Our experienced team is able to offer individual and personalised advice on any query you might have about the book industry in Australia: getting published, agents, copyright, royalties, rates of pay, rights reversion, marketing and promotion, and everything in between. No question goes unanswered.
ASA members have access to non-profit law firm Authors Legal, which provides low-cost legal advice on all publishing, agent, and distribution agreements, along with advice on copyright and contractual issues facing authors and illustrators. Authors Legal saves ASA members money, operating at a fraction of the price of commercial law firms.
One-on-one opportunities with publishers and agents
Our flagship Literary Speed Dating event offers you a chance to skip the slush pile and pitch your work directly to Australian publishers and agents. Many members have received publishing contracts following a successful match with a publisher or agent, including Alex Sarkis, Filip Vukasin, Michelle Tom, Marg Hickey and Shelley Burr to name a few!
A well-established community for all
We’ve been around since 1963, and are gaining new members all the time. Our members include: the established, the emerging, the high-profile, the experimental, the award-winners, the bestsellers and the future bestsellers. With most of our services offered virtually, you can access this community from anywhere in Australia.
Professional support to get the job done
We boast a renowned mentorship program and enviable mentor register, to help members bring their work to a publishable standard. This is on top of our popular professional development program which offers training on both industry and craft, our generous awards, and our comprehensive resources.
We've been looking after you all along
The ASA exists to improve the working lives of authors and illustrators. Our relentless campaigning established Public Lending Right (PLR) in 1975, Educational Lending Right (ELR) in 2000, and an extension of these schemes to include digital formats (DLR), along with an increase in funding for literature, in 2023. We were instrumental in setting up the Copyright Agency and we regularly make submissions to government on copyright reform. We advocate for ASA rates of pay to all industry players. We are keenly participating in consultation on the establishment of Writers Australia, due to commence operations in 2025, and are proud members of the International Authors Forum.
Our key advocacy projects include fair publishing contracts, a robust and equitable copyright regime, tax-free literary prizes and grants, boosting Australian-authored texts in schools, and fair pay for creators.
We have a committed team of staff, with the diverse skills needed to demystify the ever-changing publishing landscape – and we’re only an email or phone call away.
But don't take our word for it. Why not have a read about everything we achieved in 2022 alone here! Plus, see the extensive suite of services we offer members here:
Our membership covers a wide range of writers, illustrators and industry professionals at every stage of their careers. From journalists to comic artists, scriptwriters to bloggers, novelists to games writers and translators to poets, our members across many disciplines.
If you are a published writer, we would warmly welcome you as a Full Member of the ASA.
If you are serious about writing, but just starting out and would like to benefit from our advice, training and resources, or if you are interested in industry issues and keen to support the author’s peak body, then we would welcome you as an Associate Member.
If you have any queries about membership or the ASA, feel free to email us membership@asauthors.org
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Click on the membership type most suited to your circumstances above. Or if you'd prefer to sign up on the phone, please ring: +61 2 9211 1004
If you are a member of SCBWI or FNAWN, or hold a concession card, we have special membership rates available. Please call us on +61 2 9211 1004 to join with one of these options.
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