The Authors Guild is the oldest organization of its kind and they have finally opened up membership to indie authors. Emerging Writer is a new program where indies can get support and it costs $100 per year.
“The Authors Guild exists to help working writers. But it’s hard to get established; we know that as well as anyone. With the new Emerging Writers membership, we’re now able to give writers support as they enter the professional world, even before they’ve published a first book,” said Roxana Robinson, President of the Authors Guild.
The Emerging Writer membership gives indies access to most of the services that full members enjoy. The resource library is notable because it connects up authors with agents and publishers. There is also media liability insurance which gives legal assistance for claims of libel, invasion of privacy, copyright/trademark infringement, plagiarism, and errors & omissions.
The one thing I noticed with the Emerging Writer program is the lack of publishing assistance the Authors Guild provides. Full members get free assistance for negotiating publishing contracts and intervention in publishing disputes. You are also unable to vote for Authors Guild leadership, since this membership level is classified as “associate.”
I think the Emerging Author program is a good deal for indie authors or people in the process of writing their first novel. It provides a ton of Authors Guild resources for a better chance at commercial success. There is also lots of street cred in belonging to an organization that has been around since 1912.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
