The Authors Guild

Many professions have some sort of union or organization that assists them in legal matters and in getting benefits, but who is there for authors? The Authors Guild is. “The Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for writers (Businesswire, 2019).” This organization wants to motivate authors to stay in the field and support them in any way that they can.

In an effort to do this, the Authors Guild offers benefits to encourage writers to stay in the writing field. These benefits include: legal assistance, the ability to network with other authors through seminars and events, an author’s email and website, discounts on car rentals and magazine subscriptions, a writer’s resource library, guidance on republishing, media liability insurance, and now, health insurance options (The Authors Guild, 2021). This means that instead of having to get a second job to fund one’s health insurance and other necessities, an author can do what they love and get the benefits that they need.

Now, there are a couple of different ways to join this organization. A writer can join through a professional membership, an associate membership, an emerging writer membership, a student membership, or an at-large membership. The professional membership is “open to traditionally published authors and illustrators with at least one published book in the U.S.; self-published authors who have made at least $5,000 in the past 18 months from their writing; and freelance writers who have published three or more pieces or made $5,000 in the past 18 months” (Barron, 2021). The membership fee is $135 a year or $12 a month.

For other writers, there is also the ability to join through an associate membership. “Writers and illustrators who have received a contract offer from a traditional U.S. publisher or an offer of representation from a U.S. literary agent; self-published authors or freelance writers who have made at least $500 in the past 18 months from their writing [are eligible for an associate membership]” (The Authors Guild, 2021). The membership fee is the same as that of the professional membership.

For writers that aren’t published and haven’t reached the criteria for the professional membership or associate membership, there is an emerging writer membership available (The Authors Guild, 2021). The membership fee for this group is $100 a year or $9 a month.

Also, for college and graduate students that want to go into the writing field in the future, there is a student membership that is a little more affordable. The membership fee for this group is only $35.

Lastly, The Authors Guild does provide an at-large membership. “Established literary agents and editors; heirs, executors or trustees of the estates of deceased authors; or attorneys and accountants representing authors; or publicists or other publishing professionals [are eligible for the at-large membership]” (The Authors Guild, 2021). The membership fee for this group is $135 per year or $12 a month.

The Authors Guild is a great way to stabilize your career life. From the ability to fight copyright infringement on your writing to the ability to afford a simple health insurance plan, The Authors Guild is there to keep you motivated. So, why not check the organization out today? Maybe, they will be able to give you a little peace of mind while your are working on your career goals.

Sources

The Author’s Guild. (2021). Member Benefits. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.authorsguild.org/member-services/.

Barron, Kaelyn. (2021). What Is the Authors Guild and Should You Join?. TCK Publishing. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.tckpublishing.com/authors-guild/.

Businesswire. (2019). Authors Guild Survey Shows Drastic 42 Percent Decline in Authors Earnings in Last Decade. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190108006047/en/Authors-Guild-Survey-Shows-Drastic-42-Percent-Decline-in-Authors-Earnings-in-Last-Decade.