Or, alternatively, use your publishing company name. When sending manuscripts via email to anyone with whom you dont have a contract or agreement, send it in pdf form, not as a wordprocessed document. Nowadays, anyone can write a book and easily selfpublish it. Unless there is a compelling artistic reason to disparage a brand. Although the us has relations with many nations across the world, not all countries honor us laws. A variety of laws are specific to artwork, as artwork provides some considerations unique to other ed materials. On the flipside, youll see a bunch of scary legal information symbols, disclaimers, isbns, dewey numbers, publisher details and more. Self publishers legal handbook is the first stepbystep guide to the legal issues of selfpublishing. With the rise of selfpublishing, it has left many authors confused as to. Sep 18, 2018 also consider how you will protect the in your electronic publishing project.
Sep 14, 2018 this feature is not available right now. Legal requirements, tax laws and forms for publishers two authors wrote me in the past week asking about legal requirements, forms and tax laws for self publishing or starting a publishing company. At authorhouse, a self publishing company, we understand the amount of work youve put into your book publishing project, and ensure that you retain all rights to the content of your book throughout the self publishing process. Dec 24, 2012 self publishing continues its exponential growth. Should you register your before publishing your book. Copyright issues in ebooks and electronic publishing. Planning ahead and examining issues in the project planning stage is always better than dealing with problems after the fact. Copyright law is pretty intricate, so on this page well break down everything the aspiring selfpublished author needs to know in order to protect. Nancy starkman is a book selfpublishing expert as well as a book printing broker and book designer. This article sets out some of the important issues to take into account in your next publishing project. We are essentially just wanting to pay a selfpublishing entity to copy, print, and bind our family scrapbook. When i realized that she was both an attorney and someone who understands the world of bloggers, online publishers, and authors, i asked her to write an article that would highlight legal issues authors face, and how those issues affect self publishers.
In the past, printing processes and costs prohibited small runs of books, so self publishing was difficult and expensive. Both are important elements in quality selfpublishing and your publisher should offer both. Onestop solution for all your book printing and selfpublishing needs, our binding service, in addition, will give a professional look to your book. Cnet executive editor david carnoy offers some basic tips for ebook publishing and lays out your best options for. Find out how to a book and protect your rights as an author. Does selfpublishing ones ebook online hurt a writers chances of later selling the same book to a. A protects original works of authorship, such as videos, movies, songs, books, musicals, video games, paintings, etc. Isbn and explained for us and canadian self publishing authors so that they might find peace of mind in protecting the rights of their work. While researching the legal ramifications of selfpublishing several months ago, i contacted helen sedwick to obtain a copy of her original edition of the self publishers legal handbook. If you are interested in international laws, check out this wikipedia page. How to copyright a book book copyright copyright my book.
Since your book may go through many revisions before you have a final copy, you may want to wait until then to file the application. We place your name where it belongs, right next to the symbol on the first page of your published book. See if they have a provision like the us does for registering the under your pen name. If you are thinking of traditional publishing, however, or accidentally sold your soul rights to a selfpub shark and are trying to fight them and get your rights back, it might be beneficiary to register for more on this later. Your book must be registered before you can file an infringement suit in. This bundle of rights as provided by federal law invests the creator of a work with exclusive rights to control the reproduction.
We credit everyone we can when we know the author or publications the storiesresearch comes from. Sep 26, 2017 if you are thinking of traditional publishing, however, or accidentally sold your soul rights to a selfpub shark and are trying to fight them and get your rights back, it might be beneficiary to register for more on this later. Attorney and published author helen sedwick uses 30 years of legal experience to cut through the legalese and show writers how. But i contend that the page wins the prize because its probably the first page that a librarian, bookseller, or distributor looks at. Publishing services for self publishing authors and businesses. If youre feeling like you want more information on the legal issues around this, this information sheet is for you. Self publishing guidelines for avoiding legal issues. Here is a list of articles we put together to provide authors with some good self publishing guidelines for avoiding legal issues. Traditional authors usually tried to work with a literary agent, but it was tough to get one if you had no published work. Generally, law is meant to incentivize the creation of original works of authorship for the benefit of the public. Mar 09, 2018 a selfpublishing authors book is automatically protected when written, but authors may still want to file for protection. Updated guide to protecting your rights and wallet. As publishers its important to know that you cannot the title of your book. Code, laws protect the ownership rights of the authors of original works.
A selfpublishing authors book is automatically protected when written, but authors may still want to file for protection. So as soon as you are done with your self published book or ebook, you automatically have protection. Here are some legal terms to keep you informed on your rights as a selfpublisher and protect your works. The page is most commonly found on the back of the books title page. The stepbystep guide to the legal issues of selfpublishing helen sedwick on.
Copyright page template to use in your book book design. Authors and selfpublishers need to understand basics and why it is critical to protect their work. In addition to certain guarantees provided by law, legalzoom guarantees your satisfaction with our services and support. I previously published my book through a different publisher. In the past, printing processes and costs prohibited small runs of books, so selfpublishing was difficult and expensive.
Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on kindle stores worldwide within 2448 hours. But with the advances in technology, not to mention ebooks, self publishing, as well as ing your book, can be done in a few. The page is standard in any book where its poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, or comic. When you publish through kdp or ibooks, or nookpress, or createspace, or any other retailer or distributor, you are granting them a license to sell the book on their website or possibly. Most selfpublishing companies that provide registration services, file the for you once you approve the final electronic proof of the book.
The kdp terms and conditions and content guidelines require that you hold the publishing rights to any content you upload for sale on amazon. Onestop solution for all your book printing and self publishing needs, our binding service, in addition, will give a professional look to your book. As a selfpublishing author, all you really need is the. But with the advances in technology, not to mention ebooks, selfpublishing, as well as ing your book, can be done in a few. Scott allan is a student success coach and inhouse content creator here at selfpublishing school. Authors and self publishing with the rise of ebooks and the popularity of self publishing, there are now companies that offer self publishing services such as editing, proofing, and design. I published two books with publish america, self publishing. Amazons kindle direct publishing kdp is a fast, easy and free way for authors and publishers to keep control and publish their books worldwide on the kindle and kindle reading apps. Legalzoom provides access to independent attorneys and selfhelp services at your specific direction. The reason, because after the books are published i send the synopsis, many of them to tradistional publishers and never get them back.
It can be downloaded via the internet and read using a computer or an ebook reader. If someone is the author of an original work, then they typically own the in that work. Most self publishing companies that provide registration services, file the for you once you approve the final electronic proof of the book. How to copyright a book quickly stepbystep with examples. Thus, many authors will work through a publishing company to distribute their books in an ebook. Book copyright page examples for your ebook kindlepreneur. About copyright for selfpublishing books star print brokers.
Authors and selfpublishing arts law centre of australia. And that makes it an integral part of your book marketing program. Not registering a officially may be the best thing for certain publishing mediums where it would be impractical to attempt to something such as a website, ebook you will distribute for free, etc. Many authors often confuse the terms and copywrite. Your digital book ebook does not require an isbn, but many publishers include. My personal thoughts are that since the book will not be sold, the laws would be more lax or not be applicable. The law clearly indicates that as soon as the work is finished, you own the, and therefore, have protection. May 07, 2019 learning how to a book can help alleviate all of that worry. These articles give you a good overview of some of the legal issues that can be involved in self publishing including getting permissions, using photos, defamation, privacy and more. Should i copyright my book the self publishing expert.
Selfpublished books are no different, so they should include a page. Lets start with often the source of a deeper misconception. Copyright applies to an electronic book ebook in common law jurisdictions. Please keep in mind that lulu does not offer legal advice or protection. The author services department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals. Copyright and copywrite in selfpublishing self publishing. Ebook publishers and authors who selfpublish must be aware of several issues relating to such things as cover artwork, tables, maps and charts, and excerpts of works to be included in their ebook.
Before the selfpublishing boom, authors inhabited what we refer to as the realm of traditional publishing. Also consider how you will protect the in your electronic publishing project. Kindle book copyright page examples for self publishing. An ebook or electronic book is the digital equivalent of a traditional print book. With the explosion of selfpublishing, authors must be aware of what they can and cant do when it comes to quoting, borrowing, and publishing works from other authors. Oct 08, 2009 we credit everyone we can when we know the author or publications the storiesresearch comes from.
Aug 30, 2010 many authors often confuse the terms and copywrite. If your books are written andor published under a business structure of some sort, you can list your company as the owner on your page in your ebook. At book self publishing, we provide printing solutions to the independent authors and small publishers. Following laws is the responsibility of you as a lulu author because you retain the to your work when it is published on. I remember going on the same quest myself eleven or twelve years ago and getting pretty confused.
Authors and selfpublishing with the rise of ebooks and the popularity of selfpublishing, there are now companies that offer selfpublishing services such as editing, proofing, and design. Your voice is your verbal fingerprint, and its important that it belong only to you. In this article, ill go through why self publishing an ebook is a good idea, how to format an ebook for publication, exclusivity vs going wide on multiple platforms, the specific sites available for self publishing ebooks and what information you need, thoughts on pricing, and piracy. Apr 17, 2017 nowadays, anyone can write a book and easily self publish it. Can a self publishing author use a pen namepseudonym. Mar 08, 2018 others say that the cover is the most important. Mar 12, 2014 i use article marketing to promote inkwell editorials line of ebooks. Many selfpublishers do not understand, yet in a few minutes. When you publish a book, first choice books can assign your book an isbn international standard book number which is unique to your book. This is the province of lawyers, big publishers with legal departments, and. Nov 12, 20 i published two books with publish america, self publishing. Spb works with selfpublishers in the usa and other countries to print and ship books worldwide.
More and more authors are choosing this route for presenting their work to the public, encouraged by impressive success stories, including accounts by bestselling writers who have moved over from traditional publishing to take advantage of greater profits and better control of their works. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Uploading or attempting to upload any content for which you do not have rights can result in the rejection or removal of your book, negative impact to your account status, andor loss of royalties. Learn what actually protects and how secure your rights are before publishing a book. Self publishing basics for the copyright page youtube. Now, that might sound like boring legal jargon, and ing is a. I am a new author with no experience in the world of either traditional publishing or selfpublishing, and i had no idea where to begin.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading selfpublishers legal handbook, second edition. Licenses may be limited to a particular use editorial, noncommercial, educational, format print, ebook, web, duration, geography, almost anything. Intellectual property rights frequently asked questions. Here are some legal terms to keep you informed on your rights as a self publisher and protect your works. If a title could be considered a trademark, you can use the trademark system to attempt to protect your title, but it will be an expensive, lengthy and uncertain process, and you may well be denied trademark protection. This means that only the holder of a book is authorized to reproduce or distribute the book. Finally, artwork can be subject to rules regarding works made for hire. Some may be under the impression that registration is a must prior to submitting their work to a publisher. In particular, artwork is subject to the visual artists rights act, the first sale doctrine and specific resale rights which vary by location. Both are important elements in quality selfpublishing and your publisher should offer both lets start with often the source of a deeper misconception. I use article marketing to promote inkwell editorials line of ebooks. Copyright page example of copyright pages free copyright. Ifwhen you register your, include your real and pen names on the registration form. With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, jodee thayer works as the director of author services for outskirts press.
When it comes to using a brand name in a negative light, authors walk a very fine line. Selfpublishers get the highest quality books at a low unit cost, keeping 100 percent profit and all rights. Go ahead and use your pen name on the page in your ebook. Leaving such an essential intermediate step out of the kindle publishing equation leaves new self publishers confused and feeling uneasy when getting their book ready to upload onto kindle direct publishing kdp. Attorney and published author helen sedwick uses 30 years of legal experience to cut through the legalese and show writers how to stay out of court and at their desks. Many selfpublishing authors find the page to be horribly confusing. Allis selfpublishing news looks at how changes to patreons business model will affect indies, new developments in blockchain, an exciting breakthrough for indies in dealing with european union tax law complexity, and the growth of the digital textbook rental market. Authors and selfpublishers need to understand basics and. Generally, trademark laws exist to prevent customer confusion about the source of. What selfpublished authors need to know about taxes. Brand tarnishment is akin to defamation, and disparaging use of a brand name is often easier to find as publishing moves to the ebook and audiobook formats. Most selfpublishers get intimidated when it comes to making their first book page. The official book ing process is a simple and affordable way to permanently protect your work against plagiarism and theft.