What To Include On Your Book’s Copyright Page

What is a copyright page?

The copyright page is where you state your copyright to your work and identify yourself as the owner. This helps prevent copyright infringement. It might look like just a few lines but they’re important.

We work with self-publishing authors at Palmetto Publishing and our goal is to enable authors to fully own their copyrights – it’s why we never charge royalties – so we encourage you to have a copyright page in your book!

What to include on your copyright page

Copyright notice

First bit of information to include in a copyright page is the copyright notice. Whether in a copyright page in a book or ebook this is important. It has your name, the international copyright symbol and the word copyright, following the publication date. Including an ‘all rights reserved’ also asks readers to respect your copyright.

ISBN

Then is the ISBN or International Standard Book Number, 13 digits necessary if you want to print your book or have it stocked in bookstores. Whether this is for the copyright page for a book or ebook you should print the ISBN’s for each on the copyright page.

Rights and permissions

Your rights and permissions should be explained in the copyright page in a book. This includes any instances where you permit or prohibit readers to use your material and in what capacity.

Disclaimer

In a world of lawsuits you want to make sure whether you’ve written a memoir, creative nonfiction or work of fiction that you include a disclaimer in the copyright page in a book.

Edition information

Your book may be published more than once, and each edition may be different. So add edition information to the copyright page in a book with the date of the edition’s publication too.

Design, production, editing, and illustration credits

The copyright page is where you credit all of the people who helped finalize your book and include their copyright. For example illustrations, cover art and images used should be credited with the person’s name on the copyright page.

Publisher’s address

Similar to the credits mentioned above including your publisher’s address is important for stockists, libraries and online sites like Amazon.

Ordering information

This helps anyone who would like to stock or buy more of your books! The ordering information is generally found in the copyright page in a book.

Trademark notice

Like the copyright this notice helps protect your work whether in a copyright page for a book or in the copyright page for an ebook.

Author website

Including links to your online presence makes it easier for readers to get in touch. If you haven’t created such a site, Palmetto Publishing can be your home online when you work with us.

Country in which the book was printed

Similar to the edition information your copyright page should include this.

Environmental notices

If you need to include these they should go in a copyright page.

Don’t worry if you need help getting all of this information. Chat to one of our team members to find out how we can help you with your copyright page!