Below are some of the key benefits of EFA membership. To read what individual EFA members have to say about why they value their membership, visit the member testimonials page.

Education Program

EFA members receive 20% off tuition to the organization’s top-notch courses and webinars, which are designed specifically for freelancers to support them in building and enhancing their editorial and entrepreneurial skills. Course and webinar topics include editorial skill-building from beginning to advanced levels, business tips for freelancers, introductions to particular subfields of editing, and deep dives into tools and techniques. Our online courses, which include both synchronous and self-paced offerings, are usually offered in the spring, summer, and fall and are open to nonmembers and members alike. The EFA Education Program is continually working to partner with other organizations to increase EFA member access to an even broader range of educational opportunities.

Free Webinar Recordings

Many of our recorded webinars are free for members. These include Authenticity Reading: What It Is and Why Editors Should Care, Creating a Persuasive Website for Your Freelance Business, Digital Marketing Primer, Introduction to Medical-Legal Editing: A Big Little Niche, and Trans Allyship for Writers and Editors. Members can access our free webinars by logging in to the EFA course site (separate from the main EFA site login page) and visiting the EFA Member Free Webinar Library.

Job List

One of the most valuable benefits of EFA membership is our Job List, which regularly posts a wide variety of jobs—freelance and full-time, in-house and remote—exclusively for our members. Authors, publishers, businesses, nonprofits, and editors from coast to coast and beyond know that when they submit their projects to the EFA Job List they will receive applications from some of the most skilled and qualified editorial professionals in the industry. In fact, 94% of EFA Job List clients report having hired an EFA member for their project. Some EFA members report getting the bulk of their work from the Job List. And when a new member gets their first job using this service, their EFA membership will have already paid for itself!

Online Membership Directory

A listing in our Membership Directory is a powerful marketing tool and an essential part of EFA membership. Members customize their profiles with their chosen content, such as years of experience, skills and expertise, specialty areas, bios, and résumés. The directory is searchable by skills, specialties, location, name, and keyword, allowing potential clients to find the EFA members who will be a perfect match for their project.

Discussion List

The EFA’s primary online forum is its lively members-only Discussion List, where participants exchange ideas and advice with hundreds of other editorial professionals across the world. Many members tell us that the support, networking, and camaraderie of the Discussion List make it one of the most enjoyable and valuable features of EFA membership.

Regional and Specialty Chapters

The EFA has 27 regional and specialty chapters all over the country. Chapters list their meetings and other activities on the EFA Events page and their individual chapter pages. Chapter events are usually open to all members, guests, and freelancers interested in joining the EFA. The EFA also invites members to act as regional liaisons in areas currently without chapters. Liaisons answer questions about the organization that arise in their local area.

Meetings and Events

The EFA offers its members a variety of virtual and in-person meetings, social events, and other networking opportunities. These events include expert panels, special guest speakers, joint meetings with related organizations, our monthly STET Talk series, our annual business meeting, and our annual holiday party. Members can increase their event opportunities by joining EFA chapters, which hold more frequent events. Periodically, the EFA holds national professional conferences in various locations around the U.S. See the EFA Events page for current event listings.

Publications

The EFA publishes a quarterly e-newsletter, the Freelancer, and a monthly e-bulletin, What’s New at the EFA. In addition, the EFA has compiled a list of diversity and contested terms, a list of mental health resources, and a repository of information about keeping your business safe from online scammers. All of these resources are available to members only.

Health Care Discounts

EFA membership offers access to health care discount plans at group rates through Careington. In addition, the application fee for Careington plan subscriptions is waived for EFA members. For more information about the program, visit Careington’s EFA affiliate page.

Affiliate Discounts

Thanks to our many organizational affiliates, EFA members receive substantial discounts on a wide variety of software tools, subscriptions, continuing education programs, conferences, insurance, and much more. Members can visit the Affiliate Discounts page for more details on these members-only benefits and how to access them.

Join the EFA today