Career help

We’re here to support you throughout your career, with advice, guidance and more. 

Advice

We urge members to contact our advisors with any questions about the business of being an author, however trivial or obscure. You are entitled to free, unlimited confidential advice, including contract vetting, as well as advice on all professional issues, from copyright and publisher relations to marketing and self-publishing.

Guides and information

Our guides cover the business, legal, contractual and practical aspects of the profession. They are all free to members and a selection are available for purchase by non-members. Explore the guides now

Rates and fees

We believe authors should be paid for the work they do. We’ve produced guidance to help you ask for the fees you deserve and to reduce the pressure many authors face to work for free. Find out more

Events & workshops

Our annual programme of events covers the key professional challenges you face as an author. We cover marketing, copyright, finances and more, as well as many discipline focused topics, including conferences for children’s authors, broadcasters and poets. All our events are an opportunity to learn, develop your skills and to network with other authors. Explore our events calendar

Local and professional groups

Don’t forget to make the most of the benefits of being part of the SoA’s national community of authors.

Get involved in our local and professional groups – as a member they’re free to join, and they offer opportunities throughout the year to stay in touch with authors in your area or working in your specific discipline.

Our seven professional groups include the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group, the Poetry and Spoken Word Group and the Translators Association. We also run a Writers as Carers Group, which helps SoA members with caring responsibilities keep in touch with the writing community and keep writing.

Our geographic groups vary in size from town and city specific to the largest which covers all of Scotland. No local group in your area? We can help you get one off the ground. Find out more on our local groups page.

As many of our members are self-employed freelancers, this online support community might be useful: Community of Independent Workers.

Our campaigns – help for your future career

Get involved in our national campaigns, and help us work towards a better contractual and cultural landscape for authors of all kinds. We campaign on a wide range of issues, from fair contracts and copyright, to freedom of expression and libraries. Find out more on our campaigns pages.