Every time we put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, our words are automatically protected by copyright. This means that nobody else should use our work without our permission, nor should we use anyone else’s work without asking. But sometimes, quoting another author’s work can help us better explain the point we’re making or its context.
Copyright law allows us to quote someone else’s work without permission if our use is deemed to fall under the ‘fair dealing’ exception, which is often cited for criticism and review purposes. However, there is no legal definition of what ‘fair dealing’ is, which is why cases go to court to determine if there has been a copyright infringement.
It’s always worth remembering that ‘fair dealing’ is a legal defence when a case goes to court. It is not a right that stops cases going to court.
Therefore, the safest course of action for any writer who’d like to use someone else’s words in their work is to seek permission from the copyright holder. But what’s the best way of doing this?
PLSclear.com is a permission-clearance service, backed by over 500 publishers, large and small, which offers authors a one-stop-shop for seeking copyright permission. Besides traditional book and academic publishers, some magazine and online publishers have also joined the service.
This means we can search for a copyright holder by using a book’s ISBN, a magazine’s ISSN, or a website’s URL. If the relevant publisher is signed up to the service, authors can then submit a request for permission to quote from that source.
Detailed Data
I tried the service earlier this year for one of my projects and found the process relatively straightforward. Once I’d entered the ISBN of the book I wanted to quote from, the publisher’s details appeared, and I then moved onto the permission request process.
For this stage, I had to provide the following information:
- the number of words of the author’s work I wanted to quote,
- the page number of the author’s book where those words appeared,
- the first few words of the section I wanted to quote,
- and whether I was quoting part of or an entire article/chapter.
Next, I had to give details about the book that I was writing and wanted to use the quoted material in. This included all the different formats I planned to self-publish in, such as eBook, paperback, and hardback.
This section is where things got a little interesting because the service needed to know what my print run would be. Publishers need this data to determine if any fee is payable and how much that might be.
For self-publishers like me, this isn’t easy to answer because I use print-on-demand services, so there is no print-run, as such.
Amy Ellis, Head of Rights and Licensing at PLSclear, explains that self-publishers have a couple of options.
‘There are two ways for self-published authors to do this. First, within the online permissions form, there is an option to request an unlimited print run. This means that any potential licence would be valid for the full lifetime of the edition of your title for as many copies as you sell. However, selecting an unlimited print run can have a big impact on costs as some publishers may charge more for this. In addition, some publishers also have a policy where they don’t grant permissions for unlimited print runs.’
‘Second,’ she continues, ‘you can make an estimate, which is what a lot of publishers do as well. If you don’t know how many copies of a title you’ll sell, you can clear permissions for smaller print runs and then, once your sales hit that threshold, you can re-clear the rights. Personally, this is what I would do if I needed to clear permissions for any of my books. If you have sales data from previous books, you can use that as a guide, but a good place to start is 500 for paperback and 500 for eBooks. This will likely keep any permissions fees lower and allow you to test the market with your book before clearing larger print runs.’
Advanced Application
With all the data entered, I submitted my request and waited for a response. Amazingly, I heard from the publisher the following day. However, response times can vary, so it makes sense to make contact at the earliest opportunity.
‘We recommend making a request four to six weeks before your deadline to allow for any delays,’ Amy suggests. ‘Response times can vary from publisher to publisher, but this is a good general rule, and often you’ll receive a response much quicker, or possibly instantly. Currently, the average response time is about eleven days. We don’t hold publishers to response times as there are lots of external factors that can influence how quickly they respond. Often, delays are caused because publishers need to query the request with the author or the author’s agent before a response. If you’ve been waiting longer than six weeks though, we’re happy to give the publisher a nudge for you.’
Before I submitted my permission request, I also had to provide the recommended retail price I intended charging for my books in each format. This is the normal recommended retail price rather than any temporary discounts we might offer for promotional purposes.
In 2025, Amazon reduced royalty rates for paperbacks priced under £9.99, leading many self-published authors to increase their prices to this threshold, so I wondered what impact a price increase like this might have on permissions already granted.
‘Adjusting to the rising cost of print by increasing the retail price by £1-2 shouldn’t have an impact on your existing licence,’ Amy clarifies, ‘and most publishers will certainly sympathise with you on this. We ask for retail price because some publishers will take this into consideration when granting permissions or calculating permissions fees, particularly in the academic sector where publishers are creating library editions of works that may have low print runs but high retail prices.’
Dashboard Decision
All communication between the publisher and the author seeking permission takes place via the dashboard on the PLSclear.com website. I received an email notification advising me I had a message waiting in the system, and so I logged in to review it.
There was a quotation document awaiting my perusal. This detailed the permissions I was seeking for the formats I needed, and the fee payable if I wished to pursue these permissions.
Publishers may charge a fee, and the permission is valid once the author has paid. I received a quote of £135, plus VAT, for my permission requests to quote three short sections from a book and use them in an eBook and paperback edition, each with a 500-book print run.
Ultimately, I decided not to pursue the permission, and I rewrote my book in a way that didn’t require the use of the other author’s work. But the PLSclear system enabled me to put in the request quickly and easily, and then decide whether to proceed with the permission.
Fees vary depending on the amount of work being quoted and how we intend to use it. But as Amy explains, in certain circumstances, publishers may not always charge a fee.
‘I recommend reviewing the guidance on exceptions to copyright on the Intellectual Property Office’s website for more information on fair dealing. However, if you’re not sure if your reuse falls within a copyright exception, we would recommend clearing permission. Often, publishers will grant permission free of charge for small amounts of content, so you may not even need to pay a permissions fee.’
Self-Publisher Solution
While we may think of ourselves as self-published authors, we are also publishers, so other authors might seek permission to quote our words in their books. Does this mean we can register with PLSclear as publishers?
Amy confirms that self-published authors can register, but suggests waiting until someone seeks permission to use their words in the work.
‘Self-published authors can sign up with PLSclear as a publisher to manage permissions requests for their own content. They would just need to reach out to the PLSclear team at plsclear@pls.org.uk and we can send over an agreement. It’s free to opt in as a publisher, and we don’t charge any annual subscriptions, so there won’t be any upfront costs to participate.’
‘However, I would recommend waiting until you have received a request before reaching out. As a self-published author myself, I haven’t even signed up to PLSclear, and PLSclear has been my full-time job since 2016! Self-published authors are already wearing many hats to bring their books to market, and I would recommend spending your time writing and marketing your books. If people do start reaching out with requests, we’re more than happy to help!’
As writers, we understand the importance of copyright protection and what it allows us to do. And while UK copyright law permits us to quote from other works without permission, assuming our use falls under the fair dealing exemption, the safest and politest course of action is to seek permission.
It’s worth remembering that securing permission isn’t just about the legality of the copyright process. It’s also about being professional and respecting the work of our fellow authors. When it comes to the business of writing, the PLSclear.com website has made it much easier to secure any permissions we may need.
Business Directory
PLSclear: www.plsclear.com
PLSclear for authors: plsclear.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/20294318707740-PLSclear-for-Authors
Gov.uk Copyright Exceptions: www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright
Society of Authors (SoA) – Copyright and Permissions Advice: www.societyofauthors.org/Advice/Publishing/Copyright
© Simon Whaley