How to Create a Copyright Page for your Book: Structure & Templates.

While publishing their first book, many writers find the process of creating a copyright page often confusing. As a part of the front matter, the copyright page is an integral part of a well-formatted book. The copyright page is a standard requirement for any book, be it fiction, non-fiction, or educational. The same holds true for eBooks as well.

What is a Copyright Page?

The United States Library of Congress explains that copyright law protects “original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture.”

A copyright page is usually found on the back of the book’s title page. It is an integral part of print books. The page’s content starts in the mid-way and is centered, or it is justified to the left corner of the page. The copyright page in an eBook is similar, and it appears after the title page and before the dedication or table of the content page. 

The following sample will give you a copyright page template.

Why have a Copyright Page?

Having a copyright page ensures that no one can recreate or reproduce any part of the book under their name. Anyone who attempts to plagiarize the content of the book has to face legal charges. The page clearly identifies you as the author of the book. Self-publishers need to include the page since nobody wants to take a risk with the book that they have worked so passionately to create. 

A copyright page is probably the first part that a bookseller, distributor, or librarian looks at, and hence, making it an essential aspect of book marketing as well.

Structure of a Copyright Page

When you create an eBook or format a print book, make sure you pay attention to getting the copyright page correct. Normally, the more the information is given in a copyright page, the more protection the writer and the book has. It might be a daunting task to create a copyright for your eBook, but it doesn’t have to be. Here, we will help you understand the components that go into creating a copyright page.

The structure of a copyright page constitutes of:

1. Copyright notice

The purpose of the copyright notice is to declare the book’s ownership, making it an essential component. It includes:

• Copyright: the copyright symbol (“©”) is added before the copyright owner or author’s name. 
• Copyright Holder’s name: it has the writer’s name or the name of the copyright owner. A pseudonym (pen name) can be used as well.
• Year of publication: mention the year the eBook was first published.

          All these components together give the copyright notice. For instance, a typical copyright notice will be this way: Copyright  © <Author’s Name>.

          Example:

         Copyright © Oliver Twist, 2019 or Copyright © 2019 Oliver Twist.

2. Rights Reserved Notice

The familiar sentence “All Rights Reserved” is found here. You have a statement asking the readers to respect the writer’s book and rights. Here are examples of the notice to give you a better idea.

Example 1:

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the copyright owner’s written permission except for the use of quotations in a book review.

Example 2:

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

3. Type of Edition

The information includes whether the eBook or print book is a first, second, or third publication. It is given in different ways, namely:

First Edition

First edition, 2019

4. Credits

This part gives credits to anyone who has contributed immensely to the creation of this book. Most books include the name of illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, and cover designers. Some common credits include:

• Edited by
• Cover art
• Illustrations
• eBook Design

Examples:

Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Judy Anderson

Design by Lauren White

Cover photography by Aaron Brand

5. ISBN

An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is essential if a writer plans to sell their book. It is13 digits long, and the numbers correspond with the regional codes, particular publishers, editions, etc. The ISBN is an identifier for your book and is used worldwide by publishers and bookstores. 

Example:

ISBN 978-1-4567-3006-6 (Paperback).

ISBN 978-1-4676-5006-6 (eBook).

6. Disclaimer

The disclaimer is used to protect the writer from any potential lawsuit if any characters resemble real people or events. Here, you acknowledge that the characters are inspired by real-life people or are fictional. Both fiction and non-fiction use disclaimer on the copyright page. 

Examples:

Fiction: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Creative Non-fiction: This is a work of creative non-fiction. Some parts have been fictionalized in varying degrees for various purposes.

7. Publisher Details

Information about the publishing company, including the name and address, is included here. If you’re self-publishing, you can add your name or create a name for your imprint along with an address and URL, if you choose.

The basic structure of the copyright should include the details mentioned above. It is essential to note that the page is included in the front matter of a book. Most commonly, it is used in the back of the title page. 

Have a look at the copyright page examples to understand better while creating one for your book

Download Copyright Page Templates