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Who belongs to STC?
STC is the largest association of technical communicators in the world. Our members work in every industry, producing instructional manuals, online help, multimedia, training resources, and other forms of technical communication. The association has worked to define technical communication beyond technical writing and editing, to include pictographs, video, multimedia design, web design, and other communities of practice, and to promote ethical standards of practice.
STC's work with the Bureau of Labor Statistics benefits members too. Corporate HR departments use the BLS data to determine salaries; large company practices define the market, and the market determines paychecks. STC's work with BLS to define technical communicator has impacted and will continue to impact members' salaries, and pushed companies to recognize the value technical communicators bring.
A body of knowledge defines a profession and separates it from being a trade. STC has made significant advances in outlining the fundamental knowledge of the profession through the continued development of the Technical Communicator Body of Knowledge (TCBOK). Not only will the STC TCBOK define your profession, but it will include tools, templates, and the ability for you to do your job better and help you be more successful.
"This field is my bread and butter and the STC is the one organization that brings us all together." —Cynthia Geigel
By joining you agree to all terms outlined in the STC ByLaws. 
(Amended October 2009)
Basic membership is $215 and members receive the electronic version of our publications, access to job bank postings, the STC blog, News & Notes, and discounts on our annual conference, certificate courses, and web seminars. Members may add the following a la carte menu items:
Email is the official communication method between STC and its members. Please pay particular attention to the application section pertaining to your preferences. Members will be prompted to check boxes indicating their preference to receive or not receive various types of information via email to their work, home, or other email addresses. Up to three email addresses may be stored in the member record. For example, a member may wish to have the election ballot (required by Bylaws) sent to their work email, messages containing newsletters or general announcements to their home email, and emails from STC-related vendors to a third email address.
STC considers email information to be confidential and does not share or rent email addresses to outside entities. The Society will, for a fee, send reviewed messages from Corporate Value Partners to members. These fees help support the Society.
STC is offering the option with online renewals to pay for dues in four equal installments. The monthly installment payments will be automatically deducted from your credit card (or credit card backed debit card) and will begin the first business day after your application has been processed. They will continue approximately every 30 days for the next three consecutive months.
Members may cancel their membership at any time for any reason. No refunds will be issued for cancelled memberships.
To cancel your STC membership, please email Membership with your membership ID. Your STC membership will be canceled as of the date the email is received by STC.
| Membership Category | Included In Membership | Dues | Adjusted Dues (See List of Eligible Countries) | Technical Communication Annual Printed Copy Rate (Includes US Postage) | Intercom Annual Printed Copy Rate (Includes US Postage) | Additional International postage for Print Copies of Each Publication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Membership |
|
|
|
$75 | $30 |
|
| Gold Membership |
|
$395 | $395 | $75 | $30 |
|
| SIG Value Package |
|
$375 | $375 | $75 | $30 |
|
| Student Membership |
|
$75 | $60 | $75 | $30 |
|
| Retired Membership (contact Membership Dept. for eligibility) |
|
$145 | $145 | $75 | $30 |
|
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Democratic Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Republic of Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
STC membership is based on a calendar year. All memberships expire on 31 December. Individuals joining STC for the first time (or former members whose membership has lapsed more than a year) pay Society dues, a $30.00 enrollment fee, chapter and SIG fees (if applicable). If you are reinstating your membership after a break of less than one year, you will pay the dues amount, a $15.00 reinstatement fee, chapter and SIG fees (if applicable).
Proration: If you join after January, the system will calculate your dues based on the number of months remaining in the year (including the month in which you join).
| Membership Type | Dues | Developing Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $17.92 | $13.34 |
| Gold | $32.92 | $32.92 |
| SIG Value Package | $31.25 | $31.25 |
| Student | $6.25 | $5.00 |
| Retired | $12.08 | $12.08 |
The prorated dues amount is based only on Society dues. Add $25 for each chapter selected and $10 for each SIG. If you are joining in October, November or December, please pay the full dues amount and you will be credited through the end of the following year.
If you desire printed versions of the publications, please add the full amount to your application, or use the prorated calculations provided below.
(Technical Communication is published in February, May, August, and November. Intercom is published in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, November, and December.)
Membership includes electronic access to publications. If you desire printed versions a subscription is required.