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When and How to Copyright Your Book

Written by: Melinda Copp

Article Overview: Copyrighting your book is an important step in the process of becoming an author because it helps protect against people taking or using your work without permission. But how do you get a copyright? And when should you file for one? If you’re unsure about how to protect your work, consider the following suggestions.

When and How to Copyright Your Book

Copyrighting your book is an important step in the process of becoming an author because it helps protect against people taking or using your work without permission. But how do you get a copyright? And when should you file for one? If you're unsure about how to protect your work, consider the following suggestions.

First, a quick disclaimer: I am not a copyright attorney, and this article should not be taken as legal advice. Please use this only as a guide for where to find more information about how to protect your work. And, keep in mind that this is for authors in the United States. Copyright laws in other countries may be different. Okay, so here are the most common questions about copyrighting a book.

How do I copyright my book?

The process is actually pretty easy. After your book is published, all you have to do is go to the U.S. Copyright Office web site at copyright.gov, download and complete the paperwork, and send it in with your payment and two bound copies of your book. If you like, you can file for your copyright before your book is published, but then after publication, you'll need to re-file it as a published work.

Do I need to copyright my book before I show it to an agent/editor/writing coach/colleague/teacher?

No. As soon as you write your book, it's actually copyrighted. You automatically own all the copyrights to everything you write, and if someone tries to take it and claim it as theirs, you can pursue legal action against them and win. Filing an official copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office just gives you added protection in case something should happen.

I can't tell you how many times I've asked a potential client to send me their manuscript and they've said, "I haven't copyrighted it yet-so how do I know you're not going to steal it?" This is a common concern, but in all the years I've worked in the book world, I've never heard of anyone having their manuscript stolen by an editor or agent. Ever. Why? Because, like I said, your work is legally copyrighted as soon as you write it.

What about the title-can I copyright that?

Sorry. You can't copyright a title, which means that anyone can use the exact same title you've used for your book. However, you may be able to trademark it. For more information on that, visit uspto.gov for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

How can I copyright my book idea?

You can't. Copyrights don't protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods. If you write a description of your idea, or draw a picture of it, then you can copyright that.

Can I put the copyright symbol on my work, even if I haven't filed the official paperwork?

Yes, and you should. Use the symbol of the lowercase "C" inside the circle, or just (c), followed by the date the work was created to show that your work is protected.

Protecting your book with a copyright is essential. When you do it is up to you, but you'll definitely want to file a copyright for your book after publication. It will help protect your work against plagiarism and use without permission. And if you have additional questions, the U.S. Copyright Office web site or talk to a copyright attorney.

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Article Tags: book coach, book writing help, copyright a book, write a book, write nonfiction book



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My reading log - Hi OmnivoreInk, Before starting my business, I read the following books as research: -"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki -"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm -"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order): -"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross -"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom -"The Twits" by Roald Dahl -"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne -"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener -"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell -"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis -"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following: -"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson -"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell -"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett -"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch -"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron -"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
You are too young - I don't really believe (I've been into web designing for 7 years now... I started in 2000) there is any web design laws. Besides the fact that you can't use copyrighted images on web design without permission from the original author. Also, any web designs you do you may want to have it copyrighted so other's can't steal your idea's or whatever... of course, you can offer a "Copyright Change" option for a bit more money that will allow you to be able to transfer the copyrights and give exclusive rights to the purchaser. All in all, don't worry about the laws... you should be fine, just remember that if your in the U.S. that if your making over $400 (or maybe its $600) in revenue, you'll have to pay taxes to the government... and please get a LLC, although its not a big thing with web designs, you could get into legal trouble somewhere in the business. Lastly, use contracts for when your selling or use agreements to clear the air so that you can have a safe business and you'll have some backing up if you ever are taken to court.
Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations - Great post,but please edit the headline. I presume it is "10 Reasons Why Startups Fail & Book Recommendation
great concept for promoting book! - Nikki-- I love it! You really have a handle on viral book promotion! Look for my submission (and in the future for a ghostwriting project I'm working on). And I can't wait for Book Promo 101!


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