7 April 2020

• SoA publishes guidance on cancellation of contracts in wake of COVID-19
• Evidence submitted to House of Commons Treasury Select Committee along with open letter
• Arts Council donates £400,000 to Authors' Emergency Fund
• SoA invites authors to submit evidence in new survey on loss of income

The SoA has today issued guidance to members about cancellation of contracts in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak following concerns that authors are suffering financially as a result of cancellations of commissions and events. We have also heard of requests to accept late royalty payments or renegotiated terms for payments and projects as commissioners hit financial difficulties. Read our guidance here

The SoA is continuing to lobby Government to ensure that its support schemes benefit those in our sector with their complex working practices and lumpy incomes. You can read our evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee here, together with our detailed open letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, addressing our emerging policy concerns surrounding the Government’s financial support schemes.

As a member of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), we continue to participate in wider industry efforts to influence Government policy. For the CIF’s latest letter to the Business and Culture Secretaries, Alok Sharma MP and Oliver Dowden MP, click here.

We plan to update our pages with eligibility for the Government’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) and issuing a letter to your MP – watch this space.

And we are delighted to announce that the Arts Council has donated £400,000 to supplement our Authors' Emergency Fund bringing the total to over £800,000. Find out how to apply and donate here

How you can help – fill in our survey

Please help us build an evidence base to take to Government by completing our loss of income survey here.

[Editor's Note: This survey is now closed. Please see initial results in The Bookseller here. We aim to reopen the survey again in coming months.]