Professional Development – Sustainable work for writers: Finding roles that support your creative practice
19 May 2026 @ 10:00 - 11:30 BST
Many authors seek supplementary or flexible work at different stages of their careers, yet the current job market can feel opaque and fast-moving.
This session hosted by author, career consultant and writing coach, Patricia Marques, offers practical, up-to-date guidance on navigating employment options in a way that supports, rather than sidelines, creative practice. We will look at how to identify roles that genuinely fit your needs, how to articulate your skills effectively in applications, and how to build a sustainable balance between paid work and writing.
Participants will leave with clearer priorities, a framework for mapping their transferable skills, and tools to strengthen their CVs and supporting statements.
#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members
All #SoAatHome Professional Development sessions continue to be free for members. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.
Not a member? sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20% off for the first year – use code SOAATHOME20.
Programme
- Welcome and introductions from Lilly Brend-Fish – Events and Engagement Manager, SoA (3 mins)
- Presentation by Patricia Marques (60 mins)
- Comfort Break (5 mins)
- Q&A with audience (20 mins)
- Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
What will this session cover?
The session will cover:
- How to clarify personal priorities (income, flexibility, working patterns, creative time) to guide decisions
- How to evaluate roles and sectors that align with writing practice and long-term goals
- How to communicate creative and professional experience with impact in CVs, cover letters, and statements
- How the contemporary hiring landscape is changing, and what this means for applicants
- Approaches for integrating employed work with a sustained writing life without overextension
Who is this session for?
Authors at any stage who are considering returning to work, seeking supplementary income, or wanting to strengthen their approach to applications and career planning.
Send us your questions
If you would like to send questions in advance, email Lbrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Sustainable work for writers’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.
#SoAatHome Fundraising Bookshop
Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the #SoAatHome. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.
The Line-up
Patricia Marques
Patricia Marques is a published author, career consultant, and writing coach. She works across fiction and creative practice, supporting writers in finding clarity, confidence, and sustainable momentum in their work and working lives. Her workshops focus on practical guidance, reflective tools, and approaches that help authors navigate their careers with intention.
Website: https://patricia-marques.com/
Need to know
Accessibility
- Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
- If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org
Before the event
- Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
- If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
- Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails
During the event
- This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
- This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
- Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
- This event is 90 minutes
After the event
- The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
- SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.
Booking
SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.
Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.
For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.
SoA Members – Free
Non-Members – £35
Accordion Content
Access 20% off your first year of membership of the SoA with discount code SOAATHOME20
The Society of Authors is the UK’s biggest trade union for authors – representing more than 12,000 writers, illustrators, translators and other creative practitioners.
Our subscription rate is just £137 per year (£97 concessionary) which equates to just under £12 per month (or £8 per month concessionary).
As an SoA member, you’ll get:
- Access to all our #SoAatHome events for free including the Professional Development sessions usually charged at £35 from Feb 2025
- Access to all our Feel Good Friday and Industry Insider events which are usually charged £5 from Feb 2025
- Access all #SoAatHome Vimeo professional development recordings so you can catch up in your own time
- Access Unlimited one-to-one professional advice
- Membership of our online and real-world professional networks and special interest groups
- A range of member-only discounts, including books, insurance and travel
- And much more
‘It was a surprisingly lovely way to meet fellow writers in a friendly, warm surrounding perfectly hosted by the SoA staff. Thank you for all the introductions, the welcome and the nourishment!’ – attendee from SoA in Person: Autumn New Members’ Party 2024
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Accordion Content
Giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats
Every contribution helps us ensure that these needs and costs aren’t barriers to authors wishing to access events.
If you are in a position to help, please donate via the link below. If you are an author facing access issues, please click here to see if we can help.
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Register - SoA Member
Please use the booking form to register for this event.
Please email events@societyofauthors.org if you have any questions
