WriterID / WRID
An open, persistent identity infrastructure for writers, pen names, and creative works.
WRID is a public-good project dedicated to giving every writer, living or gone, a stable, permanent identity record that connects real persons, pen names, and creative works. A WRID (Writer Record Identifier) is a time-sortable, globally unique identifier built to last for centuries.
What WRID Provides
- Persistent IDs for writers, pen names, books, editions, and series.
- Clear relationships between person, persona, work, and product.
- Open JSON & ONIX endpoints for libraries, publishers, and platforms.
- Legacy stewardship including posthumous licensing and estate metadata.
- Privacy-first identity with the ability to hide or reveal pen-name linkages.
- Long-term preservation so bibliographies survive beyond platforms and lifetimes.
The Road Ahead
WRID is currently in early development. Its long-term goal is the formation of the WRID Foundation, an independent non-profit that will steward the WRID namespace, resolver services, and open metadata standards.
Writers will be able to sign in to manage their pen names, books, editions and series once the member area opens. Until then, read the specification or the FAQ.