The Chicken and the Egg

Looking back at my last post, I think I was getting ahead of myself. I’m just so excited to show you everything you need to know to get your book published! I had planned to dive straight into launch strategies today, but after a few messages from you all, I realized we need to slow down and nail the fundamentals first.

The Copyright Checklist

Hopefully, navigating the copyright website wasn’t too daunting. Remember, you’re looking for the option: “Register unpublished work.” The fee is currently $45.

Once you’ve registered, here’s what to expect:

• You’ll receive a confirmation email for your application.
• In a few weeks (or more), you’ll receive your official certificate in the mail.
• Keep that certificate in a safe place!

Your Book’s Copyright Page

Every book needs a copyright page. Depending on your genre, you’ll find it near the front—or in the back for children’s picture books. While there are variations, most follow a standard structure. Here is a basic template you can adapt:

Copyright © [Year of First Publication] [Author or Pen Name]

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, contact: [Your Email/Phone]

Cover by [Designer Name]

ISBN:[Number] (print)

Printed in[Country]

Edition:[Number]

Note: This is a template I picked up from a class at Durham Tech, but you can find plenty of other great ones online as well.

The Order of Operations

The information you put on your copyright page dictates your workflow. For example, to finalize that page, you need an ISBN. I highly recommend buying your own through Bowker rather than using a free one; link to my previous post here] to refresh your memory on why.

Here is my suggested checklist to stay organized when things feel overwhelming:

1. Register your work at Copyright.gov.
2. Apply for an ISBN at Bowker.com.
3. Assign the ISBN to your book.
4. Buy a Barcode (also via Bowker). You’ll need the ISBN assigned to the book before you can generate the Barcode. (Note: You can skip this if you are only publishing an eBook.)
5. Download your Barcode to your files.
6. Add the Barcode to the back cover of your book file (in Canva, Photoshop, or your design software of choice).

• Pro Tip 1: Bowker’s default barcode is quite large. If you’re working with a graphic designer, ask them to scale it down for you.
• Pro Tip 2: Don’t include the price of your book in your barcode. This gives you the flexibility to change your book’s price later without needing a new design.

Almost There!

Once you have your ISBN and publication year, you can finalize your copyright page. Remember, this page should be part of the same PDF as your manuscript—it’s considered part of your book’s “front matter.”

Once you’ve cleared these hurdles, your book will be ready to upload! Next, we’ll need to choose your publishing platform. If you’d like a post breaking down the pros and cons of different platforms, let me know in the comments.

Au Revoir

I hope this “step back” was helpful—there are so many moving parts to this process, and I want to make sure you get it right. Next week, we’ll dive into timelines and launch dates. Hopefully, I won’t need to take another step back!

Feel free to leave a comment or reach out at author@anechypadron.com.

(A quick note on spam: I do not open or respond to solicitations for marketing services. Thanks for understanding!)

Anechy Padron

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