Chief Executive Anna Ganley’s predictions for 2025 and areas of focus for the SoA

© Annie Johnston Photography
A look to the year ahead

Reflecting on my first year as chief executive for the Society of Authors (SoA), busy would be an understatement. 2025 doesn’t look any quieter, but I’m well supported by our professional staff team and board (the Management Committee), led by our new Chair, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin (who writes as Sam Blake) who was elected last January. This year we welcome two new members to the board: the librettist and composer, Helen Epega, and the crime writer, Simon Michael, who will each bring their unique perspective and experience to the Management Committee in the year ahead.

As we step into 2025, our policy and campaigning work continues apace, dominated by the Government consultation on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). As the new Chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance (CRA) and working with the Creative Rights in AI Coalition (CRAC), the SoA will be lobbying hard for our existing copyright laws to be respected and enforced by government. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get this right. We’ll be responding to the government consultation pressing for much-needed transparency, choice, control and compensation for rights holders. We’ll also continue to advise members about the risks and opportunities of AI so that you can make informed decisions about your work and career.

But it’s not just about AI. The SoA will continue to campaign about the value of human creativity throughout the books ecosystem, for greater transparency, fairness and recognition for all creators behind the books published.

As our CREATOR campaign for fair contract terms marks its 10-year anniversary, we’ll look at what’s changed in the last decade for authors. We’ll also continue to press government for improvements to the tax, benefits and legislative landscape for creative freelance workers. 

Through our Sustainability Network, we’ll work to raise awareness about how we can all adopt more climate-friendly practices, and the progress that needs to be made to make the publishing industry more sustainable. The SoA will continue to press for this change, working collaboratively through the Sustainability Industry Forum, and we’ll continue to support authors to talk about the sustainability of their books with publishers through our Tree To Me campaign.

Advising members is, of course, our bread and butter; as ever, we’ll be busy vetting hundreds of publishing and agency contracts; advising members on a huge volume of queries and topics, such as how to chase overdue payments, avoid scams, and revert their rights; and will continue to support members where they encounter problems or have queries about any aspect of the business of authorship.

Through our new self-publishing network, we will enable more members to support one another with tips and advice on the business of independent publishing, providing them with a space to network and foster community.

We remain ever mindful that authors continue to be hit hard by low earnings and a precarious career, with the ongoing cost of living crisis and the impacts of generative AI technologies. To help authors, we will continue to award grants for works-in-progress through our Authors’ Foundation, grants to authors in need through our Contingency Fund and grants for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, research and retreats, through our Access Fund. These funds are always in demand, and so donations – however small – are always welcome. As we finalise our 2025-2027 Strategic Plan, we’ll remain focused on promoting good author care. Whether that’s pressing for improved communication and greater transparency around the publishing process, upholding our industry values, or looking at how we can better support and include a greater range of voices throughout the publishing industry. And we’ll continue to do what we’ve done for the last 140 years: empowering, connecting and advocating for all writers, illustrators and literary translators across the UK.

21 January 2025

Please complete our survey by 9 February to help inform our response to the government’s copyright and AI consultation

17 January 2025

The Society of Authors, the Creators’ Rights Alliance and the Creative Rights in Artificial Intelligence Coalition react to the Prime Minister’s plan to turn the UK into an ‘AI superpower’

31 December 2024

A round-up from the SoA on recent AI news
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