Nonfiction Authors Association

The Nonfiction Authors Association (NFAA) is the only major membership community built exclusively for nonfiction writers. Founded in May 2013 by Stephanie Chandler — a former Silicon Valley tech professional turned author and publishing strategist — it serves 15,000+ members including consultants, business owners, speakers, healthcare professionals, and indie authors who use books to build authority and income.

What distinguishes NFAA from general indie author communities is its nonfiction-specific framing. Most writing communities skew heavily toward fiction. NFAA addresses the distinct challenges nonfiction authors face: positioning their expertise, building media presence, creating revenue streams beyond book royalties, and navigating both self-publishing and traditional publishing paths.

What You Get#

• Weekly "Author Advisor" media leads email (Authority+ tier): A curated list of podcast guesting opportunities, journalist and expert source requests, and guest contributor slots — sent every Friday. This is NFAA's standout differentiator and functions as a nonfiction-specific replacement for HARO/Connectively, which no longer operates in its original form.
• Resource archive: Hundreds of recorded webinar sessions, podcast interviews, templates, checklists, legal agreement samples, and author toolkits covering self-publishing, traditional publishing, speaking, marketing, and revenue diversification
• Monthly virtual events: Author Brainstorm Exchange, Member Round Table, and Critique/Accountability Groups — all conducted via Zoom
• Annual Nonfiction Writers Conference (NFWC): Fully online, held each May (16th Annual: May 6–8, 2026). Includes agent pitching sessions. Authority members receive 33% off; VIP and Thought Leader members attend free.
• Nonfiction Authors Podcast: Weekly expert interviews on writing, publishing, and marketing. Free and open to non-members.
• Nonfiction Book Awards: Year-round award program. Entry fee: $300/category. Awards are Bronze/Silver/Gold based on a point-scoring model (not competitive ranking).
• Partner discounts: IngramSpark, Lulu, Findaway Voices, ProfNet (premium journalist query service), PR Newswire, and Office Depot

Who It's For#

• Expert-based nonfiction authors: Consultants, coaches, healthcare professionals, attorneys, and business owners who write books as part of a broader platform strategy — not just for book royalties but for speaking engagements, consulting income, and media visibility.
• Nonfiction indie publishers: Authors who want to self-publish well and want community support specific to nonfiction topics (proposal structure, positioning, category selection) rather than genre fiction advice.
• Authors actively seeking media: The weekly media leads email is most valuable to authors who regularly pitch podcasts, contribute to media, and want speaking opportunities — not primarily for authors focused on fiction-style book marketing.

Pricing: NFAA is now paid-only — the former free basic tier has been discontinued, and the site offers only free downloadable resources (reports, the Book Marketing Gap Quiz, blog) outside of paid membership. Authority tier: $39/month or $390/year — includes full archive access, media leads email, virtual events, and a 33% conference/course/awards discount. VIP tier: $790/year or $225/quarter — adds free conference admission, conference "greatest hits" recordings, all Author Toolkits, and a listing on NonfictionBookClub.com. Thought Leader tier: $2,490/year or $665/quarter — adds free live course access and one free Book Awards entry.

Strengths#

• Nonfiction-only focus: No competing fiction content or advice. Every resource, event, and community member shares a nonfiction orientation.
• Media leads email: The weekly pitch digest fills a gap left by HARO's decline. Multiple independent sources confirm it as NFAA's primary membership draw for active members.
• Conference with agent access: NFWC specifically features nonfiction literary agents — a meaningful route for authors pursuing traditional publishing, which most indie author conferences do not include.
• Founder credibility: Stephanie Chandler remains the active CEO and is a recognized voice in nonfiction self-publishing. Her involvement is not nominal — she leads events, publishes courses, and appears as a speaker.

Limitations#

• No free membership: NFAA discontinued its free basic tier — there is no longer a way to access the community, archive, or media leads without paying. The entry point is the $39/month (or $390/year) Authority tier, so authors can no longer sample the community before committing.
• Book Awards entry cost: At $300 per category, the Nonfiction Book Awards are expensive. The Bronze/Silver/Gold scoring model (not competitive head-to-head ranking) limits credibility with traditional publishers and major press outlets.
• Value depends on media activity: Authors who don't actively pitch podcasts or pursue expert source placement will find the media leads email less compelling than authors who do.

Alternatives#

For genre fiction authors or cross-genre indie publishers, SPF Community (free Facebook group, 54,000+ members) or ALLi (Authors Guild for self-publishers, $125–$149/year) offer broader community support. For nonfiction authors specifically focused on professional development and speaking, the National Speakers Association (NSA) serves similar goals without a publishing focus.