What does it mean to be a member of the SoA board of directors (Management Committee)?
As a member of the Management Committee, you will be a legal director of the Society of Authors. As part of the process we will register your details with Companies House. As well as contributing to the strategic direction of the organisation, you will also need to understand your legal responsibilities as a director. You can learn more about these responsibilities on the Companies House website and about your corporate obligations to the SoA on this page of guidance.
You will receive full governance training at the beginning of your term.
What are the key dates for the 2024 elections?
The annual board elections timeline runs from May to November.
- 3 June – start of nominations period
- 15 July – end of nominations period
- Mid-September – start of voting period
- 23 October (midday) – end of voting period
- The new directors will be announced soon after voting closes
- 21 November – the successful candidates take their seats as directors at the Annual General Meeting
What sort of member / author can be nominated?
The SoA board of directors (Management Committee) should be representative of the SoA membership. It’s important that the Committee reflects all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators, regardless of age and background.
How can I be nominated for election?
You can submit a nomination by completing the candidate form to explain what you hope to achieve as a member of the SoA board. You will need two other SoA members to nominate you in brief letters of support, along the lines of:
“I am nominating XX for the SoA’s Management Committee.” Once you have two letters of support, use the nomination form to upload these two letters as Word documents, along with a photograph of you. We will share your candidate Q&A, photograph and the names of your two nominators when the elections open in September.
What if I don’t know another member who can nominate me?
We know it’s not always easy to meet members, particularly when most activities are online. You can meet other members at one of our many special interest groups or networks, or a local group meeting near you. It’s a great way to meet, chat and stay in touch with fellow members with similar interests.
What time commitment can I expect?
The Committee meets six times a year on Thursday afternoons. In addition, Committee members would be expected to attend the Annual General Meeting in November. Optionally, Committee members are invited to join sub-committees and to attend other SoA and industry events, if their time allows.
I’m an Associate Member but I’m eligible for an upgrade – how can I stand?
We write to Associate members every year inviting them to upgrade to Full Membership if they are eligible and wish to stand or vote in our annual elections. The annual deadline to upgrade in time for the Management Committee elections is 15 April.
If you would like to upgrade to Full Membership ahead of our 2024 elections, get in touch with our Membership team (membership@societyofauthors.org).
I’m only just starting out – can I still stand?
Yes. You need to be a Full Member of the SoA for three months prior to nomination (by 15 April of the given year), but we invite members to stand at any stage of their careers. We actively seek a wide range of perspectives and experience that reflects our diverse membership.
I can’t travel to London – can I still stand?
Yes, you can. All Management Committee meetings are offered online as ‘hybrid’ meetings, which enables members to attend however they choose. Members who live outside of the UK are also welcome to stand.
I’ve never served on a board of directors before – can I still stand?
Yes, you will be given induction training and you will be assigned to a more experienced member of the Committee who will act as your mentor/buddy.
Are there any rules on lobbying and campaigning?
Candidates are welcome to campaign and contact members to encourage them to vote. However, as these elections are governed by statute, the SoA cannot facilitate any campaigning. The SoA must be strictly neutral and we are therefore unable to forward any messages or campaign material to members or to publish such material that might influence the vote.
Candidates stand for election to the Management Committee on the basis that they will provide a statement about why they wish to serve. We ask that members vote on the basis of these published statements. We do not ask candidates to take part in Q&A sessions about their reasons for standing for election, not least because of the investment of time that would involve for candidates, many of whom have jobs and other commitments.
We are also conscious that members serve on the Management Committee on a voluntary basis. Therefore candidates should not feel obliged to respond to any questions they receive given that Q&A sessions are not part of the SoA’s established election process. It is up to each candidate to decide whether they answer questions that they receive from other members or representative groups, but candidates are under no obligation to respond.
Means of Lobbying
Lobbying is considered “direct marketing” in law. You must therefore comply with the guidance set out here. GDPR legislation gives people privacy rights in relation to electronic communications. Collecting and keeping such information is controlled under the General Data Protection Regulation. There are specific rules on emails, texts and faxes – you can only contact people who have agreed to receive electronic marketing (and canvassing for votes counts as marketing). We advise against keeping email addresses of SoA members in order to contact them in relation to elections.
Content of lobbying
All lobbying in SoA elections should comply with the Advertising Standards Authority’s rules and be ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’. This means, for example, that you should not denigrate other candidates or imply that there may be concerns without specifying the facts. For further information, see: asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/advertising-codes/non-broadcast-code.html
If you have any further queries, please contact Gwenan Davies: gdavies@societyofauthors.org.