The Read With Us Lounge: Do Libraries Help Or Hurt Authors?

After I made a TikTok explaining why libraries pay significantly more for e-books than consumers do, someone asked a thoughtful follow-up question:

“If libraries have to keep renewing e-book licenses, doesn’t that mean authors make more money from library e-books than from physical books? It makes me wonder what authors prefer.”

It’s a great question because it gets at something many people misunderstand: the relationship between libraries and authors.

The short answer is that it depends.

When a library buys a physical book, it owns that copy. The author is generally compensated through the sale of that book, according to the terms of their publishing contract. Whether that copy is checked out ten times or two hundred times, the author isn’t paid again for each checkout.

E-books work differently. Libraries typically don’t own them outright, we license them. Many of those licenses expire after a certain number of checkouts or after a set period of time. If the book is still in demand, the library purchases another license. That creates another sale for the publisher, and depending on the author’s contract, it may generate additional royalties for the author.

Does that mean authors make more money from library e-books than from physical books?

Sometimes. But not always.

It depends on the publisher’s licensing model, the author’s contract, and whether a library actually needs to purchase another license. Many e-books lose popularity long before a license expires, while bestselling print books may sell hundreds of thousands of copies to individual readers.

But focusing only on royalties misses the bigger picture.

Libraries support authors in ways that can’t be measured simply by the number of books sold.

Every day, libraries introduce readers to authors they might never have discovered on their own. We recommend books to patrons looking for their next great read. We host book clubs that spark lively discussions. We create displays that encourage readers to take a chance on someone new. We feature books in newsletters, on social media, and through staff recommendations. We invite authors to speak in our communities and help connect them directly with readers.

As both a librarian and a reader, I’ve seen this happen over and over again.

Someone checks out the first book in a series because it’s available at the library. A month later, they’re buying the rest because they can’t wait.

A patron borrows a novel by an unfamiliar author, falls in love with their writing, and from then on pre-orders every new release.

A book club chooses a title, and suddenly twenty people are talking about it with friends, family, and coworkers.

Libraries don’t just circulate books. We create readers, and readers become book buyers.

That’s one reason so many authors continue to champion libraries. While the financial side of publishing is undeniably complicated, libraries provide something that’s difficult to buy through advertising alone: discovery, trust, and enthusiastic word-of-mouth.

In the end, I don’t think it’s helpful to frame the relationship as libraries versus authors. The reality is much more collaborative.

Authors write the books that fill our shelves.

Libraries help those books find readers.

And readers keep coming back for more.

As a librarian, that’s a partnership I’m proud to promote.