Romance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers' association – the largest of its kind in the world. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction.

RWA was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1980 by 37 charter members. Frustrated with writing conferences that seemed to ignore romance writers, and individually voiceless against daunting New York publishers, the founding members realized the need to unite. They organized writing conferences geared to nurture the careers of romance writers, created a nationwide network of romance writing peers that shared information and supported each other. The result is the 8,000-member strong writers association that is today considered "The Voice of Romance."

Currently, RWA has 8,400 members worldwide; with 1,600 members published in book-length romance fiction. The writer-members of RWA have worked as doctors, engineers, attorneys, military officers, actors, artists, stay-at-home mothers, scientists, mathematicians, musicians, businesswomen, scholars, teachers and a hundred other professions. Some resign from their work to write, others balance a career in another field while writing romance fiction.  RWA has more than 140 chapters throughout the world, with chapters in almost every state in the U.S. Some individual cities have multiple chapters – such as the three chapters in Houston, Texas.

Once RWA members become published in book-length romance fiction, they may join a distinguished group of RWA members known as the Published Authors' Network (PAN). PAN members have mobilized to study and enact change in areas of the industry that directly affect published authors – areas such as contracts and royalty statements, pseudonym usage, romance novel cover art and general author rights.

Romance Writers of America hosts a national conference in a different U.S. city each summer. More than 100 workshops are offered with topics ranging from beginning writing skills to the business side of being a working writer. Romance fiction editors and literary agents search for new talent in scheduled one-on-one interviews.

RWA recognizes the best of the industry in an Awards Ceremony held yearly at the National Conference. The RITA Awards, the highest award of excellence in the romance genre, are presented to the best published romances of the year; and the Golden Heart Awards are presented to the best unpublished manuscripts.

The National Conference is slated to be held in the following cities through 2006:

•     2007 – Dallas, Texas
•     2008 – San Fransisco, California
•     2009 – Washington, D.C.
•     2010 – Nashville, Tennessee
•     2011 – New York, New York

RWA members receive news on the industry, in-depth looks at publishing and articles on the craft of writing in RWA's monthly professional journal, The Romance Writers' Report.

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This information is from the What is RWA? link of the Romance Writers of America National Web Site, www.rwanational.com, and is reprinted by permission of Charis Calhoon, Communications Director, RWA, 06/2002