We were at the National Writers’ Conference in Birmingham on 31st May to launch our new illustrated digital resource Author Care: a Toolkit for Authors, offering practical advice and support to all authors at all stages of their career.
The toolkit has been prepared in response to the significant number of authors who have told us that they find the industry opaque and difficult to navigate at times. They talk of a lack of support and transparency, and do not know what to expect from publishers, agents and other professionals whom they encounter and work with during the publishing journey.
Mathilde Zeeman, Publishing Contracts Advisor and author care project lead took to the stage along with author and editor, Kasim Ali.
“Being an author can mean opening yourself up a fair few challenges, which is why transparent and supportive working relationships with agents and publishers are crucial to an author’s development and sustaining their career in the long term. Having a resource such as the Author Care: a Toolkit for Authors made available to all authors, whether they’re just starting out or decades into their career, is an important step in protecting authors, especially in these challenging times, and one that I’ll be recommending to any author I know.” Kasim
“Being an author is hard at the moment for many reasons, including falling author incomes, the rise of artificial intelligence and the difficulties of being heard in a crowded marketplace. However, the quality of working relationships with publishing professionals can also shape an author’s experiences and even affect the decision to pursue (or continue to pursue) a career in writing.” Mathilde
We followed the Writers’ Conference with a London launch in our event space, welcoming colleagues, authors, agents and publishers. Author Vaseem Khan talked about the importance of the guide, and his own experience negotiating the industry, and we also heard from Mathilde and our Chair, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin. Amy Lambert, our talented illustrator, was also able to join us in person.
Produced by the Society of Authors and supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the freely available 25-page toolkit outlines how industry transparency, support and inclusion and respectful communication can enhance the author experience, and what authors can do if things go wrong on their publication journey. It is also designed to help authors avoid the isolation that can be so common in their professions.
“Author care is about more than contracts and royalties – it’s about how authors are treated throughout their careers. This toolkit is a response to what we’ve increasingly heard from our members: that professional support and mutual respect are just as important as legal protections. At a time when author incomes are falling, the gender pay gap widening, and Black and multi-heritage authors reporting lower earnings than their white peers, a more thoughtful and inclusive approach is urgently needed.” Sarah Burton, Deputy Chief Executive of The Society of Authors.
The toolkit includes clear guidance on what authors should expect from publishers, agents, and other professionals, and how to raise concerns constructively.
It is available to download here
And we’ve already had some great feedback from authors.
Katherine May, bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment, “For me, author care really comes down to having open channels of communication, and being able to make choices about what will work for me. I’ve learned over the years that I need to understand my own needs and boundaries before anyone else can advocate on my behalf, and that’s a work in progress! But I would love to see publishers and agents becoming more proactive in this field.”
Harriet Evans, Author and member of the Management Committee, “More books and more authors are finding a route to publication than ever before. At the same time, the landscape of the publishing industry is undergoing rapid change. “Publishing is awash with unrealistic messaging, burnout, and ghosting affecting everyone involved to levels I have not seen in my twenty-plus years in the industry.
“A structured, sensible framework to help authors navigate their publishing journey is long overdue, and I’m so proud to have been a tiny part of this project to help brilliant publishers and the authors that make their business work together in harmony for hopefully many years to come.”
Claire Wade, founder of the Authors with Disability and Chronic Illness, “Being an author is a dream job for so many people, so it can be hard to discover that it’s not always as glamorous or fun as it seems. Having strategies to help you navigate the publishing process is essential, no matter what stage of your career you’re at.
The Author Care Toolkit takes the mystery out of the industry and provides helpful information, resources and ideas to support authors on a practical and emotional level; I wish it was available when I started out. Even now, I learnt a lot from reading it and I know it’s going to benefit authors, both new and established.”
We’d love to know what you think.
