Payments to Writers

Writers receive payments for works that have been copied and shared, or are available to be copied and shared.

There are three sources of payments:

1. For books with registered shares
2. Annual Writers Distribution
3. Copyright fees collected overseas

Books with registered shares

If you have an agreement with your publisher to share Copyright Agency allocations to your books, and your share is registered with us, we will pay you your share of any allocations to your books.

More information:

• How are payments shares for books registered?
• How do I request to be paid my share directly?
• How do I tell you that the rights have reverted to me?
• Other questions?

Annual Writers Distribution

The Annual Writers Distribution is primarily for writers who:

• own copyright in writing that is available for people to copy and share (e.g. published in journals or newspapers), but
• do not have agreements with publishers to share Copyright Agency allocations to those publications.

These writers include contributors to newspapers, magazines, journals, anthologies and collected works.

A writer must be a member to receive a payment. Membership is free. You can apply for membership here.

Payments are for works available to copy and share under our licences

A payment from the Annual Writers Distribution is for all works that the writer owns copyright for, that are available for people to copy and share under our licences for the education, government and business sectors.

Your Payment Report (remittance advice) therefore shows ‘works available under licence’ rather than listing individual publications or works.

Giving us information about your published works

Writers can be eligible to receive a payment from the Annual Writers Distribution if they give us information about works that are available for people to copy and share under our licences, and that they own copyright for. Writers can list their publications in their online member account.

Key points about the Annual Writers Distribution

• Most writers will receive the same payment amount from an Annual Writers Distribution
• Some writers may receive a higher payment if their work is more likely to be copied and shared in the education sector (because most of the money for the distribution is from the education sector)
• Writers need to list at least one verifiable publication containing a work in which they own copyright to be eligible for the distribution
• When choosing which publication/s to list, writers should focus on publications likely to be copied and shared in the education sector
• Writers can list more than one publication, but this is unlikely to result in higher payment
• It is not necessary to list new publications each year, but it is helpful for us if writers review and update their publications each year so we have up-to-date information
• Most writers who have received a payment from an Annual Writers Distribution will continue to receive a payment
• Writers can receive a different amount from year to year, because the amount of money available for the distribution varies from year to year, and the number of recipients varies from year to year
• Writers can register publications containing their images as well as publications containing their writing if they choose, but will not receive an additional allocation from the Annual Artists Distribution

Not yet a member?

Sign up to become a member

Already a member?

• How do I register publications that my works have appeared in?
• My works appear in many publications. Do I need to list them all?
• Where can I find an ISBN?
• Where can I find an ISSN?
• How do I know if I own copyright?
• Other questions?

Log in and add works

Copyright fees collected overseas

Writers can receive a payment from:

• our annual distribution of copyright fees that we have received from Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (based in the UK)
• our annual distribution of copyright fees that we have received from copyright management organisations in other countries (like New Zealand and United States).

We receive different sorts of data with the money from these organisations. This means that your Payment Report (remittance advice) will sometimes show which title the payment is for, and sometimes show ‘works available under licence’.

October 2023