Authors campaign for more sustainable publishing

Detail of tree illustration by Jane Ray
Tree illustration detail © Jane Ray / janeray.com
Picture of Martin Reed

Martin Reed

Martin was the SoA's Head of Communications from 2016 to 2024.
New SoA campaign Tree to Me encourages authors to get to grips with the environmental impact of their books and challenge industry to reduce it

The Society of Authors has launched Tree to Me, a new campaign to help authors talk to their publishers about the sustainability of their books.

Every business has a role to play in limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and publishers are no exception. Tree to Me adds authors’ voices to efforts to achieve net zero in the publishing industry.

Featuring artwork by Jane Ray, the campaign is based around ten informed questions that authors can ask their publishers. Topics range from the materials used in book production and packaging to the sources of energy consumed, and from organisational investments and corporate governance to emissions targets and more.

The answers will provide a clear snapshot of how sustainable a publisher’s practices are today and, most importantly, what plans and structures it is putting in place to improve that.

‘My books shouldn’t cost the Earth’

Tree to Me capitalises on authors’ unique position in the industry. They care passionately about their work and its potential environmental impact. They can help sustain a sense of urgency, holding publishers to account about the way their books are produced. And when an author knows that positive change is happening, they can be a publisher’s greatest advocates, using their platforms to share it with their readers.

Commenting on the launch of Tree to Me, author and chair of the SoA’s Sustainability Steering Committee Piers Torday said:

I’m hugely proud to have published a sustainable book; it is possible. But for that to be the norm rather than the exception, authors need to be able to have clear and transparent conversations with publishers about their impact on the planet. Tree to Me equips them with the starting kit to do just that.

Author and SoA Sustainability Steering Committee member Sophie Galleymore Bird said:

As an independent author using print on demand, I had no control over the paper or finishes of my book. Once I became aware of the impact of virgin paper pulp on the climate and biodiversity crises I felt I had no choice but to withdraw the paperback from sale. I’m delighted to be part of the SoA’s Sustainability Steering Committee and Tree to Me and hope the changes authors ask for ensure a thriving publishing industry for generations to come.

Claire Wilson, vice president of the Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA) said:

The AAA is delighted to support the Tree to Me campaign in endeavouring to create more effective communication on this vital subject. We know that our member agencies and their clients care deeply about sustainability,  and we are also aware that the information available can feel confusing and overwhelming. We are delighted that the ten questions at the heart of this campaign will allow authors and agents to better work in partnership with their publishers towards a more sustainable future.

Why do we need Tree to Me?

The past few years have seen the launch of several industry schemes, including Publishing Declares from the Publishers Association, the Book Journeys Project and Zero Carbon Toolkit from the Independent Publishers Guild, and BIC’s Green Book Alliance. The SoA is a founding partner in the Sustainability Industry Forum, a collaboration with the Association of Authors’ Agents, BIC, the Booksellers Association, Independent Publishers Guild and the Publishers Association – the first cross-industry initiative designed to tackle the negative impact of the book business, opening essential lines of communication between authors, publishers and booksellers.

These initiatives are already promoting positive change. But as the climate crisis deepens, that change cannot happen soon enough.

Tree to Me adds authors’ voices to that work, holding publishers to account and ensuring that important industry change is shared with readers.

Ten questions for authors to ask publishers

Tree to Me enables authors to start conversations with their publishers about the sustainability of their books, by asking ten questions about their publisher’s environmental impact.

The questions are designed to trigger discussion about climate crisis and sustainability – looking at solutions in the manufacturing and supply chain of a book.

By having these conversations openly, we hope that authors and publishers can work together to understand the sustainability of their books, and to share with readers where sustainable victories are being made.

10 December 2024

The Forum of seven leading trade associations reflects on its first two years – and strategises for the future

30 September 2024

A year after the launch of our campaign Tree to Me, we met with authors to hear about their experiences discussing their books’ sustainability with their publishers

2 May 2024

On 2 May 2024, SoA Members voted on three Resolutions at an Extraordinary General Meeting