Top ten tips for authors
When you’re starting out as an author, there are many things you can do to help build a sustainable career, here are my top ten tips:
1. Join a union: for business advice, insurances and solidarity.
2. Sign up for ALCS payments: this is additional income that you’ll get for secondary uses of your work, twice a year.
3. Register for Public Lending Right: an annual amount that you will receive for the loans of your books in libraries.
4. Think about your career plan as a business. How can you maximise your earning potential as a writer?
5. Build your brand: whether on social media or in real life, this is part of being a modern-day author. Find a way that suits you and your skills. There is no one ‘way’ to be an author: be you!
6. Find your tribe, stay connected – remember you’re not alone.
7. Look after yourself: it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
8. Stay creative – think about what’s next to keep the momentum going.
9. Explore the funding opportunities available to help develop your creative practice through Arts Council England, the Royal Literary Fund, the Society of Authors and others.
10. Reality check: don’t give up the day job too soon. This is something I learned on day one at the Society of Authors, and it still echoes true today. Many successful writers also have non-writing sources of income to allow them a measure of financial stability until they are in a position to transition to a full-time writing career. This is ok.
And finally… do it your way! There is no one way to be a professional author – express yourself, authentically.
With very best wishes,
Anna
(From a talk at the National Writers Conference 2025)
