Apply for Membership

Detroit Working Writers welcomes new members.

Michigan writers whose works demonstrate professional excellence are invited to apply for membership in DWW. Annual membership dues are currently $35.

DWW is committed to inclusivity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability.

Writing samples will be evaluated solely on the basis of professional excellence.

Established Writers

Writers with five or more published works with single authorship or byline (at least three of which are impartially published) are invited to apply for membership in the Established Writer category.

Emerging Writers

Writers with a minimum of three published works with single authorship or byline (at least one of which is impartially published) are invited to apply for membership in the Emerging Writer category. We encourage Emerging Writers to strive toward becoming Established Writers within five years of acceptance in DWW.

NOTE: If you are not yet able to meet submission guidelines in either the Established Writer or Emerging Writer category, we encourage you to visit our Resources page. It includes a list of resources to help you submit your works for publication. Know we are rooting for you and look forward to receiving your application once guidelines are met.

Benefits of Membership

Applicants accepted for DWW membership may:

• Enjoy networking opportunities with fellow published writers
• Attend programs, open board meetings, and general meetings
• Facilitate programs
• Serve on committees, participate in work groups, and perform tasks assigned by the Board, including Programs, Membership, Public Relations, Critique Groups, Mentoring/Accountability Partnerships, Website, and Newsletter.

Applicants accepted for DWW membership in the Established Writer category may also:

• Hold office
• Chair committees
• Vote to elect officers and directors
• Vote on any proposals to amend DWW’s governing documents.

Application Process

Applications are reviewed by the New Membership Committee and submitted to the full Board of Directors, whose decision is final.

Please send us your best writing samples. Successful applicants have submitted impartially vetted news and feature articles in newspapers, magazines, professional journals, professional newsletters, and professional blogs; competitively selected stories and poems published by journals, reviews, and anthologies; fiction or nonfiction books impartially published by literary or scholarly press; and scripts for produced plays, film, and television.

Writing samples may be published in print or online format.

DWW requires a $30 non-refundable fee as part of the membership application. Your application will not be considered until fee payment is received via PayPal.

DWW accepts membership applications year-round. Our organization relies on volunteers to vet applications and the length of time for the review process depends on their schedules. We appreciate your patience during certain times of the year.

Any questions can be addressed to: NewMembership@detworkingwriters.org.

Guidelines for Established Writers

Applicants for the Established Writer category must submit legible PDFs of five exemplary writing samples with single authorship or byline.

At least three of the five samples MUST be impartially published in any or several of the following publication forms: newspapers; magazines; professional journals and newsletters; professional blogs; literary or scholarly press; fiction or nonfiction books; poetry; and scripts for plays, film, or television.

No more than two of the five samples may be independently published or published through a hybrid publisher and MUST meet the highest of professional writing standards. We do not accept personal blog posts.

NOTE: The use of AI in any of the five writing samples is strictly prohibited.

Guidelines for Emerging Writers

Applicants for the Emerging Writer category must submit legible PDFs of three exemplary writing samples with single authorship or byline.

At least one of the three samples MUST be impartially published in any of the following publication forms: newspapers; magazines; professional journals and newsletters; professional blogs; literary or scholarly press; fiction or nonfiction books; poetry; and scripts for plays, film, or television.

No more than two of the three samples may be independently published or published through a hybrid publisher and MUST meet the highest of professional writing standards. We do not accept personal blog posts.

NOTE: The use of AI in any of the three writing samples is strictly prohibited.

Instructions for all applicants

Please provide proof of the publisher and date of publication for:

• Samples published in a book, by including a PDF copy of the copyright page and table of contents and up to two pages of your written content
• Clips from newspapers and magazines, by submitting a PDF copy of the actual clip with published credit and date of publication
• Online articles, by submitting a PDF copy of the article with information about the online publisher and date of publication
• Scripts, by including a PDF copy of the playbill or credit list and up to three pages of your written content.

NOTE: DWW reserves the right to request additional supporting materials.

Your application submission must include:

• Your completed application form with non-refundable payment to PayPal (please see online form and link below)
• PDF copies of your individual writing samples with proof of publication per the guidelines stated above.

NOTE: Applicants may opt to include a Letter of Recommendation from a DWW member.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Submit your application now to join our supportive community of accomplished writers by filling out the form below and making your non-refundable payment.

If you have any questions, please contact: NewMembership@detworkingwriters.org. 

After you click “SUBMIT,” this page will reload. Complete your Application by paying your $30 application fee via PayPal.

Please click on the button below to complete your payment. This does not require a PayPal account. At the bottom of the checkout box, you’ll see a “Pay with debit or credit card” button.