FAQs

While we can provide advice and support, we do not refer writers to publishers directly as each publisher has different requirements for submissions at different times of the year. You may also want to consider an agent before submitting to publishers. A comprehensive list of Australian agents can be found here. https://www.austlitagentsassoc.com/ If you’re looking to publish or find an agent overseas, the Manuscript Wishlist https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/ website is a great place to start and you might also want to follow #mswl on Twitter. If you’re interested in which agents are selling to what publishers, you’ll need a subscription to Publishers Marketplace 

https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ to track recent deals.

You can also pitch your work directly at conferences such as CYA https://www.cyaconference.com/ for children’s books and Romance Writers of Australia https://romanceaustralia.com/ for romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction.

Writers SA’s administrative base is in the State Library of SA. You can email us [email protected] anytime with your questions, or call us on 08 8223 7662 between 10am – 4pm Monday to Friday. You can also leave us a detailed voicemail message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.  Writers SA members can make an appointment for a physical meeting or meet via Zoom.

When booking into our workshops and events, remember to log in, via the Members Sign In tab (top right hand corner) to ensure you receive the member discount. Login with your email address and password. If you’ve forgotten your password click ‘Lost Your Password?’ to reset it. If your membership has been lapsed for more than twelve months, please call us to renew and update your details before registering again.

Yes. We have many members and only a handful of staff in our office so to avoid disappointment when dropping by, we ask our members to make an appointment in advance or give us a call in the first instance. We might be able to answer your questions over the phone and save you a trip! Please be aware that with so many members, our consults and services fill very quickly so there may well be a waiting period.

You will receive at least two reminder emails before your membership is due to expire, and an additional reminder after the expiration date with the link for you to renew. You can log into the website anytime to check your expiry date.

Writers SA offers several tiers of paid assessments and mentorships with expert authors and editors to get your novel, story or poetry into tip-top shape for publication. Details can be found here. https://writerssa.org.au/services/

Yes we can. Please contact us at [email protected] with details and we will provide a tailored quote for your needs.

You can find a list of our current writing groups here. https://writerssa.org.au/members/writing-groups/ If you want to start your own writing group, contact us about running a classified ad in our enews or sharing to our social media pages.

Writers SA does not offer editing services. We suggest you contact the Society of Editors, SA or IPED. If you’re looking for structural feedback, you can book a manuscript assessment https://writerssa.org.au/services/manuscript-assessment/ with an author or editor.

‘Sensitivity readers’ are not a one-size-fits-all mould so you need to be specific about what you want checked.  We can link you with a sensitivity reader for some subjects/topics but not all, and this service does cost money. Despite what some might tell you, it does matter to get this right. Send us an email with the details and if we can’t help, we can point you in the right direction.

Writers SA has many venue partners to help launch our member’s books but if you’d like a bookseller to get involved, you should contact them first to see if they can host your launch at their store. Dymocks, Rundle Mall, Dillons on The Parade, Mostly Books at Mitcham and Imprints on Hindley Street are just a handful of stores that hold launches. Get in contact via email if you have questions about how launches work.

All published members are entitled to an author page, where you can list your bio, your books and contact details. You can also fill in our ‘member milestone‘ form https://writerssa.org.au/monthly-member-milestones/ and we can announce your book achievements in our enews.

We are not able to give any contractual or legal advice but we can share with you some of the red flags https://writerssa.org.au/publishing-contract-pitfalls/we see again and again, and Writers SA members have access to a fact sheet on contracts. There are many publishers offering contracts that do not meet the best practice standards as set by the Australian Society of Authors. As a general rule, if the contract requires you to pay money, you are paying a publishing service (or vanity publisher) to self-publish your book. You need to be sure you understand the implications of the contract before you sign it. Australian Society of Authors run a contract advisory service, or you can contact Arts Law.

You can find a list of Australian literary agents on the Literary Agents’ Association website https://www.austlitagentsassoc.com/or the Manuscript Wish List https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/ website. We can assess your query letter, bio and first chapter if you take out a pre-submissions assessment which you can find here. https://writerssa.org.au/services/

We provide writing services in a range of contexts, including corporate writing, community writing projects, for schools etc. You can also look at our author page https://writerssa.org.au/our-authors/, which lists many South Australian writers. Writers SA does not keep a list of ghostwriters.

Writers SA partners with the City of Adelaide to host South Australia’s only festival for writers, Context Writers Festival. We also partner with many local and regional writers festivals including Adelaide Writers Week, Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Living Landscapes Nature Festival at Port Adelaide, and the Eyre Writers Festival as part of Salt Festival in Pt Lincoln.

We do offer  a variety of writer in residence opportunities for members and can assist with a ‘hot desk’ in the State Library if you need time away from your normal routine. You can also sign up to our enews https://writerssa.org.au/members/get-enews/ to be kept informed of when applications are open. 

Yes, you can find more information here https://writerssa.org.au/about/advertise/, and we do offer discounts for members. 

We present a year-round program of events to meet the needs of our members and writing community. If you have an idea for the workshop topic or presenter, let us know.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/66YGVFY

Our Teen Writers Club in the first eight weeks of each term at City Library but places sell fast so keep an eye on the youth page https://writerssa.org.au/youth-workshops/ on our website. If you’re between 16 and 18 and would like to attend any of our workshops intended for adult writers, please get in contact before registering so we can flag any potentially sensitive topics.

Arts SA, Carclew and Country Arts SA offer funding for individual writers. You should also contact your local council to see if they offer any arts funding. The Australia Council also funds writers. We keep an updated list of current opportunities, including grants, here. https://writerssa.org.au/develop/competitions/

While we clearly understand and respect that it is an individual’s choice as to whether or not they elect to undergo COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccination is the best way to protect oneself and the community from COVID-19; there is evidence that vaccinated people are less infectious and significantly less likely to become seriously ill. In light of the above, Writers SA strongly recommends all staff, speakers, and attendees of in-person events be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In line with the growing number of events and activities taking place, Writers SA has taken the following position on behalf of the writing community:

1. Any attendee of a Writers SA event, program, meeting, information and networking session either held at Writers SA or at any external location is highly encouraged to wear a mask to protect themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19.

2. The safety of our staff, workshop leaders and attendees is our priority. We ask that you comply with physical distancing and be kind to anyone wearing a mask.

3. You cannot attend if you or a household contact has tested positive within 5 days of the event or if you are ill. Any attendee experiencing cold and/or flu like symptoms is asked to contact Writers SA regarding a credit and encouraged to stay home.

View the full policy here https://writerssa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Writers-SA-COVID-19-Vaccination-Policy-August-2022.pdf  (PDF) 

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