Lists (E-mail groups)

Welcome to the AIW e-mail lists page. The idea behind our e-mail lists is that members of common interest may gather via e-mail and discuss their common interest. All you have to do is subscribe to the particular list of your interest. When you post a question or response, it goes out to the current set of people who have subscribed. You may subscribe or unsubscribe as often as you like. Changing your email address after you subscribe? Not a problem.

AIW-NEWS (News List)
AIW members are added to this listserv automatically upon joining the organization.

AIW-JOBS (Job Bank List) distributes AIW Job Bank postings to AIW members who subscribe. details.
You must be an AIW member to subscribe online.

AIW-List (public e-mail discussion list via GoogleGroups) – The AIW-List provides an opportunity for writers of all genres and persuasions to discuss the business and craft of writers. The list is open to members and nonmembers. Please read the community guidelines, below and on the list’s GoogleGroups homepage, before posting. Direct list questions to moderator@aiwriters.org.

Google Groups
Subscribe to the AIW Public Discussion List
Email:
Visit AIW-List Online

AIW PUBLIC DISCUSSION LIST COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
(revised January 2009)

I.          ABOUT THE LIST
American Independent Writers (AIW; http://www.aiwriters.org) is a professional organization that seeks to create an open and inclusive community of authors, journalists and other writers. AIW informs, educates and supports its members in the business and craft of writing and helps them succeed in a rapidly changing environment. This list is for AIW members and nonmembers to network and share advice, information, and support about the business and craft of writing.

List Moderator: moderator@aiwriters.org

II.         LIST RULES
Please read the following rules carefully and do not post if you do not agree to follow them. Failure to adhere to the list guidelines will result in being placed on moderated status and ultimately being banned from the list. Please note that new members are moderated for the first few posts to make sure there are no spammers on the list. Spam will not be tolerated.

  1. No anonymous posting. Please sign your posts with your real name. Signatures including your title and website or other contact info are encouraged but not required.
  1. Please make your first post an introduction, even if you’re a returning list member. Please introduce yourself including your name, the type of writing you do and any specialties, whether you’re freelance or full time, website or blog URLs, etc. Give the other members an opportunity to know what interests you, perhaps most importantly, what kind of work they can send you.
  1. Use ALL-CAPS headers in your subject line. Please start each subject line with an all-caps header to categorize your post. Headings are listed below along with examples. Only the list moderator is permitted to use the heading ADMIN. Contact the list moderator at moderator@aiwriters.org to recommend additional headings or to suggest combining headings.
    1. INTRO – Your first post only. John Smith’s first post would be, “INTRO: John Smith.”
    1. Q – For use when asking a question and it doesn’t fit any of the other categories. “Q: Formatting a Manuscript”
    1. JOB-OPP – Only for use when posting a freelance or full-time job opening—not when searching for a job. Do NOT post listings from paid services, such as Freelance Daily or the AIW Job Bank. “JOB-OPP: Freelance Writer for New York Times”
    1. BIZ – Anything to do with the business of writing: taxes, contracts, great advice, etc. “BIZ: Paying Quarterly Taxes?
    1. TECH – Computers, gadgets, etc. “TECH: iPhone vs. BlackBerry Touch”
    1. ISO – Everything from office space to a web developer or a class on basketweaving. “ISO: WordPress Specialist for Backend Support”
    1. EVENT – Hosting, speaking at, attending, or just interested in an upcoming a seminar, conference, or workshop? Share the details with your listmates. “EVENT: AIW Pubspeak, January 24”
    1. REC – Links to recommended reading, websites of note, etc. “REC: New Blog for Writers”
    1. GENRE – Craft questions about poetry, fiction, and nonfiction including journalism and copywriting. “GENRE: YA Character Development”; “GENRE: How to structure a landing page”
    1. NEWS – You just published an article, got an agent, sold your book. Two major publishers just merged. J.K. Rowling is writing an eighth Harry Potter book. You get the idea. “NEWS: Book Release Next Week in NYC”
    1. OT – Chit chat. Please make sure this is of general interest to the writing community. “OT: This Week’s NYT Crossword Puzzle.”
  1. Discussion of rates is strictly prohibited. Do not ask or offer advice on rates, period. There are a number of rates surveys available, and list members are encouraged to submit relevant resources (such as articles on how to calculate rates, etc.) to the list moderator at moderator@aiwriters.org for inclusion in the links section of the group.
  1. Do not post copyright-protected content. In other words, if you didn’t write it, don’t post it to the list. This includes articles, blog posts, images, e-mails from other people, and anything else you didn’t create and don’t own. Posting a link and the first 50 words of a New York Times article is fine; posting the whole article is not. If you’re not sure whether something is okay, contact the list moderator at moderator@aiwriters.org.
  1. No blatant self-promotion. If you have news about your writing/business, by all means share it. But please, no sales pitches. Contact the AIW office at 202-775-5150 for rates and availability if you are interested in advertising. 
  1. No politics. Enough said.
  1. No profanity. Also enough said. 
  1. No flaming. Personal attacks will not be permitted and are grounds for immediate banning.
  1. Adhere to good list “netiquette.” Trim your posts (ie, include in your reply only that to which you are directly responding, not a while series of replies), change the subject line if the discussion changes (OT: Finding a housekeeper in DC [was BIZ: outsourcing for more writing time]), send “Me too!” “Thanks!” and “Welcome!” messages off-list, switch to NO MAIL when you’re on vacation.

III.        LOGISTICS
Subscribing to the list
Visit http://groups.google.com/group/aiw-list and click “Join this group.”

Sending messages to the list
Send an e-mail to aiw-list@googlegroups.com

Unsubscribing from the list
Please do NOT send messages to the list asking to be unsubscribed. Simply e-mail aiw-list+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com, or visit http://groups.google.com/group/aiw-list and click “Edit my membership.” Then, click the button labeled UNSUBSCRIBE.

Contacting the moderator
Send an email to moderator@aiwriters.org

IV.        ADVERTISING
Advertising space is available in the list signature on a weekly and monthly basis. Please contact the AIW office at 202-775-5150 for rates and availability.