What Goes on the Copyright Page?
Get this right to look professional!
WHAT GOES ON THE COPYRIGHT PAGE?
The copyright page of a book is usually on the reverse side of the title page, and includes your copyright notice and other metadata information about the book. Many indie authors just do a simple copyright notice, but I recommend that you try to match the data listed in a traditional book because it looks more professional.
When I pick up a self-published children’s book, I look at the copyright page first. Most of the time, that glance will tell me if the book is professionally edited and produced. Librarians—especially school librarians—will make that same glance and make a decision about your book, right or wrong.
Why give anyone a chance to reject your book before they actually read it? Get this right, and they’ll turn the pages to the story itself.
Items to include on the Copyright Page
Copyright Notice
The copyright page requires a notice of copyright. The correct format is:
Date CopyrightSymbol Name of copyright holder
Some programs won’t allow the copyright symbol, and some fonts don’t have that symbol available. In that case, substitute the small letter c with a period.
2023 c. Darcy Pattison
You do not have to add, “All Rights Reserved” as that is already understood when you claim copyright. However, you can add it if you wish. You don’t have to register your copyright, either. As soon as you produce a work, it is protected by copyright law. However, I recommend that you file the copyright with the Copyright Office to add further protections.
ISBN Numbers
Also include the ISBN numbers, which are industry standard identifiers for a book in a certain format.
To buy ISBN (International Standard Book Number) numbers in the U.S., go to MyIdentifiers.com (a part of Bowker, the organization who handles ISBNs in the U.S.). You’ll see that the best prices are for blocks of ISBN, so sign up for emails about sales and buy when you find the best price. I bought 1000 ISBNs for $850.
MyIdentifiers.com offers many other services and I don’t recommend any of them. Barcodes are usually provided by the POD printers free. MyIdentifiers.com apps and widgets are not recommended. However, I do use their database to manage the ISBNs and record the metadata for distribution.
You need one ISBN for each format of the book: paperback, hardcover, audio, ebook. Sometimes, you see it recommended that you use a different ISBN for each different ebook version such as .mobi (Kindle) and .epub. Most self-publishers, however, just use one ISBN for ebooks, regardless of the version.
On the copyright page, I include the ISBN for the paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook versions. I use the same interior files for all versions, so it’s easier to format just once and include all information for all versions. Of course, each ISBN is clearly identified by format.
Title, Author, Illustrator
Include the identifying information for the book’s title, author and illustrator. Include any other information on contributions to the book.
Publisher’s Information
Include the name of the publisher, address, and contact information.
Pre-Pub PCN Program
The Library of Congress has operated a PCN (Preassigned Control Number) for years but replaced it in 2019 with a web-based Pre-Pub Book Link. The program is designed to create a Library of Congress record for a book. Follow the directions to obtain the PCN.
Editions Information
If this is a second edition or so on, the information should be included here.
Country of Origin
Include the country where the printing occurred. This doesn’t matter for POD (print on demand) books, but only to those offset printed in another country. This is required for customs.
CIPBlock.com
Librarians need information on how to catalog and shelve your books. Oh, they could create this information for themselves, but it’s faster and easier (ALWAYS make a librarian’s and teacher’s lives easier, because they are overworked!) This is usually provided on the copyright page in the CIP (Cataloging in Publishing) block. Books without the CIP block are harder to deal with and may give a librarian a good reason to NOT purchase your book.
Adrienne Bashista, a former librarian, provides CIP blocks for a reasonable fee. She needs the book’s metadata (Including the ISBN and PCN number) and sometimes a sample in order to complete the block. When you receive it, simply insert it on the copyright page. See CIPBlock.com
More information on CIP Blocks
About BISAC Codes
BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) is an industry-approved list of subject descriptors, each of which is represented by a nine-character alphanumeric code. It tells bookstores and librarians what the book is about. There are specific categories for children’s books, the Juvenile Fiction and Nonfiction categories. Added a few years ago are the Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction categories.
Or look here for Juvenile Fiction: https://bisg.org/page/JuvenileFiction
Juvenile Nonfiction: https://bisg.org/page/JuvenileNonfiction
Young Adult Fiction: https://bisg.org/page/YAFiction
Young Adult Nonfiction: https://bisg.org/page/YANonFiction
Choosing categories is usually straight forward because the codes should be closely aligned with the topics in your book. For example, a young adult novel about dealing with a step-mother would fit into these categories:
YAF018080 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Family / Blended Families
YAF018030 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Family / Marriage & Divorce
If you chose to include a CIP data block, the BISAC categories are included in it for easy reference. You can also use these categories when you input information into Ingram, KDP, or other printers and distributors. You’ll soon find, however, that each company has its own list of categories, catered to its system and readers. Still, I use the BISAC categories as a starting point for determining categories on distributors.
Download a Formatting Checklist
The IBPA (Independent Book Producers Assocaiton) offers a free download of their Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book (available in English or Spanish).