# 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-author-and-writer.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law for writing itself. Self employed writers are covered for pension, health and long term care through the Künstlersozialkasse if they earn more than €3,900 a year from writing; this threshold does not apply in the first three years
- **Biggest risk:** Claims over personality rights, copyright and incorrect information in a published text
- **Basic cover from:** about €135 a year plus insurance premium tax for an entry level liability policy for media professionals
- **Accident:** The Künstlersozialkasse covers pension, health and care, but not accidents
- **Often forgotten:** Laptop, manuscript and research files, often only covered by home contents insurance and not when you travel

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Recognisable characters:** A former partner, boss or neighbour recognises themselves in your novel and demands an injunction and compensation.
- **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.
- **Bad advice in non fiction:** A guide on money, law or health contains an error and readers claim financial loss.
- **Lost manuscript:** Laptop stolen, hard drive dead, no recent backup: months of writing and research are gone.
- **Illness or accident:** If you cannot write, you earn nothing, and advances are often tied to delivery dates.
- **Readings and events:** At a reading a guest trips over your cable, or you damage the bookshop's equipment.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 2, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 3, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Media or financial loss liability covers claims over personality rights, copyright and trademarks and over faulty content, including defence against unjustified claims. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): The Künstlersozialkasse has no accident cover of its own; private accident insurance pays for permanent impairment around the clock. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Protects your income if illness or injury stops you writing for good. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Covers laptop, tablet and recording gear against theft, breakage and liquid, also on the move, often with data recovery. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business liability** (Depends on the business): For injury and property damage at readings, workshops and appearances; some media policies already include it. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes over fees and contracts with publishers and clients; copyright and press law are often excluded there. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Private pension** (Depends on the business): The pension from the Künstlersozialkasse depends on the income you declare and stays small if earnings are low. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-private-pension.php

## 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.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Liability for media professionals, entry tariff of a specialist insurer | from about €135 a year plus insurance premium tax |
| Professional indemnity | Non fiction author writing on money and law, €250,000 cover | about €300 to €800 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Laptop, tablet and recorder worth €3,000 | about €80 to €200 a year |
| Accident insurance | Writer aged 40, €150,000 basic sum with progression | about €100 to €250 a year |
| Occupational disability | Author aged 35, €1,500 monthly benefit to age 67 | about €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._

- [Specialist insurer: liability for bloggers and media professionals, from €11.25 a month](https://www.hiscox.de/geschaeftskunden/blogger-versicherung/)
- [Artists' Social Insurance Act (KSVG), section 1: branches covered](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ksvg/__1.html)
- [Artists' Social Insurance Act (KSVG), section 3: €3,900 threshold](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ksvg/__3.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Debut** (Authors with a first book or writing alongside a job): Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment. Together: about €220 to €450 a year
- **Full time** (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
- **Non fiction** (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

## 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.

- 08:15: A lawyer's letter: a former business partner recognises himself in your novel and demands an injunction. (€12,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:40: A picture agency claims a licence fee and damages for a photo on your author website. (€1,800, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 13:05: Your laptop is stolen on the train, and restoring the manuscript costs extra. (€2,200, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 16:30: At a bookshop reading a guest trips over your microphone cable. (€4,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 19:00: The publisher does not pay the agreed fee, and you need a lawyer. (€2,600, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 22:50: Cycling home you fall and break your wrist, leaving a lasting impairment. (€15,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)

**Damage so far:** €38,100

## Practical tips from your broker

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

## FAQ

### 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.

### Will legal expenses insurance help in a copyright dispute?

Usually not, because copyright and press law are excluded in many policies. Defence against claims from others is a job for media liability.

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-author-and-writer.php#anfrage

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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.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.