What we do

About us

The Society is a membership organisation which has over 9,000 members writing in all areas of the profession. Whatever your specialisation, you are eligible to join as soon as you have been offered a contract from a publisher, broadcaster or agent.

Why you should join

• Confidential, individual contract vetting service
• Advice about rights, fees or any other professional query you may have to help you negotiate with your publisher
• Access to fantastic resources that will help you through the publishing process
• Subscription to The Author, our quarterly journal, featuring articles from prominent industry professionals
• A varied calendar of events and training sessions
• Optional listing on our public database of members' specialisations
• And many more membership benefits

The Society administers a wide range of grants and prizes such as the Authors’ Foundation, one of the few bodies making grants to help with works in progress for established writers. We are also privileged to act as literary representative of the estates of a number of distinguished writers including Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, Philip Larkin, E. M. Forster, Rosamond Lehmann, Walter de la Mare, John Masefield and Compton Mackenzie. Read more...