Author Care: a Toolkit for Authors is a free digital resource designed for authors at all stages of their careers, whether they are just starting out or already have a number of publications under their belt. The toolkit shows how the principles of good author care – transparency, support and inclusion, and respectful communication – can empower authors on their publication journey. It also suggests how to resolve any issues that arise. This publication comes from the Society of Authors, and has been generously supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society.
The toolkit is available for download from the Society of Authors website: https://societyofauthors.org/resource/author-care/
Readers of the toolkit can get 20% off their first year of membership to the Society of Authors by using the code ACT20.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the toolkit, please email mzeeman@societyofauthors.org.
Comments about the toolkit:
Maame Blue, award-winning author of Bad Love, writing in The Bookseller:
“…this toolkit is a literal guide for teaching people how to treat you. Read it, get equipped and get ready to ask for what you deserve”
Author and member of the Management Committee, Harriet Evans: “More books and more authors are finding a route to publication than ever before. At the same time, the landscape of the publishing industry is undergoing rapid change. Publishing is awash with unrealistic messaging, burnout, and ghosting affecting everyone involved to levels I have not seen in my twenty-plus years in the industry.
“A structured, sensible framework to help authors navigate their publishing journey is long overdue, and I’m so proud to have been a tiny part of this project to help brilliant publishers and the authors that make their business work together in harmony for hopefully many years to come.”
Claire Wade, author and founder of the Authors with Disability and Chronic Illness: “Being an author is a dream job for so many people, so it can be hard to discover that it’s not always as glamorous or fun as it seems. Having strategies to help you navigate the publishing process is essential, no matter what stage of your career you’re at.
“The Author Care Toolkit takes the mystery out of the industry and provides helpful information, resources and ideas to support authors on a practical and emotional level; I wish it was available when I started out. Even now, I learnt a lot from reading it and I know it’s going to benefit authors, both new and established.”
Katherine May, bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment:
“For me, author care really comes down to having open channels of communication, and being able to make choices about what will work for me. I’ve learned over the years that I need to understand my own needs and boundaries before anyone else can advocate on my behalf, and that’s a work in progress! But I would love to see publishers and agents becoming more proactive in this field.”
Helen Epega, author and member of the SoA Management Committee:
“Authors come to publishing through many different paths, especially those of us with interdisciplinary or unconventional journeys. The Author Care Toolkit offers a clear grounding framework that helps make sense of the industry, while sharing practical tools to navigate what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming space with confidence and care.”
Kasim Ali, author and editor:
“Being an author can mean opening yourself up a fair few challenges, which is why transparent and supportive working relationships with agents and publishers are crucial to an author’s development and sustaining their career in the long term. Having a resource such as the Author Care: a Toolkit for Authors made available to all authors, whether they’re just starting out or decades into their career, is an important step in protecting authors, especially in these challenging times, and one that I’ll be recommending to any author I know.”
About the Society of Authors (SoA)
With over 12,000 members, the SoA is the UK’s largest trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators, at all stages of their careers. Founded in 1884, the SoA advises individuals, as well campaigning and lobbying on the issues that affects authors.
About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity, ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 116,000 members, and since 1977 has paid over £600 million to writers.