I'm either about to be amazingly proactive and start a campaign, or I'm about to be hugely embarrassed.
It could go either way.
Here's my rant-thread đŸ§”about author royalties in Australia, and the how the Feds are just kicking the can on Digital Lending Rights.
Australian authors still don’t get ‘Digital Lending Rights’ even though every library in the country with an internet connection provides ebooks and audiobooks to borrowers.
I love libraries. They are bloody amazingly wonderful. They’re not just for books. They’re places where you can turn up, spend some time and NOT HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING AT ALL to justify being there.
Borrow books, sure, but also use the computers, research stuff, have meetings, have business meetings, get a JOB INTERVIEW, run a workshop, attend a seminar, watch telly, and all that.
Since 1987 (Thanks Bob!), libraries have had Public Lending Rights (PLR). PLR is for Australian authors and publishers, whose books are in libraries. You need to have 50 titles on shelves to qualify, and you need to register for it.
It’s an essential royalty income for authors, to compensate for lost sales. Yes, we need to declare it as income and pay tax on it. Don’t know about it? Get started here:
https://www.arts.gov.au/funding-and-support/lending-rights
Bonus, libraries are where the readers are, so if your books are on the shelves, then you have a good chance or finding new readers who could want to devour all your other titles. Goodie goodie, yum yum.
Public Lending Rights are only for physical books in public libraries. In 2000, Educational Lending Rights for physical books in school/uni/tafe libraries were added. We have John Howard to thank for this. Wow!
It’s been 21 years and nothing has moved with Digital Lending Rights. There is an in-principle agreement that they are needed, but the Commonwealth is kicking the can down the street. So ebooks and audiobooks borrowed don’t earn anything for publishers or authors.
What’s happened in the last year? Covid. Covid happened and libraries across the country closed. Here in Victoria, we had two lockdowns and during that time, I don’t know about you, but books got me through. I borrowed ebooks and audiobooks from libraries during this time.
The physical buildings might have been closed, but the digital side of things kept right on going.
We need to push super hard now to make sure Digital Lending Rights happen and happen SOON!
Here’s the form https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/utilities/feedback.aspx
Feedback and complaints

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/utilities/feedback.aspx
I’ve requested a timeframe from them for DLR (Digital Lending Rights) and the form says there will be a response in 10 days.

In the mean-time, if you are an Australian author, I would recommend posting a polite question here about when DLR is likely to begin.
If you’re an avid reader - it would also help. Borrowing books from libraries is awesome. I thank you for it. If you want to keep reading your favourite authors, this is in your interest too.
Early on in Covid, #ScottyFromMarketing promised $250 million for the arts sector. Remember, he had Guy Sebastian standing right beside him? Yeah, fun times.
They haven’t spent it. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/only-a-fifth-of-the-government-s-250-million-arts-rescue-package-has-been-handed-out
Only a fifth of the government's $250 million arts rescue package has been handed out

The package was announced in June after much campaigning from the sector, which continues to be hard-hit by coronavirus restrictions and closures.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/only-a-fifth-of-the-government-s-250-million-arts-rescue-package-has-been-handed-out
State gots and local councils stepped up with grants and other programs. Excellent! But it doesn’t solve long-term trends of libraries increasingly using their scant budgets for e and audio rather than physical, and the long-term needs of Lending Rights for authors and publishers
They could, with the stroke of a pen (or a click of a keyboard) allocate the remaining $200 million arts sector support to DLR and have plenty left over for so many other creators.
Please help make this happen.
Here’s the form
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/utilities/feedback.aspx

Please also RT.
Feedback and complaints

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/utilities/feedback.aspx
Thank you for coming to my author workshop on the feeding and care for authors.
/end thread. đŸ§”
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