The SoA in Scotland (SoAiS) is a nation group of the Society of Authors.
Members with a Scottish postcode are added to the group when they join the SoA. If you have not been added but would like to join the SoA in Scotland, please contact us.
We offer a varied calendar of activities organised by a committee of volunteers and a staff coordinator.
Group activities are reported in the SoA's quarterly magazine, The Author.
News, events and resources for members
SoAiS Newsletter
We send a quarterly newsletter to members. If you would like to share your news (for inclusion in a newsletter) please email SoAinScotland@gmail.com and note the submissions deadlines below:
- Spring issue: 15 February (covering end February to end May)
- Summer issue: 15 May (covering end May to end August)
- Autumn issue: 31 July (covering end August to end November)
- Winter issue: 31 October (covering end November to end February)
SoAiS Facebook Group
You can also stay connected with member discussion on our private Facebook group.
Forthcoming SoAiS events
- Saturday 9 October: SoAiS AGM.
- Tuesday 19 October: Crowdfunding panel discussion with Margaret Skea and Oriana Leckert, Director of Publishing and Comics Outreach at Kickstarter.
- Thursday 21 October: an interview with 2020 Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain.
- Saturday 13 November: The Proactive Writer. Barbara Henderson presents a Zoom event about publicising yourself as an author.
Keep an eye on the SoA events pages and your inbox for details of these events.
Resources for members
Read the latest newsletter from Literature Alliance Scotland
/Caidreabhas Litreachais Alba, here.
Scotland's Margaret Skea is elected to the SoA Management Committee
November 2020
As many of you will already know, I will be joining the Management Committee of the Society of Authors after the AGM later this month, for a 3-year term.
Thank you to all who voted for me, and for the many messages of support and encouragement I have received since the announcement.
I am honoured, excited and daunted in equal measure, and will do my best to justify your trust in me. I passionately believe that authors should be 'one tribe' regardless of their chosen route to publication and I especially want to be a voice for Scotland and those similarly remote from London.
I was already keen to advocate for increased provision of practical training and professional development, with easy access for all; with Covid-19 this has become more important than ever.
I will be supporting the work of the Scottish committee and their involvement with key Scottish organisations. But equally importantly, building on my experience and existing relationships, I want to strengthen links with national organisations such as The Alliance of Independent Authors and the Historical Novel Society; and to empower authors through facilitating increased understanding and navigation of self-publishing platforms including Amazon and Ingram Spark.
Finally, any members with issues they would like to be raised with the Management Committee, or specific suggestions to make, please do get in contact with me – margaretskea@hotmail.co.uk
Margaret Skea
Member benefits
SoAiS members can take advantage of a number of exclusive benefits, such as events and special discounts.
Partners
The SoAiS is a network member of Publishing Scotland, and together the two organisations have produced a good practice covenant between authors and publishers in Scotland. The SoAiS is also represented at meetings of the Literature Forum and the Scottish Parliamentary Cross Party Group on Culture and Media.
The SoAiS has partnerships with:
The SoAiS and Publishing Scotland are signatories to a joint code to improve relations between authors and publishers. Read the Voluntary Code.