What Do You Get With CARWA Membership?

Joining the Calgary Association of Romance Writers of America (CARWA) gives you a defined set of benefits: attendance at chapter-sponsored events, discounted workshop registration, an email loop, a private Facebook group for discussions, a public Facebook page for promoting your books, and access to the current membership list for networking. These benefits come from the organization's own description of what membership includes, so they are the concrete things to evaluate if you are deciding whether to join.

The Full List of Membership Benefits

According to the CARWA website, membership includes:

• Attendance at chapter-sponsored events — you can take part in the events the chapter organizes.
• Discounted workshop registration — members pay a reduced rate to register for workshops.
• Email loop — a mailing list for ongoing communication among members.
• Facebook Secret Group — described on the site as a space for "water cooler discussions."
• Facebook Page — used for promoting members' books.
• Access to the current Membership List — provided for networking purposes.

What Each Benefit Is Actually For

Craft, Motivation, and Career Support

The organization describes itself as "a friendly group of writers who meet to support and motivate each other, and to study the craft of writing, and to learn how to promote ourselves and our books." The membership benefits map onto those three goals:

Where the Meetings Happen

All meetings take place on Zoom, and the chapter also holds occasional in-person meet-ups. If you are deciding whether the format works for you, this matters: the core programming is remote, with in-person contact as an occasional extra rather than the default.

How to Join

The site directs interested writers to click the JOIN tab for instructions. That is the entry point for becoming a member; the benefits above apply once you are a member.

A Note on Conduct

CARWA states that RWA is committed to providing all members with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, and that discrimination and harassment of any sort are prohibited in RWA. This is part of the membership environment rather than a separate perk, but it is worth knowing if a respectful, safe group setting is one of your reasons for joining.

Who This Fits

CARWA membership makes sense if you write romance in any sub-genre and want a mix of craft development (workshops, events), peer connection (email loop, private Facebook group), and book promotion (public Facebook page, networking list) — and if a Zoom-based meeting schedule suits you. If you are looking mainly for in-person critique groups or for publishing services rather than community and craft support, the benefits listed here may not match what you need.