Survival as a Professional Author

Writing is hard – and making it pay is even harder. 

Come along to this workshop and join two expert advisors from the Society of Authors will guide you through some key things to be aware of when pursuing a career as a writer and, crucially, how to make those pennies add up to pounds. 

• Which opportunities are great, and which are best avoided? 
• How can you negotiate a better deal? 
• And what can the Society of Authors do to help? 

Get the lowdown on agents, publishing deals and contracts; learn how to protect your copyright and quote from other works; find out where to go for grants and funding;and set your sights on achieving that portfolio career. 

 This is a talk for all authors at any stage of their career, especially those just starting out. The Society of Authors are here to reassure you that surviving as a professional author can be possible!

About the facilitators

Elizabeth Haylett Clark is a Senior Contracts Advisor at The Society of Authors, where she is part of the advisory team answering queries on all kinds of matters relating to the business of publishing and commenting in detail on members’ contracts.

Johanna Clarke joined the advisory team at the Society of Authors as a Contracts Advisor in October 2021. She advises members on publishing contracts and issues, works closely on the Society of Author’s outreach programme, and is the Coordinator for the Poetry and Spoken Word Special Interest Group. She previously worked as a Contracts Executive for a literary agency.