Press Releases
March 2, 2026
The Authors Guild announces the official public launch of its groundbreaking “Human Authored” certification program with a modified logo for international use. The program was launched in beta exclusively for members in January 2025, based on demand, and today the Authors Guild announces its expansion to all authors whose books are published in the United States. Next week, the Authors Guild will open the program up to U.S. publishers to purchase certifications in bulk.
The new certification logo for Human Authored, developed in consultation with others, is available in black and white:
The Human Authored certification mark may be used by authors and publishers who wish to distinguish their human-written books from the glut of AI-generated books already saturating the marketplace. We believe that book consumers have the right to know whether a book they are purchasing or borrowing from a library was written by a human or was generated using AI. The Authors Guild looks to whether the text itself was generated by AI or a human in its definition of “Human Authored”:
A literary work is “Human Authored” if the text itself was fully authored by one or more human beings and not generated by AI, except for a de minimis amount (such as through the use of AI-powered spelling and grammar check applications). Use of GAI to create a table of contents, indices, or other auxiliary parts of a book, or for researching, brainstorming, outlining, or any purposes other than generating text, does not disqualify a work from being Human Authored.
Any author who certifies their work going forward will be able to use the new certification mark on the cover (back or front) of their book(s), the copyright page of their book(s), and in conjunction with certified books on their websites, marketing materials, or book listings. Authors with existing certifications may choose to use the original certification mark or the new one for their registered titles. Certification will cost $10 per title for U.S. authors who are not Authors Guild members but will remain free for members.
Since its initial beta launch for Guild members, the Human Authored certification has already gained remarkable traction in the publishing industry. Authors Guild members have added the certification to thousands of books, demonstrating the strong need from both writers and readers for transparency in an increasingly AI-saturated marketplace.
“‘Doing it yourself’ is the whole point of writing, really, of every art.” —John Lauricella, author of The China Plot, Unforgettable, and 2094
Lauricella sees the emblem as “an assurance, offered to every potential reader, that the content of each of my books is my work—possibly flawed (I’m human!), surely idiosyncratic, yet always including something interesting you haven’t read before.”
“This work comes from a human mind, heart, and soul—not an algorithm.” —Natalie Standiford, author of Astrid Sees All and How to Say Goodbye in Robot
For Standiford, the certification signals that her work “is original and wasn’t stolen from other authors’ work, as AI works essentially are.”
The Human Authored logo is a certification mark with a pending application for registration in the US Patent and Trademark Office. The certification remains restricted to works where the text was written by humans.
Only those who register \will be permitted to use the certification mark. The Guild will take measures to ensure that the mark is used in the US only by those who are properly licensed to use it and that it is only used for books for which the text was written by a human. Members of the public can search a public database to verify whether a particular title using the Human Author certification mark is registered as Human Authored.
In March, the Authors Guild will open the system up to publishers, who, once approved, will be permitted to license the certification mark for batches of titles, with quantity discounts. Authors are limited to ten titles per year unless special permission is obtained.
Non-Guild members who want to sign up for Human Authors can create an account at authorsguild.org/human, pay the $10 fee per title certification fee, and complete a third-party identity verification process. All authors, whether or not they are Guild members, must sign a license agreement to receive their certification mark.
“The overwhelming response from authors has validated our belief that transparency in authorship is not just desired—it’s essential,” said Rasenberger. “By opening this program to all authors nationwide, we’re empowering writers to take control of their professional identity and offering peace of mind for readers who want to support human authors and experience genuine human storytelling.”
For authors, the certification serves as a competitive advantage, helping their work stand out to readers who specifically seek human creativity and authentic voices.
Detailed guidelines, visual examples, and technical specifications are available here.
