Book Copyright Page Examples For Your eBook

Most self-publishers get intimidated when it comes to making their first book copyright page. I understand – the small print and legal jargon were enough to make me squimish as well.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today I'll not only provide you with an example book copyright page you can just copy and use but also explain each one of the important parts to your copyright page like the all rights reserved statement, important copyright text, etc.

After reading this article, you’ll be able to quickly and confidently prepare your own book copyright pages from here on out, and thus, protect yourself and your works from book piracy.

In this lesson, you will learn:

• How to build an ironclad book copyright page
• The necessary components to a copyright page
• How to get ISBNs, CIPs, and more

Plus, you can always just access my free copyright example, and be well on your way.

Quick Disclaimer: Thank god I never became a lawyer…that might have been rough for many of us.  But keep that in mind as you read this.  And that's it for my CYA statement.

So, let's begin!

Free Book Copyright Page Example

If all you need is a book copyright page to copy and paste into your book, here it is.  You have my permission to use it as you like.  Just make sure to change the appropriate information so as to fit your needs.

However, if you'd like to know more about each part of the above copyright page, or you have questions about how you should change it to fit your situation, you can reference the below parts.

Components to a Book Copyright Page

Generally, the more specific information you put on your copyright page, the more protection you and your book will have.  However, this doesn't mean you need to go overboard and hire a lawyer to create your copyright page.  So, stand down Saul.

Instead, to have a legitimate copyright page, all you need is:

1. The Copyright Statement or Notice
2. “All rights reserved.” (or similar text)

Yeah…that's really it.

However, there are a couple more elements that you should consider when creating your copyright page:

3. Publisher’s Name & Address
4. Ordering Information
5. Printing Details and Trademarks
6. Your Website
7. CIP Data Block
8. Edition
9. ISBN(s)
10. Disclaimers
11. Giving Credit
12. Printing Numbers (and/or years)

Don't worry, I know that looks crazy but take solace in the fact that we'll cover the area below.

Part 1. The Copyright Statement

The copyright statement or notice includes these three elements:

1. The symbol ©, or the word “Copyright,” or the abbreviation, “Copr.”
2. The first year of publication
3. The name of the copyright holder (presumably, your name)

What if I use a pen name?

Go ahead and use your pen name on the copyright page in your ebook. Or, alternatively, use your publishing company name. If/when you register your copyright, include your real and pen names on the registration form.

What if I write under my business structure?

If your books are written and/or published under a business structure of some sort, you can list your company as the copyright owner on your copyright page in your ebook. There is no difference in the language if you’re operating as a sole-proprietorship, an LLC, or any other type of business organization.   Use your company address, when listing the publisher contact details. Actually, this can help protect you legally as well as physically as you grow as an author.  To learn more about this, the benefits and how to set it up, check out my article on creating a book publishing company.

Part 2. All Rights Reserved

You can simply state “All rights reserved.” Or you can expound upon that statement, making it clearer and more forceful. Here are a couple of examples:

a. All Rights Reserved Example #1 (Simplest)

b. All Rights Reserved Example #2

c. All Rights Reserved Example #3

Technically, if you have those two Elements (Copyright Notice and “All Rights Reserved”), your book copyright page is complete.

Simplest Book Copyright Example Page Ever!

Here is an example that uses the two elements above in its most simplistic form ever:

Seriously, that’s all you need.

Part 3. Publisher’s Name & Address

The publisher’s address is usually included next so that readers know who and how to contact for reproduction permissions. For many of you, the publisher will be yourself. List whatever way you’d prefer to be contacted for questions or to report an error in one of your books– email, website, business mailing address, etc.

By Joe Bunting

1 Reviews

100 Day Book has everything writers need to make finishing a book as easy as possible. Here’s what you get when you join the course:

• A personal mentor to hold you accountable – Deadlines to keep you on track
• $100 incentive when you finish your book
• 100+ multimedia lessons
• Peer feedback on your finished book

If you’re ready to stop trying to write a book and actually do it, 100 Day Book is for you. Click to sign up and get started!

$499USD

Buy Now

Part 4. Ordering Information

This section includes information for people or organizations wishing to order more copies of your book. Different information may be listed for people looking to make individual orders, bulk orders for bookstores, college classroom orders, etc. Often, this won’t apply to self-published ebooks.

Part 5. Printing Details and Trademarks

Disclose any trademarks your publisher may hold to names, logos or imprints included in your book. Also include any details about your publishing company’s environmentally friendly printing practices, the location of printing, fonts used, etc. Many of these don’t apply to ebooks, however here are some examples:

Part 6. Your Website

Include your author website, so your readers can easily find more of your work.

Part 7. CIP (Catalog-in-Publication) Data Block

Most self-published ebook authors won’t include a CIP data block. A CIP data block is not something you can create yourself. It is not required to publish or sell a book.

The Library of Congress issues a CIP data block to you. It is not something you can create for yourself. However, if you’re a self-publisher, you are not even eligible to have a CIP data issued to you by the Library of Congress.

You can, however, pay to have a P-CIP (Publisher’s Catalog-in-Publication) data block generated for you, if you truly desire. Having P-CIP data can make your book look more professional. It costs anywhere from $60-$100 and can be done by CIPblock.com.

However, the only people interested in seeing your CIP data are the librarians, quite frankly. CIP data exists to help them categorize (“catalog”) your book in the library more quickly and easily.

Unless you plan to market your book specifically to librarians, CIP data is unnecessary.

For your reference, a CIP data block looks something like this:

I really wish this book existed…I would buy it and put it on my coffee table right next to my epic coffee thermos…

A side note for Canadian self-published authors: The National Library of Canada will no longer issues a CIP for self-published books.  However, they still offer some free services like ISBNs and others which you can check here. If you're published, you can obtain your free CIP data by filling out their form here.

If you are located elsewhere, check with your country’s local copyright laws.

Part 8. Edition

The edition of your book, especially if it is not the first edition, is a good thing to note here. Simply write:

Part 9. ISBNs

List your ISBN, if you have one. Not all books will have one. If you have more than one ISBN, you can list both, for your readers’ reference. Here’s what it will look like:

Does my book need an ISBN?

That answer varies, depending on where you are going to market your book. It is up to the store selling your book. Here are a few of their (current) answers:

• Amazon (Kindle): No
• Barnes and Noble (ePub): Yes
• Apple iBook (ePub): Yes
• Libraries and bookstores (print books): Yes

Check out this post to learn more about ISBNs for hardcover books.

Where to get an ISBN

ISBN in the US – http://isbn.org/

ISBN in Canda – http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/publishers/index-e.html

ISBN in the UK – https://www.nielsenisbnstore.com/

ISBN in Australia – http://www.thorpe.com.au/isbn/

ISBN in New Zealand – http://www.natlib.govt.nz/services/get-advice/publishing/isbn

Do I need a separate ISBN for each e-book format?

Yes. You will need separate ISBNs for the different formats of your ebook and your printed book. For example, if you have a Kindle version, an ePub version, a softcover, an audio book, and a hardcover you will need at least four different ISBNs (five, if you want one for your Kindle book too). Go to the ISBN-issuing website here for more details on ISBNs for ebooks.

I’m a self-publisher – can I get an ISBN?

Yes, self-publishers apply for ISBNs, just like any other publisher. All U.S. ISBNs are issued to publishers through a company called Bowker. Go to MyIdentifiers.com to get yours. If you think you’ll be publishing more books (or more versions of your book) down the road, I’d recommend buying a set of 10 ISBNs as a package right away. You’ll get a steep discount that way.

I don’t live in America – can I get an ISBN?

Go to International ISBN Agency to get your ISBN.

Part 10. Disclaimers

An entire book could be written on disclaimers alone. Because our society is increasingly prone to suing at every opportunity, book disclaimers have become a lot more common. Some genres — like investing — might require specific language to stay compliant with the SEC – same goes with health.

For some sample disclaimer language, look inside other books in your genre, which have been published by traditional publishing companies large enough to have a legal staff. Here’s our disclaimer:

Below are two sample disclaimers printed in actual books:

A legal disclaimer in your book copyright page doesn’t have to be long. Just do a small amount of homework now, and you could save yourself a lot of trouble down the road.

Part 11. Giving Credit

Here is a good place to give credit to anybody else who made some sort of contribution to your book such as the graphic designer who created your book cover, photographers whose photographs you used, the person who formatted your ebook, your editor, or your proofreaders. Here are some examples:

What if I want to use a photograph that is public domain – should I disclose that and/or use the PD-US logo on my copyright page?

No, it is not necessary.

Part 12. Printing Numbers (and/or years)

Ever wonder what that strange, long string of numbers float along near the bottom of the copyright page means? They are actually there for the publisher’s production department. They represent the printing number (or sometimes, the printing year). Typically they are in descending order, from left to right. However, they can be in ascending or even in random order. They were originally put there so that printing plates for the book wouldn’t need to be remade with each reprint. The applicable number was simply removed from the plate. However, as digital printing and ebooks take over, these are likely to go extinct.

Side note: These numbers are useful for book collectors. Just look for the lowest number on the list; that’s the printing you have. In the example below, we have a copy from the book’s 2^nd printing.

Other Copyright FAQs

When is my copyright protection effective?

Your copyright protection goes back to the moment you create the content. We recommend everyone read this brief primer on copyright basics published by the U.S. Copyright Office

Do I need to register my book with the U.S. Copyright Office for my copyright to be effective?

No, you do not. However, there are benefits to doing so. If you register your copyright, you will be able to claim attorney fees and statutory damages, in addition to the actual damages and profits you will get to claim with an unregistered book. You can read more about this at the U.S. Copyright Office’s website. International authors will have to check their country’s own copyright laws.

Do I register for copyright first, or do I submit my published work to Amazon first?

You submit your completed book to Amazon (or other booksellers) first, before registering for your copyright. At the time of writing, books are taking 8-13 months to be processed by the copyright office. There’s a lot of potential profit to be lost in those 8-13 months.