British & Irish authors’ organisations: who should I join?

Joining an authors’ trade organisation has been on my to-do list since I decided to take this gig seriously. I’ve put it off because there are as surprising number of British and Irish authors’ organisations.

Now that I’ve done the research, I thought I’d put it out there for other writers to use.

Why do I need an authors’ organisation?

Most non-writers think that being an author is a solo gig. You write a book, find an agent or get an Amazon account. With a magical “poof”, you become a (self-)published author.

Writers know better. While your first draft might be your own, the journey to from writer to author is a team effort. It doesn’t matter if you go the traditional route or take the independent road. To do it right, you’ll need other people.

There are editors of all kinds to consider, from development to proofreading. Then you have agents, cover artists, layout designers and illustrators. Authors these days need a brand, so you need to set up a website. You’llhave to use social media to promote yourself, or navigate the shark-filled waters of book marketing. At some point you’ll need to understand legal concepts like copyright and get help with negotiating contracts.

That’s where trade organisations for writers come in, providing advice and helping you to find professionals you can trust. I’d also expect them to be campaigning on my behalf in matters where need a collective voice. That could be taxation, the effects of AI, or the power that Amazon and social networks can wield over our careers.

British writers and authors have several such organisations to choose from. I have even more choice because I’m a Brit living in Ireland, which has a thriving literary community. As an author of genre fiction, I also need to consider specialist organisations set up for science fiction, fantasy and horror. I’ll save those for another post.

Professional membership costs can be written off against tax, if you’re earning enough to pay the man his due.

Many authors also offer professional editorial services to boost their income. For them, dedicated professional groups like the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading provide training and qualifications.

British authors’ organisations

The UK organisations support different kinds of authors, although they often work together on major issues and campaigns.

The Alliance of Independent Authors

The Alliance of Independent Authors, or ALLi, is one of the youngest UK writers’ organisations, set up in 2012.

It describes itself as “a professional business membership organisation that advises, campaigns for, and empowers self-publishing authors. A non-profit, our mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing and we provide authors with trusted advice, supportive guidance, and a range of resources, within a welcoming community.”

ALLi also runs Self Publishing Advice, a support website that helps with the marketing and promotion of books. Every October, there’s an annual SPA online conference.

Benefits include a private member forum, a quarterly magazine and free one-to-one advice. There are also discounts on editorial, design and other self-publishing services from approved partners.

Recent campaigns have included a survey of self-published author incomes, and encouraging the publishing and literary world to include self-published authors in their events, prizes and reviews.

ALLi annual membership tiers:

• €79 (£67) for students and writers preparing to publish their first book.
• €99 (£84) for newer authors with limited sales.
• €139 (£118) for authors who have sold 50,000 books or more in the past two years (or the equivalent in Kindle Unlimited page reads).

The Society of Authors

Celebrating its 140th birthday in 2024, The Society of Authors is the UK’s longest-serving trade union for writers. The SoA advises and represents writers, illustrators and translators across a broad range of areas, including clause-by-clause contract vetting.

It’s also a very active body in lobbying, campaigning and collective negotiation on behalf of authors. Current campagns include AI and copyright, post-Brexit access to European markets, protecting Public Lending Right funds for libraries, inclusivity and sustainable publishing.

One bonus of the SoA is membership of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society. The ALCS collects money from photocopying, scanning and the digital reuse of electronic and online publications, as well as some overseas library lending.

Members get discounted access to events, free tax advice and discounts for other writerly organisations. These include the Crime Writers’ Association, Historical Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Royal Society of Literature.

The SoA has local and regional groups around the UK, and specialist groups for disabled authors, scriptwriters, poets, children’s writers and comic creators.

SoA annual membership tiers:

• £134 (€158) for standard membership.
• £97 (€114) concessionary rate for under-35s and over-65s, students, low-earning writers and anyone on benefits.

Writers’ Guild of Great Britain

The WGGB has been around since 1959, representing professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames. It has a specific remit in negotiating with industry bodies for better pay and conditions. These include the BBC, ITV, Pact, the National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

As well as this negotiating power, benefits include free training and advice, contract vetting, a pension scheme and a Welfare Fund. There’s a weekly ebulletin, and member-only events and discounts. Member are also listed in the WGGB’s Find A Writer directory, .

Recent campaigns included lobbying government to protect writers and ensure we’re rewarded for the use of copyrighted works by AI developers.

The WGGB’s Is It A Steal? investigation revealed the real cost and bad practices among hybrid and paid-for publishing services.

WGGB annual membership tiers:

• £108 (€127) for candidate members who have yet to win a professional contract under WGGB terms, or £30 (€35) for students.
• £198 (€233) for full members.

Irish authors’ organisations

Ireland loves artists, so much so that original creative works are tax exempt. Writers don’t pay tax on income from book sales in Ireland for the first €50,000 a year (UK and EEA residents can also apply). Now I just need to sell ten thousand books a year.

Ireland also has more authors’ and writers’ organisations than the UK!

The Irish Writers Centre

Founded in 1991, the IWC describes itself as “Ireland’s flagship resource organisation for Irish literature”. It aims to support a vibrant and diverse community of writers of all types and talents to develop their craft, capacity and confidence to thrive as a writer in the world.

The main benefit of membership is discounted access to courses at beginner, emerging and professional levels. There’s also free use of the IWC’s Dublin office as a workspace.

IWC annual membership tiers:

• €50 for Associate membership (€30 concessions).
• From €50 – €100 for Professional membership. Writers must meet qualifying criteria, with higher tiers for greater incomes.

The Irish Writers Union

The IWU has been Ireland’s writing trades union since 1986, providing publishing advice, contract advice and promotion. Like the SoA, it campaigns and lobbies on issues on behalf of writers across a range of issues from renumeration to copyright protection.

Membership benefits include free contract advice, a monthly newsletter and free access to events including workshops, seminars and competitions.

IWU annual membership tiers:

• €30 Associate membership for unpublished writers and new authors.
• €50 Full membership for established authors.

Writing.ie

Less an organisation and more of an online magazine, Writing.ie is the brainchild of author Vanessa O’Loughlin, who runs the Inkwell Group publishing consultancy. Vanessa is also is the new chair of the Society of Authors in the UK.

It’s designed as a writers’ community where members can promote themselves via their profile and blog posts. The magazine is extremely busy and there are contacts for editors, artists and other useful professionals. Benefits include discounts on online courses and writing services, a profile page and promotional opportunities.

Writing.ie annual membership tiers:

• €35 for Emerging writers.
• €55 for Professional authors.

Disclaimer: I’m a member of Writing.ie and Vanessa helped me to find a development editor for my current project. I was very happy with his work.

Writers Guild of Ireland

The WGI, similar to the WGGB, is a trades union for Irish writers for film, television, theatre, radio, animation and games. The two work very closely together to lobby government and industry for better terms and conditions for their members.

Benefits include a fortnightly newsletter, professional advice, a profile page and directory listing, industry seminars, high-profile guest events and networking socials.

WGI annual membership tiers:

• €30 for Associate members without a professional screenwriting.
• €60 to €215 for Full members, depending on income.

Which British and Irish authors’ organisations will I join?

I’m already a member of Writing.ie, and ALLi feels like the best fit for my self-publishing activity. I’d like to support the SoA and IWU as funds allow.

The IWC would be nice if I was in Dublin and could use their offices, but it doesn’t offer many concrete benefits.

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Cover image: WGGB