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FAQs

Who we are and how to join

Who is behind the Human Authored scheme?

The UK Society of Authors, in partnership with the US Authors Guild, launched the UK’s first professional Human Authored Scheme in March 2026.

Human Authored is a labelling scheme authors can join so they can use the logo on those of their books which are Human Authored. 

Authors who register their works must declare that they meet the definition of Human Authored under the scheme.  

The scheme, which is administered in the UK by the Society of Authors, champions transparency, provides assurances to readers, and celebrates the enduring value of human storytelling in a digital world. 

In a marketplace increasingly flooded with AI‑generated books, the Human Authored logo gives readers confidence that a work is genuinely human crafted. 

It helps authors to protect their creative labour, and it offers a clear, trustworthy marker for those who value the human voice, experience and imagination. It is a way of showing that your work is genuinely created by a human. 

The scheme is open to all authors who have published text-based work and who are current members of the Society of Authors (SoA). We intend to broaden the scheme to include works with illustrations and images, as well as non-members, soon. If you are not a member of the SoA, you can apply to become a member here.

A work qualifies under the scheme if it meets the definition of Human Authored:  

Human Authored under this scheme means that the text of the work was created by you as sole author or together with other human beings and that it is your own intellectual creation as the result of the exercise of your skill, labour and judgment.  

The text, therefore, represents the expression of your creativity as the human author and it has not been produced by the use of a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) model e.g. by the use of prompts. 

The use of GAI or tools with AI-embedded features does not disqualify a work from being ‘Human Authored’ under this scheme provided that the tools have been used for assistive purposes only e.g. the use of GAI-powered tools like a word processing programme, spelling and grammar check, for research, brainstorming or outlining, or any other use that does not generate text.

Yes, translators who are SoA members can join the scheme if their translation meets the definition of Human Authored. The declaration that the work is Human Authored will apply only to the translation, which has its own copyright, not the underlying work.

The scheme is open to text-based works first and we aim to broaden it out to include works with illustrations and images, such as children’s illustrated works and graphic novels as soon as we can.  

No, each contributor needs to be an SoA member to join the scheme. One cannot join without the other.  

You can join the scheme if you are an SoA member and you agree your work matches the definition of ‘Human Authored.

You can register your work under the scheme as long as it meets the definition of Human Authored. The SoA cannot give individual bespoke advice on whether a work meets the criteria. This is an assessment that needs to be undertaken by you individually as the author – only you know your creative process in writing the work.

A work qualifies under the scheme if it meets the definition of Human Authored. 

Any use of software and tools with AI-embedded features or generative AI models for creative work should be used only for assistive purposes.  

The use of GAI for spell check and grammar, researching, brainstorming, outlining, or any purposes other than generating text does not disqualify a work from being Human Authored under the scheme. 

Yes, you can register backlist titles on the registry of Human Authored works. The only restriction is that they must have a publication date in or after 2020 – the reason behind this aligns with the capabilities of generative AI producing human-like writing.  

We appreciate that the logo cannot be included on copies already in circulation, but you can ask your publisher to include the logo on digital editions and any future reprints.  

Registration process

Will I be able to use the logo immediately upon joining the scheme?

This is a two-stage process: 

  • Stage 1: you will need to create your account and have your membership status verified by the SoA. This might take up to 48 hours [excluding non-working days]. 
  • Stage 2: when you have been notified that registration has been successful, you can log in and register your work, and sign the necessary licensing agreement. The logo will be available in your personal account when this process is completed.  

You will be able to remove your works from the scheme by contacting the Society of Authors on HumanAuthored@societyofauthors.org. 

Your work will remain in the scheme even if its publishing status changes, e.g. rights reversion, new publisher, new ISBN, new edition (but not a revised edition). To ensure accurate records are maintained, please notify the SoA of any such changes by sending an email to HumanAuthored@societyofauthors.org.

Use of the Human Authored logo

Where should the logo appear in a publication?

Please refer to the Usage Guidelines for full information.

For authors working to a publication schedule, we recommend you discuss the inclusion of the logo with your publisher, editor, and art director as soon as you can. The publishing contract is likely to give them control over cover design. The SoA is working with publishers across the industry, major houses and indies, so they support and understand the benefits of Human Authored and where they can include the logo.  

For books already in existence, you might want to discuss with your publishers whether the logo can be included on any digital editions (ebooks or audiobooks) or added to any future reprint or new edition (but not revised editions) of your work.   

For self-publishing authors please see the Usage Guidelines and include the logo with your production design.

Yes, you can signpost your publisher to the Usage Guidelines.

Please refer to the Usage Guidelines for full information.

Yes, the Human Authored logo is issued per title and may be used for multiple editions and formats of a single title. We ask for an ISBN or ASIN number for identification purposes of the title only and can accept any ISBN or ASIN number that identifies the work. 

A single declaration applies to any format (hardcover, paperback, ebook) of the same work, regardless of there being different ISBNs.

Revised editions should however be registered again.

Enforcement of the scheme

How will the scheme be enforced against misuse?

The Society of Authors (SoA) owns the Intellectual Property rights in the Human Authored logo, including the copyright in the logo and the goodwill in the Human Authored scheme.

If the SoA becomes aware that a third party is using the Human Authored logo without the SoA’s permission, the SoA will require that third party to stop using the Human Authored logo. If the third party fails to comply, the SoA will be entitled to pursue legal action for infringement of the SoA’s IP rights.

If you see the logo on a work that is clearly AI-generated, or any other suspicious use, you can report the issue to the SoA at HumanAuthored@societyofauthors.org.

Information about the scheme

Are there other national certification schemes? Do I need to register my book in different countries?

The first author-led scheme was launched by the US Authors Guild in 2024. The SoA and the Authors Guild have been working closely together to make the Human Authored scheme available internationally. Registrations are currently required in each territory because of legal considerations concerning cross-border data sharing.

The SoA is working closely with the US Authors Guild to mirror its scheme. The two schemes operate slightly differently so we can offer UK authors a scheme tailored to their needs and the UK publishing market; and to underline the need for the UK Government to impose AI labelling obligations on tech companies.

Yes, authors who are members of both the UK Society of Authors and the US Authors Guild can join both schemes to have their works referenced in the respective register of works.

The scheme does not imply that books which are not registered as Human Authored have been created with generative AI.