Royalties Reimagined: What Authors Can Learn from Musicians and the Public Lending Right.

Used books are a beloved part of the reading ecosystem. They make stories more accessible, keep books in circulation, and help readers discover new voices. But there’s a missing piece in this well-loved cycle: the author.

When a used book is sold, the author earns nothing. That’s been the norm for decades—not because it’s fair, but because it’s been hard to track. Until now.

At Author Advantage, we believe it’s time to rethink how we value creative work in the resale market. And we’re not starting from scratch. From music royalties to public lending rights, there’s a long history of compensating creators for the use of their work—even after the first sale.

This post explores those precedents and introduces a model built for booksellers and readers alike. It’s simple, scalable, and rooted in fairness. Thanks to ISBN integration and modern point-of-sale systems, we finally have the tools to make per-use compensation for authors a reality.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works—and why now is the moment to make it happen.

A Model with Precedent: Royalties in the Music Industry

Compensating authors for the use of their work after the initial sale might sound like a bold new idea. But it’s not. In fact, it’s already a well-established practice in the music industry.

Musicians don’t just earn income when someone buys a CD or downloads a track. They receive royalties every time their music is streamed, played on the radio, performed live, or used in a film or commercial. These payments are tracked and distributed through a network of rights organizations and licensing systems designed to ensure creators are compensated for the ongoing use of their work.

There are several types of royalties in music:

• Mechanical royalties: paid when a song is reproduced, such as on a CD or digital download.

• Performance royalties: paid when a song is played publicly—on the radio, in a venue, or streamed online.

• Synchronization royalties: paid when music is used in visual media like movies, TV shows, or advertisements.
  

Each of these reflects a simple, powerful principle: creators deserve to be paid when their work is used—not just when it’s sold.

This model has broad public support and robust infrastructure. Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are built around it. Performance rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI exist specifically to track usage and distribute payments. And while the system isn’t perfect, it proves that per-use compensation is not only possible—it’s scalable.

So why not apply the same logic to books?

When a used book changes hands, the author currently earns nothing. But with modern tracking tools and ISBN integration into resale platforms, we now have the ability to change that. Just like a song played on repeat, a book read again and again has value—and the person who created it should share in that value.

This isn’t a radical shift. It’s a natural evolution. And it’s time the book world caught up.

📚 Public Lending Right: When Access Still Earns

If you’ve ever borrowed a book from a public library, you’ve most likely participated in a system that values access over ownership—and in many countries, that system includes compensation for the author.

The Public Lending Right (PLR) is a policy adopted by dozens of nations that pays authors when their books are borrowed from libraries. It’s a recognition that even when a book isn’t sold, its use still holds value—and that value should be shared with the person who created it.

In a future post, we’ll dive deeper into the history of PLR. But here’s the (very) short version: in the 19th century, lending libraries exploded in popularity. As access to titles grew, authors began to worry they were losing out on sales. In response, Denmark became the first country to adopt PLR legislation in 1946, requiring authors to be compensated for works in the library system.

PLR programs vary by country, but the core idea is consistent: authors deserve to be paid when their work is read, regardless of how it’s accessed. In places like the UK, Canada, and much of Europe, governments fund these programs to ensure writers are fairly compensated for their cultural contributions through public libraries.

This model is especially relevant to the conversation around used book sales. Like library lending, resale doesn’t involve a new purchase—but it does involve a new reader. And just as PLR systems have shown, readership is a form of value. It drives discovery, builds reputation, and sustains careers.

At Author Advantage, we believe the same principle should apply to the secondhand market. When a used book finds a new home, the author should earn something—not just gratitude, but compensation.

PLR proves that this kind of fairness isn’t just theoretical—it’s already working. It’s time to extend that fairness beyond the library and into the resale ecosystem.

🔍 The Author Advantage Model & Why Now Is the Moment

The idea of compensating authors for the use of their work—whether through resale or lending—isn’t new. What’s new is our ability to track that use with precision. And that’s where Author Advantage comes in.

We’ve built a system that makes per-use compensation for authors not only possible—but practical. Our model works seamlessly with existing resale channels, using ISBN integration to track when a used book is sold and where it goes. This is a major shift. For the first time, we can follow a book beyond its first sale and ensure that the author continues to benefit from its journey.

The ISBN was introduced in the late 1960s and found widespread adoption through the 1970s. Now, more than 50 years later, most used bookstores—aside from antiquarian or specialty shops—sell only books with ISBNs. Until ISBNs fully penetrated the used book marketplace, large-scale tracking of resale activity simply wasn’t possible.

Today, that’s changed.

Here’s how our partnerships work:

• Booksellers opt in to the Author Advantage network. This is a commitment to include a royalty-like fee with the sale of every used book.

• Used book sales are tracked via ISBNs, which are already part of most inventory systems.

• Author Advantage aggregates payments from all resale partners for final distribution.

• Authors receive compensation based on verified resale activity.

• Readers and sellers get transparency, knowing their participation supports the creators behind the books.
  

This model doesn’t require a massive overhaul of the resale ecosystem. It builds on what’s already there—just like music royalties build on streaming platforms, and PLR builds on library systems. What’s different now is the timing: the infrastructure is finally in place to make this work at scale.

ISBNs are already embedded in the resale process. Digital point-of-sale systems are widespread. And there’s growing public awareness that creators deserve fair compensation. We’re not asking booksellers or readers to change their habits—we’re simply offering a way to make those habits more equitable.

This is the moment to act. The tools are ready. The precedent is clear. And the opportunity to reshape the used book market in a way that values authors is right in front of us.

Let’s build a system where every read counts—and every author benefits.