EFA members live and work?
EFA is a national organization, headquartered in New York City, whose members live and work all over the country and abroad. There are members in forty-five of the United States, as well as Canada, England, France, India, Ireland, Israel, and Japan. EFA members are experienced in a wide range of professional skills, subject areas, and media. Nearly half are from outside the New York tristate region, but because they don't usually attend NYC-area events, they enjoy lower membership dues.
Wherever they are, members benefit significantly from EFA's members-only email discussion list, Job List service, newsletter, publications, online education courses, and benefits programs. General meetings, affinity group meetings, and regional chapter events are written up promptly in the Events section and later in the bimonthly newsletter.
Regional chapters outside New York City address freelance issues. Members nationwide network with each other on the email discussion list. Participation in the list is not automatic; you must request it. See the Membership section for more information.
Does EFA advocate for its members?
As an organization EFA supports many of the organizations that have the resources to serve as advocates for their members, including the Authors' Guild, ASJA, and the National Writers Union. EFA also offers online the Code of Fair Practices, published originally by the Freelance Editorial Association, which merged with EFA in 2000. EFA does not offer legal support to members, nor does it support any political causes.
Who's in charge of EFA?
The EFA is run by volunteers, with the exception of the office manager. The board of governors oversees EFA's operations and keeps the membership informed of important developments within the association. The committee chairs handle the day-to-day business of the various activities sponsored by EFA. The office administrator, EFA's only paid employee, runs the office. The office manager's regular hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The board itself consists of two co-executives, a secretary, a treasurer and seven members at large—all elected by the membership. Several appointed committee chairs also serve. The current officers are listed both under Board Members and, with their email addresses, Contact.
Should I belong to more than one editorial organization?
By all means. Many of our members belong to other professional associations—a strategy that offers additional networking and educational opportunities. At the same time, many members of other organizations find that the EFA offers things that those others don't, so they join EFA. From time to time EFA holds joint programs with other associations, which often gives people the chance to explore other career opportunities in the freelance world.
Should I look for work only in the publishing field?
No. Among the potential markets you might wish to explore are
- corporations
- not-for-profits
- individual authors
- small local businesses
- schools, colleges, universities
- chambers of commerce
- government agencies
- professional associations
Why network at EFA functions?
Because EFA spans the entire spectrum of communications, you have an opportunity at EFA meetings—whether at NYC headquarters or regional chapters—to meet editors, writers, proofreaders, indexers, researchers, project managers, translators, and others. You can learn a great deal about the many facets of this business.
Suppose you're an editor but you want to try your hand at writing for magazines. Or perhaps you need help pricing a project, or info about a client's reliability. Chances are you'll find someone at an EFA meeting who can give you useful advice.
A number of EFA members are full-time in-house—which makes them not just freelancers but potential clients. In addition, freelancers sometimes take on projects that are too big for them to handle, so they subcontract.
Does membership run for the calendar year, or does it roll from the date one first joins?
Membership begins the month you join and ends twelve months later. That is, it runs from the month you joined to the end of that month of the following year (or second year, if you joined for two years).
How do you join or leave the discussion list?
The EFA discussion list is for members only. To join, log on to the EFA site, visit your member profile (by clicking your name in the log in area once you have done so), and check the Discussion List option in the Password/Miscellaneous section, which is just underneath the name and address block.
What are the mail tags in the discussion list?
The mail tags allow list members to judge whether they are interested enough in a topic to read the message. They also enable people filter their mail into separate folders. The tags are: BIZ, MKTG, TOOLS, USAGE, CHAT, and URGENT. For more information, see the Membership section and the Discussion List option.
How can I access the EFA discussion group's archives?
The archives are stored on the Yahoo groups server at www.groups.yahoo.com/mygroups. For complete information about the discussion list, see the Membership section and the Discussion List option.
How can I change my email address on the Job List?
Please log on to the EFA site, visit your member profile (by clicking your name in the log in area once you have done so), and update your primary email address.
How can I find out if there's an EFA chapter near me?
See the Chapters section under Coordinators. This section lists the locations of each EFA chapter and the coordinator's name and email link. If there's no chapter near you, email the EFA chapter coordinator at chapters AT the-efa.org, about starting a chapter near you.
Does EFA offer a health insurance plan?
Yes. EFA offers discounted group rates on health plan options for members in the New York area and some other areas of the United States, and on dental coverage.
Can you give me more specific information about your health insurance plans?
Details about EFA health insurance plans are available in the Membership section under Health Insurance. For specific information on a plan, contact that plan's third-party administrator. It is important to note that the plans are administered for EFA, but not by EFA.
Where can I find recommendations or information on editing and writing rates?
A breakdown of editorial rates and rate ranges are available in the Resources section, under Rates.
What are some of the editorial publications that EFA offers?
We are updating several of our existing publications and are developing new ones as well. These specialized booklets written by experts in the field cover such subjects as resumes for freelancers, reference books for editors and writers, and electronic editing using Microsoft Word.
How can I change my street or email address in the EFA records?
Log in to the site and go to your member profile by clicking your name in the log in area once you have done so. The only information you cannot change is your name. To change that, send an email request to the office (office AT the-efa.org). Be sure to include your name, city, state, and member ID or username so that we can accurately identify you in our database
How do I post my resume in the membership directory?
Log on to the site, go to your member profile, and follow the instructions there. More detailed instructions are available in the Member Profile FAQ, which you must be logged in to view.
How do I update my membership directory entry?
Log on to the site, visit your member profile (by clicking your name in the log in area once you have done so), and follow the instructions there. More detailed instructions are available in the Member Profile FAQ, which you must be logged in to view.
How do I get a copy of the EFA logo to use on my website?
Log on to the site and visit the members-only section of the Membership area.
How can I contact a human, voice to voice?
Telephone the EFA office, as noted on the contact page—212-929-5400 or 866-929-5425—between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Our office manager will help you reach an appropriate EFA officer, committee chair, or other member. The email addresses for board members, committee chairs, and chapter coordinators are available on the Contact page.
I am not receiving EFA emails. What should I do?
The email is most likely being identified and blocked as spam. Certain ISPs filter automated email and bulk email as spam. The EFA sends two types of email to membership. The first —order confirmations, welcome letters, renewal reminders, expiration notices, and password reminders— originate from the EFA website. For these, you need to ask your ISP technical support to whitelist all EFA domain email (addresses ending in @the-efa.org) and the EFA IP address 76.12.110.172. The second type are general announcements and job postings, which EFA sends through the email marketing service Constant Contact. For these, you need to ask your ISP technical support to whitelist Constant Contact. That information is more involved. For your convenience, we offer a form letter in pdf and Word format, written by Constant Contact staff, to send to your Internet provider. It includes the list of envelope domains and sending IPs that Constant Contact uses. Your Internet provider will need this information. This letter is available at the Constant Contact website.
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