Time to claim cash for copying of your words

IF YOU are a member of ALCS (the Authors Licensing & Collecting Society), you have until 30 November 2024 to submit details of your articles in magazines and journals (regrettably not newspapers) to get paid "free money" for secondary uses of your articles such as photocopying in university libraries.

You'll need to give the month of publication of your work, the article title, approximate word count and ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) of the publication your article appeared in with your byline. There's an ISSN finder here.

Claim here

Some publications have different ISSNs listed for their print and online editions. ALCS will pay you for articles that appear in periodicals that exist only online. Many business-to-business publications are examples. If an article appears both in print and online, claim only once.

30 November is also the deadline for submitting details of your "visual contributions" - these are photos, diagrams or illustrations to illustrate your articles, images in which you have copyright. Tables and maps are excluded.

Payouts to ALCS members who have books published - or chapters of books, or who are credited as the editors of anthologies - are included in the system too, covering secondary uses such as loans and copying in university libraries.

If you are not yet an ALCS member, we recommend you sign up now. Joining is free to NUJ members.

Visual journalists see here

Journalists who produce visual work that stands alone as photo features or complements the written work of others should investigate the equivalent collecting society for visual artists - DACS. This makes an annual distribution each autumn, based on data submitted by members between dates January and in April yet to be announced.

© Mike Holderness

Join ALCS alcs.co.uk

Claim for articles alcs.co.uk

Join DACS Payback dacs.org.uk

Collecting societies pay for copying NUJ Freelance Fees Guide