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Joining the Author Directory: Information for Writers
A guide to joining the Live Literature Author Directory.
Please note that applications to the Live Literature Author Directory are taking a little longer than usual. If you've sent us an application, we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
Authors registered on the Author Directory should have an interest in delivering Live Literature events and being contacted by event organisers, which can include schools. Authors can select only to work with children and young people or adults, depending on what's most appropriate for your events.
The Live Literature directory lists creative professionals such as writers, poets, performance poets, playwrights, storytellers, illustrators, cartoonists, screenwriters and graphic novelists. The directory provides space for creative professionals to share information about your work, skills and experience so that organisations can book you for events.
Processing applications can take some time, especially during Live Literature's busiest times (around funding application deadlines, Book Week Scotland and the end of the financial year). We'll be in touch as quickly as we can.
Applications which partially meet the criteria listed below or from self-published authors will be considered at an Author Directory panel which meets twice a year. Authors taken to panel will hear the result of their application as soon as possible. This may take several weeks during busy periods, or in cases where a sample of work needs to be assessed in full.
If your profile is missing
We make extensive efforts to contact everyone listed on the directory when updating our code of conduct using the contact information we have available. If you previously had a profile on the directory, and you are no longer listed, please get in touch by emailing as soon as possible.
You can also find out more about searching the author directory.
How to apply
Please send the following to [email protected](this link will open in a new window):
- A CV demonstrating that your creative work meets the criteria for your discipline
- The name, job title and email address for two referees who have worked with you in a professional capacity (full written references are not required at this time)
- A list of any events you have carried out as a professional author
- The creative discipline you are applying under
We may need to consider your application in more detail, for instance if you are self-published or don't clearly meet the criteria for your chosen discipline. In these cases your application will be assessed at a panel which meets twice a year. We may ask you to send in a sample of your work, or ask to see a copy of your publishing contract if you have one. Scottish Book Trust has the right to turn down any applicant based on quality of work.
Application criteria
All applicants must meet the general criteria below, as well as the relevant criteria for your chosen creative area.
- You must live and work in Scotland. If you live in Scotland for part of the year please outline your availability in your application and you will be accepted at the discretion of Scottish Book Trust.
- You can submit one application at a time only, to one discipline category, though you may write/illustrate/perform in more than one way. If your application is successful, you will be asked to detail the full range of your skills and experience on your profile.
- We can only accept applications for non-fiction writing that fall under the category of narrative Non-Fiction. We define narrative Non-Fiction as a form of writing that is stylistically similar to fiction but used to tell factual stories, e.g. memoir, travel writing and biography. This does not include textbooks, guidebooks, standard non-fiction history books, journalism or collections of humour/jokes. We do not have the resources and expertise to fairly assess these genres.
- We cannot consider academic work, including writing published in anthologies, books, journals or magazines. This is because we lack the required resources and expertise to assess academic writing and is not an area that our work focuses on.
- You must be over 18 years of age. This is for safeguarding reasons.
- You must read and agree to our Code of Conduct. Authors who wish to be listed as a storyteller on the author directory must also read and agree to our policy on investigating misconduct and the storytelling community.
- We cannot provide feedback on individual applications. Due to the volume of feedback requests we receive, Scottish Book Trust do not have the capacity to offer feedback unique to any directory applications. If you are unsuccessful, we will be able to share general guidance based on common issues.
Application details for each creative discipline
Author Directory panel
The Author Directory panel meet twice a year to consider:
- Applications from self-published authors
- Exceptions for applications which partially meet the criteria, such as an author who has been published but whose work isn’t widely available in Scotland; an author who has been unable to deliver the required number of events due to external factors; an author who has published work online that isn’t widely available in physical formats.
There are three possible outcomes for an application taken to panel:
- An author meets our criteria and can be added to the Author Directory
- An author does not currently meet our criteria and cannot be added to the Author Directory
- An author’s work needs to be considered in more detail to inform any decision.
In each case you’ll be contacted to confirm the next steps.
The panel cannot provide individual feedback on applications, or the piece of work submitted for consideration.
The panel's decision is final. If unsuccessful, you cannot re-submit the same piece of work in another application. You can submit new work or work that has been significantly altered. You can only submit under the self-published category three times but you can apply under a different category if you become eligible in another way.
Feedback on the criteria and complaints procedure
We aim to review this criteria each year to ensure that it accurately reflects professional work across creative disciplines. This includes feedback from authors and relevant organisations. If you have feedback or suggestions, please email [email protected](this link will open in a new window).
Scottish Book Trust and the panel's decisions on applications are final. If you would like to send feedback about the criteria, please email as above. If you have any complaints about the application process, please follow our complaints procedure.
Additional considerations
Please be aware:
- Some organisations may ask you to complete Disclosure Scotland checks before carrying out sessions with young people or vulnerable adults
- Some organisations may ask you to take out public liability insurance before carrying out sessions on their premises
- If you need advice about Disclosure checks or public liability insurance, please get in touch with the Society of Authors in Scotland(this link will open in a new window)