How it works

The group meets every other month via Zoom. To be notified of upcoming meetings, please subscribe to the mailing list.

We are currently looking into discussion platforms to help members stay in touch.

Discussion topics

Topics for future discussion will include all aspects of the self-publishing process:

• Promotion and publicity
• Copyediting
• Cover, spine, and back cover design
• Interior design
• Typesetting
• Proof reading
• Indexing
• Production
• Marketing
• Subsequent distribution, including UK and USA
• Publication launch

SoA Membership for Self-Publishers

Whilst any member of the SoA can join any of its groups, the specific joining information for new self-published members is as follows.

Self-publishing authors can join as a Full Member with full membership benefits:

• You are self-published [or have had a work published only as print-on-demand or e-book] AND
• A single title has sold, within a 12-month period, 300+ copies in print form or 500+ copies of a single title in electronic/digitised form

Self-publishing authors can join as an Associate Member (the same benefits but no voting rights):

• If you are self-published [or published only as print-on-demand or e-book BUT
• Do not yet meet the sales criteria for full membership

You can join the Society of Authors and find out more about the benefits of membership here.

Grants and Prizes

The following SoA grants and prizes are open to self-published authors:

Prizes

• ADCI Literary Prize
• ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award (short stories)
• Betty Trask Prize
• Eric Gregory Awards (poetry)
• McKitterick Prize
• Somerset Maugham Awards

Grants

• Contingency Fund
• Society of Authors’ Access Fund

Resources

• Society of Authors self-publishing resources
• Society of Authors Vimeo self-publishing showcase
• Professional Development – Pre-Publication Book Marketing – How to find readers before your book launch
• Professional Development – Plan and Run your own Brilliant Book Launch
• Alliance of Independent Authors
• Many of the Society of Authors grants and prizes are open to self-published authors
• FAQs on self-publishing