Answering your questions about how to earn a living, including setting up as a sole trader, PLR/ELR and income from public appearances, prizes and freelancing.
The preparation of these FAQs has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its funding and advisory body.
(Click on a question to go directly to the answer)
Earning a Living as an Author/Illustrator
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The reality is that most authors are unable to earn a living from their writing alone, which means that they build a portfolio career based around their writing.
ABN
You need an Australian Business Number to register for GST. For information on how to register for an ABN: https://abr.gov.au/
GST
You will need to establish whether or not you have to register for GST. You can find out all the details at the Australian Tax office (ATO) https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/GST/Registering-for-GST/
As a sole trader, you must also understand how and when you must supply tax invoices. The ATO will provide you with the information: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/GST/Tax-invoices/
PURCHASING ISBNs
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique identifier for books used globally. You will need an ISBN for each unique version of your book, e.g. paperback, hardcover, EPUB, MOBI, etc. Your publisher will arrange for ISBNs for your work. If you are self-publishing, you can read the FAQs and purchase ISBNs here: https://www.myidentifiers.com.au/isbn/main
Copyright Agency is the collecting society for Australian writers and illustrators. It collects fees and distributes royalties to its members for the reuse of text and images. Copyright Agency manages the educational and government statutory licence schemes. You must join Copyright Agency to be eligible for payment in the event your work is copied in schools and universities. Membership is free. Join here.
Public Lending Right (PLR) and Educational Lending Right (ELR) are part of a government-run scheme that compensates Australian creators and publishers for the loss of income through the free multiple use of their print work in Australian public and educational lending libraries. You must submit title claims within five years of the date of publication. Read the PLR/ELR info sheet here, or find more information here.
Register for these payments here.
There are many potential sources of grants, but two of the most significant for writers and illustrators are those managed by the Australia Council for the Arts, and The Cultural Fund managed by the Copyright Agency. For more information on grants go to the ASA Guide to the Book Industry.
This is particularly relevant for children’s and adult non-fiction writers, both to generate income from speaking fees and to build a community for future book sales. For guidance on payment rates for public speaking and events the ASA publishes recommended rates of pay, which you can find here.
School and library appearances are an important source of income for children’s and YA authors, particularly around Book Week. You will need a Working with Children check in the State/Territory in which you work.
If you write children’s books and are interested in securing work as a speaker in schools, the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) has published a guide for authors and illustrators visiting and presenting in schools. It covers the most important information you need to know, including English in the curriculum, school finances and what a school expects from an author.
There are several speaker agencies who represent authors to speak in schools and libraries. Each has their own criteria for authors they choose to represent. Most are state based working with schools within their state.
If you are interested in becoming part of the “celebrity” speaking network, there are many speaker bureaus who manage this type of work mostly for corporate. Before joining their list they will want to see evidence of your success as a speaker in schools and at public events. It is always wise to undertake thorough research before making any commitments. Study the agency’s talent list and if you have a personal connection to one of the speakers, try and find out their opinion of the business. If you have a publisher, their publicity department will know some of the best agencies and may be able to assist with an introduction.
There are many writers’ festivals in Australia, and you can find a comprehensive listing of these in the ASA Guide to the Book Industry. While all festivals have a dedicated shop selling the most relevant titles from each attending author, the primary reason that authors aspire to attend these events is the exposure it gives them and their work to an audience with a passion for books and reading.
It’s difficult, however, to provide advice on how you can go about securing an invitation. A few festivals have a form on their website, such as the Melbourne Writer’s Festival which includes a short section on submissions, but overall authors are invited at the discretion of the festival Director who is selecting authors on the basis of, among other things:
While it is worth submitting to festivals, wherever that is possible, the best way of securing an invitation as a festival guest is to generate as much positive publicity for your book as possible, including being willing to speak to any group showing interest in your work and a willingness to pay fairly for it.
There are many literary prizes offered to Australian writers and illustrators, including pre-publication prizes for emerging authors and post-publication awards for published books. You can find a non-exhaustive listing of prizes in the ASA Guide to the Book Industry.
This is easier to secure if you are a non-fiction writer, but there are many literary journals who will take poetry and short stories. A selection of journals is listed in the ASA Guide to the Book Industry. The ASA recommends you always ensure that you will be paid for your work.
If you have an established writing career, mentoring can be a very rewarding way of passing on your knowledge and earning additional income. The ASA offers mentorships to all published and unpublished writers and illustrators with a work-in-progress, and many writers’ organisations offer mentoring schemes.
The ASA, state writers’ centres and other writers’ organisations offer an extensive range of workshops to aspiring and established writers, many of which are facilitated by authors.
You can start the process by thinking carefully about the skills, experience and knowledge that you have which may benefit other writers. These could be related to your writing, e.g. how to conduct research if you are a non-fiction writer of history, but they could equally relate to other roles that have formed part of your career, e.g. business skills, organising your time appropriately, writing grant applications.
When you have identified an area/s where you believe you could make a worthwhile contribution, write a short precis of the way in which you would conduct a workshop. In many ways, it is similar to preparing a publisher submission for your book, so try and include the following:
Once you are happy with your document, prepare a cover letter and send this and your proposal to any organisation that matches your target group. Many of those organisations are seeking fresh faces to bring to their training programs, and a strong proposal should at least open the door to a conversation.
For guidance on payment rates, the ASA publishes recommended rates of pay which you can find here.
Organisations and individuals offering residencies to authors and illustrators should ensure that applicants are provided with documentation that clearly details what the residency offers and the terms and conditions of the residency. Hosts should consider travel costs, per diems and fees for public engagements and inform the resident in advance of what the host organisation will cover and what the resident is expected to provide.
Ideally, residencies offering creative time should not require the resident to fulfil teaching or mentoring roles nor require them to engage in public events.
The residency should:
Provide secure, clean, quiet, private accommodation that meets basic needs – including heating and air-conditioning. Shared bedrooms are not appropriate for residencies.
Provide an appropriate working space – a table, desk lamp and adjustable chair.
Ensure there is quiet time around the working areas so residents are not disturbed while they are trying to write.
Respect the privacy of the writer. Visits by appointment only.
If the hosts require the writer to teach, mentor, conduct workshops, give talks, speak with media outlets or attend community events, residents will be provided with a full schedule of requests in advance of the residency. Authors and illustrators should be paid at ASA rates for all teaching, mentoring and public presentations. Appropriate notice should be provided if the details of these responsibilities change.
Provide contact details of a single person who is the point of contact and representative host for the organisation. This person needs to be available during the period of the residency to receive enquiries from the writer.
Provide a list of local doctors/dentists/emergency numbers/transport options and a list of recommended restaurants/shops/cafes/ things to do in the vicinity of the residency.
Additional considerations:
The recipient should:
Ensure they have inquired and are satisfied with what the residency provides.
Ensure they understand how the residency is funded, whether they will be remunerated for any public engagements, provided with travel costs and/or paid per diems.
Ensure they have been provided with clear directions as to where the residency is located and transport options.
Ensure you have access to telephone and have an emergency plan in place.
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