How Canadian Authors Can Earn Money from Libraries
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The library. For a certain kind of person, simply reading these two words is enough to send their heart aflutter, eliciting daydreams about getting lost among the stacks in an endless world of possibility. Indeed, as Jorge Luis Borges aptly noted: “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
One of the many contributing factors to our love of public libraries is the fact that (barring late fees), they are free for the public to use. And since they’re free to use, wouldn’t it stand to reason that authors whose books are read via library are forgoing revenue for the greater good?
Well, not exactly.
In addition to libraries directly purchasing copies of books to add to their collections — including self-published titles — over 35 countries have a Public Lending Right (PLR) program. PLR programs exist to ensure that authors and other creators are compensated for lost revenue when a book is signed out.
The Canadian PLR program issued almost 18,000 authors over $15 million in total PLR payments in 2021. With 20,000 authors registered, nearly 90% of eligible authors received an average payout of $826.
In this blog post, we’ll tell you what Canadian authors need to know about our PLR program and how to make it work for you.
How does a Public Lending Right program work?
A “Public Lending Right” is the right of authors to receive payment for free public use of their works in libraries. The first PLR program was established in Denmark in 1946, with Canada becoming the 13th country to offer such a program when it launched its version in 1986.
In Canada, the PLR program is administered by the Canadian Council for the Arts. Once per year, an advisory body within the Council mails out cheques to qualifying authors. In the Canadian program, payments are based on the presence of a registered title in public library catalogues that are consulted during the annual PLR survey of libraries. Though not all Canadian libraries are consulted in our national program, many of the country’s largest and most-used libraries are. The amount of money authors receive is calculated based on the number of titles each author has registered, the number of times each of those titles was found in public library get catalogues, and the PLR’s yearly payment budget.
You read that correctly: your book doesn’t need to be signed out even once for you to be compensated by the Canadian PLR program! PLR program manager Peter Schneider tells us, “the amount of money that a writer may receive from the program isn't based necessarily on the popularity or the number of times the book has been loaned, but on the general distribution and the availability of the book across a large number of public library systems across Canada.”
If your book is found in just one of the libraries surveyed for the PLR this year, you should absolutely consider applying.
Determining your eligibility
To be considered for payouts as part of the PLR program, the Canadian Council for the Arts must confirm that your book meets their eligibility criteria. This consists of two main requirements: you must [a] register during the valid application period and [b] have published one or more books that qualify for inclusion.
To enroll in the Canadian program as a creator, you must meet the following criteria:
You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
You are a writer, translator, photographer, illustrator, or narrator;
You have eligible titles registered with the program (more on this below);
One or more of your titles must appear in the collections of the current year’s sampled libraries;
What titles are eligible? While the Canada Council program won’t accept all books, most genres (including a wide range of fiction, nonfiction, children’s, and poetry) are valid. In short, the only types they don’t accept are non-copyrightable practical books (cookbooks, self-help, “how-to” guides, travel guides, etc.) or educational books (textbooks). Books must also have been published within the last 5 years, possess a 13-digit ISBN, and be at least 48 pages long (24 pages for a children’s book).
How (and how much) do authors get paid from PLR?
If you and your book are eligible, your application needs to be processed. Payment is remitted in February after the Canada Council conducts their annual sample of libraries participating in the program. Payments are issued based on the following factors:
The library sampling results, which means consulting the year’s participating libraries;
The creator’s percentage share of the title;
How long the title has been registered with the program;
The amount of money in the program’s budget and the total number of eligible titles
While enrollment in the program doesn’t guarantee payment, approximately 90% of registered authors received a cheque in 2021. Says program manager Peter Schneider: “the average payment in 2021 was $826. The median payment — which is actually sometimes more telling — was $406, which is still a substantial amount of money. To receive $400 or $500 for your creativity, for the presence of your book in libraries, and the fact that the payment can continue for up to 25 years, it's well worth the time and effort to register and to apply to the program.”
We couldn’t agree more! Sign up here to be notified when the next PLR registration process is live. With a bit of time and preparation, you can make the compensation structure of the PLR program a reliable source of yearly book-driven income.
