CONTENTS
July 16, 2026
Table of Contents
The copyright page intimidates most first-time authors. It looks legal, dense, and official. But for self-publishers, it is simpler than it appears — and this guide gives you the exact wording to copy, line by line.
What Goes on a Copyright Page
First, the reassuring truth: you already own the copyright to your book the moment you write it. You do not need to register it, pay for it, or include a copyright page for that protection to exist. The copyright page is not what gives you ownership — it is how you communicate that ownership to the world, and how you tell readers and distributors the basic facts about your book.
For most self-published authors, the copyright page needs four things. Everything else is optional, and much of what you see in traditionally published books exists for reasons specific to large publishers, libraries, and international distribution — none of which apply to most indie authors.
Required
Copyright Notice
Copyright symbol, year, and your name. This is the core of the page.
Required
Rights Statement
A sentence reserving your rights and restricting reproduction without permission.
Recommended
ISBN
Required for print distribution. List each format’s ISBN separately.
As Needed
Disclaimer
Fiction, memoir, and nonfiction with professional advice each need a different disclaimer.
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The Complete Copyright Page Template
Below is the full template most self-published authors need. Copy it, fill in your details, and remove any lines that do not apply to your book. Each section is explained below the template.
Copyright Page Template
Copyright © [YEAR] by [YOUR NAME OR PEN NAME]
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
[GENRE DISCLAIMER — see section below]
Published by [YOUR NAME or IMPRINT NAME]
[YOUR WEBSITE]
ISBN [PAPERBACK ISBN] (Paperback)
ISBN [EBOOK ISBN] (eBook)
First Edition: [MONTH YEAR]
Printed in [COUNTRY]
Now here is what each line does and how to fill it in.
Copyright Year and Name
Use the year you first publish the book — not the year you wrote it. If you are publishing under a pen name, use the pen name here. Both the word and the symbol are standard to include together, since the symbol alone is not recognized in all countries. Example: Copyright © 2026 by Jane Doe
All Rights Reserved Statement
This is boilerplate language that appears in almost every book. The long version in the template above is standard across the industry. A shorter version — All rights reserved. — is also legally sufficient. The longer version spells out specifically what all rights means, which is useful for clarity.
Publisher Information
If you are self-publishing under your own name, list your name as the publisher. If you have created an imprint, use that instead. Include your author website — it gives retailers, librarians, and readers a way to contact you about rights, bulk orders, or permissions.
ISBN
Each format needs its own ISBN — paperback, hardcover, and ebook are all separate. If you got your ISBN from KDP or IngramSpark, list it here. If you only have one format at launch, only list the one you have. Do not leave an ISBN placeholder blank — either fill it in or remove the line.
Edition and Print Line
First Edition with the month and year establishes when this version was published. Printed in [Country] tells readers and retailers where the book was manufactured — relevant if you are using POD printing through KDP or IngramSpark. For ebooks only, skip the Printed in line.
Genre-Specific Disclaimers
The disclaimer is the part most authors get wrong — either they skip it when they need it, or they paste in a fiction disclaimer when they are writing nonfiction. Here is exactly what each genre needs.
Fiction
Use this for all novels, short story collections, and fictional works. It protects you if a character’s name or situation accidentally resembles a real person.
Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction
Memoirs describe real events and real people, which creates different legal exposure than fiction. This disclaimer acknowledges the subjective nature of memory and protects you if someone disputes your account of shared events.
Nonfiction with Professional Advice
This is important for any book where readers might act on your guidance in ways that affect their health, finances, or legal situation. Adjust the bracketed word to match your field.
AI Training Clause (Optional, 2026)
The legal weight of this clause is still evolving, but it clearly communicates your position. More authors are including it as AI training on published content becomes a growing concern. It is optional, but straightforward to add.
What You Can Skip
Traditionally published books often have several additional sections on their copyright pages that you do not need as a self-publisher. These exist for reasons specific to large publishing houses and do not apply to most indie authors.
Library of Congress Cataloging Data
The dense block of cataloging information (CIP data) is generated by the Library of Congress for traditionally published books. Self-published authors are not eligible for CIP data. If you see it in someone’s copyright page template, skip it — it does not apply to you.
Quantity Sales Information
Lines about special discounts for bulk purchases and distribution contact information are standard in books sold to wholesalers and bookstore chains at scale. If you are not set up for institutional bulk sales, this section adds length without adding value.
Physical Address
Traditional publishers list their office address for permissions requests. Self-published authors publishing under their own name should not list a home address in a publicly distributed book. Your author website contact page is sufficient — link to that instead.
Where the Copyright Page Lives in Your Book
In print books, the copyright page is the back of the title page — the second interior page of the book. It should be on the left-hand side (verso) in a standard print layout, and the text is typically set in a smaller font size than body copy, often toward the bottom of the page.
For ebooks, placement varies slightly depending on the platform and formatting software. Most ebook formatters place the copyright page at the front of the file, immediately after the title page. Some authors move it to the back matter of ebooks to keep the front clean — this is acceptable for ebooks only, not for print.
Note for print books: If your book is being professionally designed and formatted, share your copyright page text with your cover and interior designer before layout begins. The copyright page is part of the front matter that affects your total page count — which is what your cover designer uses to calculate the spine width for your full cover wrap.
Getting your front matter finalized before briefing your cover designer means your final page count is accurate, your spine width calculation is correct, and your cover file comes back print-ready without revisions.
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