If you’re a UK-based author with books in libraries, you could be missing out on money that’s rightfully yours. Public Lending Right – or PLR – is one of the publishing industry’s best-kept secrets, yet it’s a legitimate income stream that over 24,000 authors already benefit from each year. The remarkable thing? Registration is completely free, and once you’re set up, the payments arrive annually without any additional effort on your part.
For self-published authors who’ve worked hard to make their books library-ready, PLR is the reward that keeps on giving. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Public Lending Right?
Public Lending Right is your legal entitlement to payment when your books are borrowed from UK public libraries. Established by the Public Lending Right Act 1979 after a 30-year campaign by British authors, PLR recognizes that when libraries lend your work for free, you deserve compensation.
The scheme is administered by the British Library and funded by the government, with approximately £6.6 million distributed annually to registered authors and contributors. Currently, around 24,000 authors receive PLR payments each year—but many more are eligible and simply haven’t registered yet.
How Much Can You Actually Earn?
Let’s be realistic about the numbers. PLR payments range from a minimum of £1 to a maximum of £6,600 per year. The current rate is 11.76 pence per loan, which means every time someone borrows your book from a UK library, you earn nearly 12p.
For most self-published authors, PLR earnings will be modest—perhaps a few hundred pounds annually. But here’s why that matters: it’s recurring income that continues year after year as long as your books remain in library circulation. A backlist of several titles, each earning £200-£500 annually through PLR, adds up to meaningful money that arrives reliably every February.
And there’s particularly good news for 2025: the British Library now collects loans data from all UK public libraries, not just a sample. This change, implemented from July 2025, means your PLR payments more accurately reflect actual borrowing across the entire country.
Who is Eligible?
You can register for PLR if you meet these criteria:
You must be named on your book’s title page as a contributor – this includes authors, co-authors, illustrators, photographers, translators, narrators, editors, and compilers. Publishers cannot claim PLR; only individual contributors can.
You must have your only home or principal home in the UK or the European Economic Area (all EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) at the time you register.
Your book must have a valid ISBN. This is non-negotiable – without an ISBN, your book cannot be registered for PLR.
Your book must be available in UK public libraries. This means being stocked by at least some library services (which we covered in our previous guide on making your book library-ready).
Importantly, you don’t need to own the copyright to register for PLR – you just need to be named as a contributor or entitled to royalties from the publisher.
What Books Qualify?
PLR now covers multiple formats: print books (hardback and paperback), ebooks, and audiobooks. All editions of your book qualify separately, so if you have both a paperback and an ebook edition, register both.
However, there are limitations. Kindle editions and Audible audiobooks are not eligible because Amazon operates a closed system and doesn’t license these formats to UK public libraries. Similarly, some self-published ebooks that use placeholder ISBNs (like Kobo’s 123-prefix numbers) aren’t eligible.
How to Register for PLR
Registration happens online through the British Library’s PLR portal. You’ll need to create an account and verify your identity, then register each eligible edition of your books individually.
The process is straightforward: you’ll provide your book’s ISBN, confirm your contribution type (author, illustrator, etc.), and specify your share if you’re a co-contributor. If you’re the sole author, you receive 100% of the PLR payment for that book. Co-authors, illustrators, and other contributors split the payment according to agreed shares.
One crucial detail: the PLR year runs from July 1st to June 30th, and you must register your books by June 30th to be included in the following year’s payment calculation. Miss that deadline, and you won’t receive backdated payments—you’ll only start earning from the next PLR year forward.
You can register for both UK and Irish PLR through the same online system, which is worth doing if your books are available in Irish libraries too.
The British Library’s PLR registration portal is at: https://www.bl.uk/plr
Understanding Your PLR Payments
Once you’re registered, there’s nothing more you need to do. The British Library automatically tracks library loans throughout the year and calculates your payment based on how many times your registered books were borrowed.
Payments arrive each February, covering the previous July-to-June period. You’ll receive a statement showing exactly how many loans each of your books achieved and what you’ve earned.
The rate per loan fluctuates slightly each year because the total PLR fund is fixed. When more authors register or when loan numbers change, the rate adjusts accordingly. But these fluctuations are minor—what matters is that you’re in the system earning what you’re entitled to.
Why Many Authors Miss Out
Despite PLR being free money for eligible authors, thousands don’t register. Some simply don’t know it exists. Others assume it’s only for traditionally published authors or that the earnings won’t be worth the effort. Some mean to register but never quite get around to it.
Here’s the reality: registration takes about 15 minutes per book. Even if your annual PLR payment is only £50, that’s £50 you wouldn’t have otherwise – and it’s money that will continue arriving annually for as long as your books circulate in libraries. Over a decade, even modest earnings compound into something significant.
For authors with multiple titles or books that become library favourites, PLR can contribute meaningfully to your author income. And unlike book sales, which require constant marketing effort, PLR income is genuinely passive once you’ve registered.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the financial benefit, PLR represents something important: governmental recognition that authors deserve payment when their work is used publicly. It upholds the principle of fair remuneration and supports the creation of new work by providing income that reflects the ongoing value of your books.
Libraries and authors aren’t in competition – we’re natural allies. Libraries introduce readers to new authors, champion books that might otherwise go undiscovered, and create communities around reading. PLR ensures that when libraries fulfill their vital public mission, authors aren’t left out financially.
If you’ve done the work to make your books library-ready, registering for PLR is the logical next step. It’s your right as an author, it costs nothing but a few minutes of your time, and it provides income you’ve already earned – you just need to claim it.
