Last updated on Sep 03, 2021
How to Create a Copyright Page in 5 Minutes (with Template)
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Martin Cavannagh
Head of Content at Reedsy, Martin has spent over eight years helping writers turn their ambitions into reality. As a voice in the indie publishing space, he has written for a number of outlets and spoken at conferences, including the 2024 Writers Summit at the London Book Fair.
View profile →A copyright page in a book is a page at the front of a published book that lists information about the book's publication details, copyright, publisher, and ISBN. While it doesn't contribute to the reader's experience (nor is it a legal requirement), it's strongly recommended for authors to include one.
That's because:
- It announces that the work is under copyright and identifies you as the owner
- It discourages infringement
- Your readers may appreciate the information disclosed in it
And last but not least, it’s super easy (and free) to create one. In fact, here’s the template as a .docx, so all you need to do is copy and paste! Just remember to customize it by switching in your own information.
Sign up to download your free copyright template!
You'll get it in your email inbox right after you sign up
If you want something that creates the copyright page entirely for you (and professionally typesets your whole book as well), you can use Reedsy Studio. This free tool automatically generates a copyright page and places it in the right place in the front matter of your book.

Cool, I know how to get a copyright page now. But what exactly is being said on this copyright page?
Glad you asked! Because that’s what the rest of this post is for. Let’s de-mystify the topic by going through each section of the copyright page, one by one. For reference on what each section looks like on the page, you can regularly check back on this image:
1. Copyright Notice
The first thing to know is that you already own the copyright to your work the minute you create it. One more time for the people in the back: you already own the copyright to your work the minute you create it! If you’re curious about the mechanics behind this, you can read up on your rights in this comprehensive guide to copyright.
Q: What are the most common mistakes authors make when self-publishing?
Suggested answer
From my conversations with self-publishing authors, here are some points came up most frequently:
- Cover design - trying to do it yourself if you don't have an understanding of design principles (or skimping by paying someone peanuts). Whether we like it or not, everyone is judging everything and everyone. First impressions count and good (exceptional) design, attracts attention. I myself have been known to purchase books just because of a gorgeous cover (and hoping the story will be as good!).
- Formatting - poor formatting will absolutely degrade all your efforts. Subconsciously, readers shouldn't be drawn to the layout. An exceptional one doesn't stand out (by way of - "There's something "off" with this layout"), and allows the reader to focus on the book content. Excellent formatting reflects an excellent product.
- Marketing - clearly defining who your target audience is, means you have clarity when it comes to creating your marketing content. It helps you market specifically to those most likely to purchase your book/s and develop a loyal following. Writing your book was one part of it. The marketing is as important to get it out into the world and it requires effort and a good understanding of what your specific book needs, so that it can garner the right attention.
- Audience - ignoring your audience and not engaging with them (or hearing their feedback), can be detrimental. They're your main source of importance when it comes to your reach. Truly understanding who they are (as above in marketing - your target audience), is crucial. They will want to engage with you and will reciprocate with loyalty.
- Procrastination and Perfectionism - this is probably one of the greatest issues we face (across humanity to be honest), and it's also a natural part of being human, that we must overcome. Learning how to optimize your time, carving out when you're most productive and sticking to it daily, and tracking when and how often you show up, creates your lifelong "good" habit. We want to weed out the bad habits that stop us from creating the work. Waiting for "the right time" is a fallacy and something that will blindly rob you of precious days, months and sometimes years. Show up for your future self now and develop the habits (over goals), that will compound over time and create the results needed. It's the actual action-taking that gives you clarity. You just need to start and keep going. Know one gets it right in the beginning. Just don't quit on yourself.
- Editing - after your hard work of bringing your book to life, this is an extremely important part of the writing process. We are so close to the work that we can easily miss what is right in front of us. A professional editor can whip you into shape and saving you time, effort and will elevate the quality exponentially.
The way to success is to never give up. Remember why you are doing it and enjoy the process!
Leoni is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
Something I have seen quite a lot lately in the self-publishing world: trying to do everything by yourself. Thinking that you just need Photoshop to make a cover, spell-checking software to edit, a dictionary and a bit of knowledge to translate. Never underestimate the value of a human professional who has spent years studying and then honing their skills. There is more to translation than substituting one word with another, just as there is more to a cover than a bunch of drawings and a title.
Find the right professional for you and your project, and work closely with them; you won't regret the expense, I promise. Also, yes, some types of stories and tropes are very popular right now, and those seem like a safe bet, as far as marketing and selling go - but likely there are a lot of similar books out already. In traditional publishing, variety is sorely lacking, because a tried and tested product seems safer; let's avoid repeating that mistake. Write the story that's in your heart and then strategically find your niche audience. You'll find them starved for exactly your flavour of creativity.
Mariafelicia is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
One of the most common mistakes I see with self-published authors is setting unrealistic timelines for their publishing journey. Many writers plan their schedule far too tightly and only reach out to professionals—whether editors, designers, or marketers—at the very last minute.
This creates unnecessary stress on both sides: the author feels rushed and overwhelmed, while the professionals either have to decline the project or take it on under less-than-ideal conditions. In the worst case, authors struggle to even find available professionals because their preferred timeline doesn’t allow for the necessary lead time. Many professionals book out months in advance, so it’s wise to plan at least four months ahead—and in many cases, even that may not be enough time.
It’s also important to remember: as self-publishers, you are free to set your own pace. Unlike in traditional publishing, there is usually no external deadline or audience impatiently waiting for the book—especially when it’s a debut. That pressure often comes only from a self-imposed timeline. Instead of rushing, it’s far wiser to take the time to do everything properly, work with professionals without stress, and then launch the book when it’s truly ready.
Publishing a professional-quality book requires space for collaboration, revisions, and creative breathing room. When timelines are compressed, the process becomes about “getting it done” rather than “getting it right,” which can ultimately compromise the quality of the finished book. A thoughtful, realistic schedule not only reduces stress but also ensures that every stage of the process—from editing to design—has the attention it deserves.
Sabrina is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
One of the biggest traps authors fall into when self-publishing is thinking that the hard part ends once the book is written.
In reality, self-publishing is as much about production as it is about creativity, and overlooking that side can leave even the best manuscript looking unprofessional.
I’ve seen too many writers skip professional editing, try to design their own cover, or leave marketing as an afterthought, and the results are usually disappointing. But just as important, and often less discussed, are the mistakes around the actual printing and publishing process. Authors frequently go with the first printer they find rather than getting at least three quotes, which is a sure way to overpay.
Others don’t ask whether VAT will be added on top of the quoted price, only to discover the true cost later.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking mistake is not asking to see samples of the paper and materials being used; the author waits excitedly for their book to arrive, only to be handed a flimsy volume on cheap stock that feels nothing like the work they poured their heart into.
The truth is, self-publishing is about producing a product as much as sharing a story. Taking the time to ask questions, compare options, and insist on seeing exactly what you’ll be paying for can mean the difference between a book that looks like an amateur project and one you’re genuinely proud to hold in your hands and which reflects the hard work you have put in as well as the hopes, naturally enough, of your client to hold a book in their hands which is a quality item.
Edward is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
I've read a fair number of self-published books, and one thing I have noticed is that an unprofessional interior book design does impact my reading experience.
Interior book design is about all that invisible work that makes a book visually pleasant to read. If the lines break poorly, if the font is too big or too small, if the line spacing is too tight or too loose, if the font selection is one that's difficult on the eyes, especially after reading for a long time--all of this will subtly make your reader tired while reading, and, perhaps subconsciously, less likely to enjoy reading your book. They might not even know why! And by the end, they may be left with this feeling that they didn't want to pick up the book to read it as much as they have other books, which is not a feeling you want your readers to have, especially for something so easily fixable.
A well typeset book is unnoticeable. That's the point! Your reader doesn't notice the words on the page. Instead, they glide over them, immersed in the story. But a poorly typeset book stands out. Your reader's attention is pulled from the story again and again because the words are too squished together to read easily, or because there was one dangling line all by itself on the last page of a chapter and that looked odd, or because the font for the text messages was inconsistently applied.
Interior book design is an important part of the publishing process that I think a lot of self-publishing authors overlook.
Emily is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
Two mistakes I've encountered through my work with self-publishing authors are definitely common, but perhaps not super obvious at first thought.
Mistake #1: Hoping to ultimately publish with a traditional publisher, but self-publishing first as a means to “test things out.”
Self-publishing should be a conscious and very intentional choice that you make because the process appeals to you, not something you do as a test drive. Once it’s published, it’s published. In fact, as a former slush pile evaluator, I quickly learned that a previously-self-published submitted manuscript was often a no-go for the publisher I worked with. Why? Well, any self-published copies of the book that had been already sold are sales the publisher might have otherwise been able to count on — chances are, if you’ve self-published your book, you’ve already gotten all your friends and family to purchase a copy. Those are all opportunities for sales no longer open to the publisher. So, if you want to self-publish, that's great! But make sure that, whatever you decide on, you're making an intentional and conscious choice.
Mistake #2: Consider your use of copyrighted works and get permission!
This applies to nonfiction and fiction works alike: If you are including previously published content in your book, do your research and understand what may require permission to use. If you're including lengthy quotations or extracts from books, short quotations to open your book chapters (i.e., epigraphs), song lyrics (yes, even just one line of a song), poetry, or photographs/artwork, you will need to seek permission clearance from the copyright holder to legally include that content in nearly all cases. I can tell you, based on several years of experience in permissions editing, that the process of figuring out who the copyright holder is, applying for clearance, hearing back, and finalizing the clearance can take MONTHS. And you may not even be granted permission, after all that effort! It can also be very expensive — publishing companies and record labels especially will charge you per usage and based on the amount you've used. So, do your research, know the risks, and decide accordingly.
Lesley-anne is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
The most common mistakes authors make when self-publishing are: 1) Not focus-group testing yout title and subtitle, Check with Amazon for duplicate titles, and ask friends/colleagues 2) Not obtaining at least 2 endorsements, for front and back cover. 3) Not creating a publisher name for themselves Amazon. If you publish under your personal Amazon account, the "publisher" will be listed as "independently published," which can erode credibility. Instead, set up your KDP account in the name of a publisher you invent. There are many more, like poorly-designed covers and interiors, but these are of the most overlooked.
Michael is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
Common mistakes:
Unrealistic or distorted view of public interest (Harsh, I know.)
Family and friends aren't fans--neither are paid reviews. It is important to be as objective as possible when assessing your book's popularity. I say this because many indie and early-stage authors believe they need what NY Times BEst Selling authors need, and that can lead to a lot of wasted time and money.
Acting as your own publishing company
It may seem like creating a separate name as your "publishing company" but the reality is, you don't yet have a company. This can be misleading to actual publishers that may be interested or contribute to the mistake mentioned above. These days, authentically doing everything on your own is more appealing to readers and publishers than the "fake it 'til you make it" strategy.
Starting a blog
If you aren't ready to commit to a regular schedule or writing blogs in batches, you don't need a blog on your website. Focus more on a simple and clear website and point of sale, then drive traffic to it. A blog isn't going to get you traffic unless you treat the blog itself as a business of its own.
Chad is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
The job of the copyright notice is simply to declare this to readers: I wrote this book and I own the copyright. It consists of three components:
- “Copyright” and “©”: Since the copyright symbol isn’t recognized in some countries, it’s best to also write it out so there’s no confusion.
- Copyright owner’s name: Assumedly, this will be the author’s name, though it’s perfectly okay to use a pen name or pseudonym.
- Year of publication: Note that this is the year you publish the work (not the year you first created it).
Together, it will give you this copyright statement. Any configuration will do the trick:
Copyright © Anthony Hall, 2014
Copyright © 2014 Anthony Hall
Copyright © 2014 by Anthony Hall
Believe it or not, that’s all you need to tell the world that you own the copyright to your work. If you want, you can also include additional information about copyright dates of previous editions, copyright renewals or other changes, and the country of printing, but none of that is absolutely necessary.
Now we need to inform people about your rights, which takes us to the next step: the reservation of rights.

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2. All Rights Reserved
The page will also include a copyright statement that asks the reader to respect the writer’s rights. To do this, you simply need to write one of the two variations:
All rights reserved.
or
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
So what exactly do these deceptively short sentences mean?
Q: How can authors protect their rights when publishing, especially in the age of AI?
Suggested answer
I don't think anyone can fully protect themselves. If you act in good faith you will find that most other people will do the same. There will always be rogues, but selling books is hard enough if you are the real author, even harder if you have stolen it.
Andrew is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
All rights reserved
This indicates that the copyright owner reserves all the formal rights that copyright protection grants. This includes the right to publish the work, distribute the work, and make derivative works out of it.
Moral rights
Asserting moral rights — separate from economic rights — is a way to declare the right to be attributed as the author of the work. You’ll see this sentence most often in books that are published outside the United States, since the U.S. doesn’t distinguish between moral and economic rights.
These days, this statement is just a formality. But if you’d prefer to be a bit more explicit, this is another popular way to phrase it:
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Ta-da! In a few strokes of a pen, you’ve successfully declared your status as the copyright owner. That’s all that you really need.
If you’re using Reedsy Studio: Our free formatting tool will automatically generate the copyright notice and rights of reservation. When you're editing your book, you just have to tap on "Copyright" in the "Front Matter" section of the left-hand sidebar. Then all you have to do is fill in the fields, and hey presto! When you export your final book, it'll have a perfectly formatted copyright page.
3. Disclaimer
In a society where lawsuits are commonplace, it’s really no wonder that disclaimers are popular among authors. Don’t sweat, though! Before you start sweating over the idea of trips to the courtroom, there are a few copyright statements that will cover your bases. Here are some popular examples of disclaimers:
FOR FICTION: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
FOR CREATIVE NONFICTION: This is a work of creative nonfiction. Some parts have been fictionalized in varying degrees, for various purposes.
FOR MEMOIRS: The events and conversations in this book have been set down to the best of the author’s ability, although some names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
If you’re really feeling paranoid, you can even go so far as Cheryl Strayed’s Wild did:
Every effort has been made to trace or contact all copyright holders. The publishers will be pleased to make good any omissions or rectify any mistakes brought to their attention at the earliest opportunity.
Some authors gleefully seize this opportunity to make their disclaimers tongue-in-cheek. Take this example of Dave Egger’s disclaimer for A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, for example:
Any resemblance to persons living or dead should be plainly apparent to them and those who know them, especially if the author has been kind enough to have provided their real names and, in some cases, their phone numbers. All events described herein actually happened, though on occasion the author has taken certain, very small, liberties with chronology, because that is his right as an American.
But it’s fine to keep it straightforward. To get the best idea of the disclaimer that you should use, spend some time flipping through books in your specific genre.
4. Credits
Did someone else design your cover? (Hint: indie authors are strongly recommended to get professionally designed covers). If you want to credit your designer properly, this is the spot for you. Here are some examples of ways to do this:
Illustrations copyright © 2005 by Trudy White
Jacket photograph copyright © 2006 by Colin Anderson/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Design by Lauren Dong
Cover photography by Aaron Fedor
Depending on the book, there might be other things you want to credit. For example:
- Excerpts from copyrighted material
- Forewords
- Photographs and maps
Q: What are the most effective ways for authors to begin monetizing their writing, particularly in the early stages of their career?
Suggested answer
At the beginning of your writing career, the best way to turn a profit is to be thoughtful and innovative when looking at your work.
Many new writers begin with self-publishing novellas or ebooks, which are inexpensive to produce and can be distributed to readers in rapid order.
Platforms like Smashwords or Kindle Direct Publishing permit the earning of royalties as well as developing a reader base.
Short stories appearing in literary magazines, anthologies, or contest publications also generate income and exposure.
Besides publishing, the majority of authors offer ancillary services—blogging, freelance, or ghostwriting—to generate a reliable flow of income and hone their writing skills.
Achievement in the beginning more likely comes from stability, reader engagement, and smart marketing: building a mailing list, establishing an internet presence, and cooperating with specialty communities relevant to your genre.
Money-making is never instant, but every action generates momentum toward a lucrative writing career.
John is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
Take advantage of every single opportunity that comes your way in the beginning. Don't be too picky. If the front door is locked, go in the side door. Or find a window. I had great luck with blind queries in the beginning and that was before email, kids. I built many relationships that way, and most of all, keep believing in your talent, be agile, be diligent, and above all LEARN HOW TO SELL YOURSELF.
Bev is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
If you are a non-fiction author you can use your book as a platform to get speaking engagements even before your book is published. Once it is published, ask the business you are speaking for to purchase books for each of the conference attendees and then include this purchase in your speaking "package."
Melody is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
If by "best," we mean "fastest," then self-publishing is the way to go, since there're no gatekeepers, meaning no wait time. As soon as your book's done, you can get it up for sale. But if we mean best as in "long-term for your career," that becomes a fuzzier proposition because you need to weight the wait time, rejection, potential rewrites/edits, and possibility of never having something accepted inherent in traditional publishing against the prestige that still comes with making it into that world. It also depends what level of control you want for your work. You obviously get much more with self-publishing, but perhaps you'd benefit from the edit you might get from an editor at a legacy press. Lots of variables here, but my advice is always to be honest with yourself regarding your goals.
Legacy prestige is great and all—and, if it goes well, can be much more lucrative—but there's a lot to be said for having full control of your product.
Brett is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
How you decide to phrase these acknowledgments is entirely up to you. If you want examples, see these sample acknowledgments from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Susan Caine’s The Power of Introverts, respectively: 1, 2.
5. ISBN
Ah, the ISBN. We all (vaguely) know what that is, right?
In case you don’t, ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It contains 13 digits, and you must acquire one if you want to sell print copies of your book or stock the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores. To find out more about this oft-misunderstood creature, read our ISBN guide here.
Assuming you’ve already obtained your ISBN, just list it on the page. You’ll get a different ISBN for each edition of your book (i.e., the paperback, the hardback, etc). For the sake of simplicity, you may wish to record each of these ISBNs on the page and make a note of its edition in parentheses. For example:
ISBN 978-1-5011-7321-9 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4767-4660-9 (hardcover)
6. Edition of the Book
The edition information is pretty straightforward. Confirm whether it’s the first, second, or third edition of your self-published book — then put that intel right onto the page.
You can do this in a few ways, all of which work:
First Edition
First Edition: January 2018
This paperback edition first published in 2018
7. Publisher Details
Publishers never waste a chance to promote themselves! You’ll find their details on the copyright page of a traditionally-published book, which will include the publisher’s:
- Name
- Address
- Website
Q: Should I follow current trends or write the story I’m most passionate about?
Suggested answer
If you write a book inspired by 2025 trends you might find that by the time it's ready for submission and even publication the trend has moved on to something new. It takes a long time to write a book: you have a better chance of sustaining momentum and enthusiasm if you stick to your passion project. I rather believe that readers pick up on that passion too.
Susanna is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
The issue with following current trends is that the trend may be over before you get your book completed and out to the world. If you write what you are passionate about, the story will usually end up being stronger because you are writing a story that means a lot to you, as opposed to writing something just because you think it might sell.
However, you want to be sure the story you are passionate about still has a strong possibility of selling by avoiding cliches and plots that have been overworked and overdone.
Strong stories that readers can relate to will have a good chance of finding an audience no matter the genre.
Melody is available to hire on Reedsy ⏺
If you’re self-publishing, you should know that the publisher is you (not Kindle Direct Publishing or IngramSpark, for example.) As for the address, if you don’t want to make it public, that’s perfectly fine. Simply provide the URL to your website and give readers another method of contacting you.
Reedsy Studio makes this easy. Head over to the “Copyright” tab again and fill out the relevant fields so that Reedsy Studio can create an ‘extended’ page for you. If you want to include a disclaimer, you can choose between a few of the most standard versions or write one of your own with the "additional clauses" option.
Of course, that's not all you might see on the copyright page. The information in our copyright page templates is specific to self-publishers. But if you’re morbidly curious about everything that goes onto the page in a traditionally published book, we can give you the nitty-gritty:
- Printer’s key: This is a mysterious string of numbers. Sorry to disappoint but it’s no riddle of the Sphinx: the printing numbers simply point to the print run. The smallest number that you see indicates the printing. For example: if the smallest number is “3,” then that’s the third printing of that edition.
- CIP data: Otherwise known as Cataloguing-in-Publication data, this is the Library of Congress’ bibliographic record for a book. It’s not available to self-publishers — so it’s one thing that you don’t need to worry about.
Whichever way you choose to write up this page is up to you! It all depends on what information you want to put out there for safe-keeping. And that should be a breath of relief, to know that there’s no (ahem) copy-wrong way to go about it.
In the next section of this guide, we're leaving any legal concerns behind and talking about epigraphs: those enigmatic quotes that often kick off a book!
10 responses
Andrea Jones says:
02/01/2019 – 07:59
By far the best description and breakdown that I have read. Thank you
Carol Caputo says:
22/08/2019 – 14:33
I'm an artist self– publishing a 260 page memoir with multiple images of my artwork.( 200 copies limited edition) Do I have to send a complete copy(PDF,) of the book in order to get it copyrighted?
Lewis Penn says:
29/08/2019 – 18:17
Getting ready to self-publish something new and my dad reminded me I should probably have a copyright page! I was a little overwhelmed, not sure where to start, but this was awesome!
Emma says:
15/10/2019 – 19:03
this sucked no help at all, don't use this, please imma beg you
↪️ C.A.Author replied:
25/04/2020 – 00:31
Don't you mean Emma beg you
Jewel Daigle says:
22/10/2019 – 15:50
This was amazing to read! I would definitely be using this for my upcoming book as a self publisher. My very first book too!
Adrian Laurence says:
30/11/2019 – 00:13
Great article. When writing under a pen name, should one put the pen name, real name or both in the copyright? Thanks!
↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:
13/12/2019 – 09:56
The pen name alone should be fine. You're, in essence, trading under that name.
Jackie Dasen says:
17/12/2019 – 21:23
Does it matter if the text is centered on the copyright page or margin justified?
↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:
18/12/2019 – 09:51
The industry standard is centered. With something as standardised as this, it's best not to buck the trend.