A new illustrated digital resource called Author Care: a Toolkit for Authors was launched at the National Writers Conference in Birmingham on 31st May. The toolkit provides practical advice and support to authors at all stages of their career. Produced by the Society of Authors (SoA) and supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, the toolkit was created in response to the high number of authors who reported to the SoA that they occasionally find the industry opaque and difficult to navigate. 

A growing number of authors cited a lack of support and transparency, stating that they do not know what to expect from publishers, agents and other professionals whom they encounter and work with during their publishing journey. 

How tough is the landscape for authors?

The toolkit comes at a time when professional authors’ median earnings have nearly halved since 2006, plummeting from £12,300 to £7,000 according to the UK Authors’ Earnings and Contracts survey. The decline also signals growing inequality in the industry, reporting lower incomes from Black and multi-heritage authors as well as a widening gender pay gap. 

Launched by project lead Mathilde Zeeman, alongside author and editor Kasim Ali, the 25-page toolkit can be downloaded for free from the Society of Authors website. 

Zeeman said: “Being an author is hard at the moment for many reasons, including falling author incomes, the rise of artificial intelligence and the difficulties of being heard in a crowded marketplace. However, the quality of working relationships with publishing professionals can also shape an author’s experiences and even affect the decision to pursue (or continue to pursue) a career in writing.”

Ali said: “Being an author can mean opening yourself up to 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.”

The toolkit outlines how respectful communication, industry transparency, support and inclusion can enhance the author experience. It includes clear guidance on what authors should expect from publishers, agents and other professionals, teaching them how to constructively raise concerns if things go wrong in their publication journey. 

It is also designed to help authors avoid the isolation that can be so common in their profession. 

Deputy chief executive of the Society of Authors Sarah Burton said: “Author care is about more than contracts and royalties – it’s about how authors are treated throughout their careers. This toolkit is a response to what we’ve increasingly heard from our members: that professional support and mutual respect are just as important as legal protections.”

Author and member of the managing committee Harriet Evans said: “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 20-plus years in the industry. A structured, sensible framework to help authors navigate their publishing journey is long overdue.”

Visit the SoA site where you can download the toolkit now. 

Who is the Society of Authors?

Empowering authors since 1884, the SoA is the UK’s largest trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators, at all stages of their careers. They have been advising individuals and speaking out for the profession for more than a century.

Members receive unlimited free advice on all aspects of the profession, including confidential clause-by-clause contract vetting, and a wide range of exclusive offers.

They campaign anD lobby on the issues that affect authors and hold hundreds of events annually across the UK and online. Find out more about membership.

The SoA also administers grants and prizes to support and celebrate authors at all stages of their careers and administer many literary estates, the income from which helps fund our work.

See the Shortlists for Society of Authors' Awards 2025.

#AuthorCare