As stated on their website, “Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.” The association has 4,500+ members around the world. Membership in SinC provides access to a “community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward.”
SinC offers interactive writing classes and zoom webinars to help hone your skills. There is an extensive webinar archive that adds fresh content on an ongoing basis. SinC also hosts write-ins, maintains newsfeeds, and publishes a monthly bulletin with “advice on writing, publishing, publicity and promotion.” Countless other programs and benefits are included with membership. https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/Membership
Each year, SinC hosts a special Fantasy Agent volunteer-run program. Unpublished authors submit the first 30 pages of their manuscript, along with a synopsis, and published authors critique them per the perspective of a literary agent. I’ve found the feedback to be extremely helpful. The initial pages of a book must be tight and compelling. They are the key to hooking a reader and landing a publisher. I’m extremely grateful that an experienced writer was willing to volunteer their time to critique my manuscript and help guide me on the road to publication. I’ve also participated in SinC Connect, Sister in Crime’s mentorship program – an invaluable opportunity to gain insight from an insider. The program lasts from the middle of May to the middle of October. Unpublished authors are matched with published authors in their genre. The mentor and mentee schedule chats each month during which industry or craft questions and concerns can be addressed. “The goal of this program is to offer support and suggestions.” Last year, my mentor was Julia Buckley, the talented author of multiple series. https://juliabuckley.com/books/ This year, I was matched with Korina Moss, an award-winning cozy mystery author. https://www.korinamossauthor.com/ I’ve been truly impressed by the willingness of established authors to extend a helping hand to aspiring authors. I’m fortunate to have found such a supportive writing village.
