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Insurance for authors, novelists and non fiction writers in Germany

Whether you write novels in English from Berlin or non fiction for a German publisher, German law applies to what you publish here. A character someone recognises, a quote used without permission or a wrong tip in a guidebook can all lead to claims. And the Künstlersozialkasse, the social insurance fund for artists, has no accident cover. This page explains what authors, novelists and non fiction writers in Germany really need and what it costs.

Insurance for authors and writers in Germany

The question almost everyone asks first

Isn't the publisher liable if something in my book is wrong?

Not on its own. Someone who feels harmed by a book can go after the publisher and the author, and many German publishing contracts contain an indemnity clause that makes the author cover the publisher against third party claims. Media liability insurance defends unjustified claims and pays justified ones, as long as personality rights and copyright are included. Read the indemnity clause before you sign.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Recognisable characters

    A former partner, boss or neighbour recognises themselves in your novel and demands an injunction and compensation.

  2. 02

    Quotes, photos, lyrics

    A long quote, a photo with unclear rights or a song line as an epigraph: rights holders ask for licence fees and damages.

  3. 03

    Bad advice in non fiction

    A guide on money, law or health contains an error and readers claim financial loss.

  4. 04

    Lost manuscript

    Laptop stolen, hard drive dead, no recent backup: months of writing and research are gone.

  5. 05

    Illness or accident

    If you cannot write, you earn nothing, and advances are often tied to delivery dates.

  6. 06

    Readings and events

    At a reading a guest trips over your cable, or you damage the bookshop's equipment.

Risk radar
Liability 4Fire and water 2Theft 2Cyber 2Downtime 3Health 3

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Professional indemnity

Media or financial loss liability covers claims over personality rights, copyright and trademarks and over faulty content, including defence against unjustified claims.

Strongly advised

Accident insurance

The Künstlersozialkasse has no accident cover of its own; private accident insurance pays for permanent impairment around the clock.

Electronic equipment

Covers laptop, tablet and recording gear against theft, breakage and liquid, also on the move, often with data recovery.

Depends on the business

Business liability

For injury and property damage at readings, workshops and appearances; some media policies already include it.

Business legal expenses

For disputes over fees and contracts with publishers and clients; copyright and press law are often excluded there.

Private pension

The pension from the Künstlersozialkasse depends on the income you declare and stays small if earnings are low.

What it costs: example prices

Genre and subject matter decide the price. A novelist pays less than someone who publishes guides on money, law or health or writes about real people.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Professional indemnityLiability for media professionals, entry tariff of a specialist insurerfrom about €135 a year plus insurance premium tax
Professional indemnityNon fiction author writing on money and law, €250,000 coverabout €300 to €800 a year
Electronic equipmentLaptop, tablet and recorder worth €3,000about €80 to €200 a year
Accident insuranceWriter aged 40, €150,000 basic sum with progressionabout €100 to €250 a year
Occupational disabilityAuthor aged 35, €1,500 monthly benefit to age 67about €900 to €1,600 a year

For comparison: Media liability for a novelist costs about as much a year as the royalties on 60 to 100 paperbacks.

The entry price comes from a publicly quoted tariff of a specialist insurer for media

professionals (2026).

The other values are guide figures from our quoting practice,

excluding German insurance premium tax; income protection depends heavily on age and health.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Debut

For: Authors with a first book or writing alongside a job

  • Professional indemnity
  • Electronic equipment

Together about €220 to €450 a year

Request this package

02

Full time

For: Novelists and writers who live from writing

  • Professional indemnity
  • Electronic equipment
  • Accident insurance
  • Occupational disability

Together about €1,200 to €2,500 a year, depending on age

Request this package

03

Non fiction

For: Non fiction and guidebook writers who also give talks and workshops

  • Professional indemnity
  • Business liability
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business legal expenses

Together about €600 to €1,500 a year

Request this package

The worst day at the desk

Six things authors really go through, all in the week before the book fair. Tap through and see who pays.

Damage so far€38,100
  1. A lawyer's letter: a former business partner recognises himself in your novel and demands an injunction.

    €12,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity

  2. A picture agency claims a licence fee and damages for a photo on your author website.

    €1,800 · Paid by: Professional indemnity

  3. Your laptop is stolen on the train, and restoring the manuscript costs extra.

    €2,200 · Paid by: Electronic equipment

  4. At a bookshop reading a guest trips over your microphone cable.

    €4,500 · Paid by: Business liability

  5. The publisher does not pay the agreed fee, and you need a lawyer.

    €2,600 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

  6. Cycling home you fall and break your wrist, leaving a lasting impairment.

    €15,000 · Paid by: Accident insurance

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €38,100

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Read the indemnity clause in your publishing contract: it decides who pays third party claims in the end.
  2. Make sure personality rights, copyright and trademarks are written into your liability policy, including online texts and audiobooks.
  3. Register with the Künstlersozialkasse in good time and close the accident and income protection gap privately.
  4. Back up your manuscript daily to a second place; electronics insurance replaces devices, not lost work.
  5. Guides on money, law and health need a higher limit for readers' financial losses.
  6. Base income protection on your average income from fees and advances, not on one good year.

Why NAMMERT for your business

Cover for sensitive subjects

Not every insurer takes non fiction on finance or texts about real people. As brokers we ask several and show you the differences in the terms.

We fill the KSK gaps

Accident and income protection are the big gaps for authors. We work through them with you, matched to irregular income.

Work and private in one place

Media liability, equipment, accident and pension all sit with us, with one contact who speaks English.

Family run, brokering since 1989

Norman Nammert arranges your cover as an insurance broker. It is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I need liability insurance as an author in Germany?

Not by law.

But whoever publishes is liable for breaches of personality rights and copyright,

and many publishing contracts pass that risk to the author.

Media liability starts at about €135 a year plus tax.

Does the Künstlersozialkasse cover accidents?

No.

It covers pension, health and long term care.

Accident and income protection need private cover.

When do I have to join the Künstlersozialkasse?

When you write commercially and not just temporarily and earn more than €3,900 a year from it.

The threshold does not apply in the first three years.

Is my laptop covered by home contents insurance?

At home usually yes, on the move often only partly, and devices used for work not always.

Electronics insurance also covers breakage and liquid.

What does cover cost for a full time author?

Media liability, equipment and accident usually come to €300 to €700 a year.

With income protection it is about €1,200 to €2,500, depending on age.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Author

The recommended covers are ticked.

Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Personal accident insurance (private Unfallversicherung)

Be specific, for example software developer in an office, or electrician on building sites

For example motorcycling, diving, climbing, paragliding

For example accident pension, cover when travelling home, help at home after an accident

Occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung)

For example data analyst in an office, or civil engineer with site visits

We discuss details personally for an anonymous enquiry

For example how long you plan to stay in Germany, self-employment, existing policies

Professional indemnity insurance in Germany (Berufshaftpflicht)

For example tax adviser with payroll, freelance software developer,

architect for residential buildings

For example current policy abroad, clients in the US, side activities,

expiry date of existing cover

Electronic equipment insurance in Germany (Elektronikversicherung)

For example single expensive devices, extra costs, practice downtime

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated