The mission of Romance Writers of America is to advance the professional interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy. RWA works to support the efforts of its members to earn a living, to make a full-time career out of writing romance or a part-time one that generously supplements his/her main income. More than 10, 000 romance writers and related industry professionals are members of Romance Writers of America. Although the association is called Romance Writers of America, membership is not limited to individuals living in the United States. Approximately 900 RWA members live outside the U.S., and RWA fosters connections between its members through the RWA Web site, www.rwanational.org, and its 145 local, online, and special-interest chapters. RWA's chapters provide opportunities for members to come together to discuss the industry and build connections with fellow romance writers. Romance Writers of America hosts an annual conference that provides the perfect opportunity for authors to increase their knowledge of the business and network with industry professionals and fellow writers. The conference offers more than 100 workshops with topics ranging from beginning writing skills to the business side of writing. Romance fiction editors and literary agents search for new talent in scheduled one-on-one interviews, give workshops, and network with attendees. RWA also sponsors the romance publishing industry's prestigious awards for published and unpublished romance writers the RITA Awards and the Golden Heart Awards. These awards recognize excellence in romance fiction. As one of the largest writers associations, Romance Writers of America leverages its influence and credibility to advocate for improving business conditions in the romance publishing industry. Also, RWA promotes the romance genre through outreach programs for librarians and booksellers. The outreach doesn't stop with librarians and booksellers, however. Romance Writers of America also sponsors an academic grant annually to develop and support academic research devoted to genre romance novels, writers, and readers, as well as romance reader surveys and statistics reports. If you are interested in becoming a part of this diverse and growing community, visit the Become a Member section for more information.