With more than 17,000 members, the Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for published writers.
Because free speech, freedom of expression and copyright protection are critical to a healthy literary culture.
Because writers should be able to earn a living through their work.
Because writers at every stage in their career can help and learn from each other.
The Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for published writers. Since our founding in 1912, we have served as the collective voice of American authors, and have long supported the rich and diverse literary culture of our country. Our members include novelists in all genres and categories, nonfiction writers, journalists, historians, poets, and translators. The Guild welcomes traditionally-published authors as well as self-published, independent authors.
We advocate on behalf of working writers to protect free expression and ensure authors have enforceable intellectual property rights; we fight for fair contracts and compensation; and we provide a welcoming community for writers and translators of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and journalism.
Our educational and charitable arm, the Authors Guild Foundation, helps support our advocacy, offers programming to teach working writers about the business of writing, and hosts literary events that highlight the importance of a rich, diverse American literary culture and the authors that contribute to it.
Membership in the Authors Guild gives you immediate access to services that span the entire professional life of a writer, from contract reviews and legal advice to web hosting and marketing resources. Learn more about membership.
Before there was an Authors Guild, there was the Authors’ League of America, an organization founded by and for authors of written work in the United States. Learn more about the Authors’ League’s founding in 1912 here.
Navigate the legal aspects of writing with the help of our experienced lawyers, including contract reviews, copyright questions, dispute intervention, and more.
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Manage your online presence with our web services for members, including our exclusive website-building software.
Get help with Marketplace coverage, find liability insurance, and save with discounted products and services to support you and your writing business.
Meet fellow members and discuss the business of writing in our online forum.
Get involved and find the support of a local writing community in your area.
Learn the business and legal side of writing with our recorded webinars and panels.
The Authors Guild has membership levels for writers at every stage of their career. Visit our Membership page to learn which level is right for you and join today.
Photo credit: Julia Kaplan
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The Authors Guild Foundation, the educational and charitable arm of the Authors Guild, offers free programming to teach working writers about the business of writing and organizes events that highlight the importance of a rich, diverse American literary culture.
