What do I transfer exactly in terms of rights with a collective rights affiliation?
You transfer rights to which it is difficult or impossible for you to claim yourself. For example, you can't approach a library to claim your lending rights payment. It is also difficult to get compensation from the cable companies if, for example, a photograph you took was shown on TV.
The key thing to remember is that this is specifically about collective rights. You can still make arrangements with your clients. For example, if you produce illustrations for a school book, you make your own deals with the publisher. For additional collective fees (such as reprography rights) you can contact Pictoright.