Copyright page generator
This copyright page generator puts the lines of a book's copyright page in the usual order: the notice, the rights wording, the edition, the publisher, an ISBN for each format, a disclaimer that fits the book, and the credits. Type your details and the page builds as you go. Then copy it as plain text or download it as a file you can drop into your interior.
A copyright page announces your claim. It doesn't create your copyright, and it doesn't register it. The sections below show what each line does and where the law stops. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to use the copyright page generator
Use the name you want shown as the owner. For a pen name, see the questions below.
The year is the first year copies reach the public, not the year you started writing.
If you publish yourself, the publisher is your own name or your imprint.
Leave unused formats blank, and run each number through the ISBN checker first.
Choose the ones that are true of your book.
Cover design, editing, illustration and typeface appear only if you fill them in. Check that the "Printed in" line matches where your book is actually printed.
Set it on the first left-hand page after the title page, and read the preview aloud once first. Nobody proofreads this page, so typos survive.
What goes on a copyright page, line by line
Title and copyright notice
The tool prints "Copyright ©", the year and your name. The Copyright Office describes a notice as the symbol, the word "copyright" or "copr.", the year of first publication and the owner's name.
Edition line
"First edition" by default. Choose second, third or revised for later runs, or leave the line out. A new edition with real changes also needs its own ISBN.
Rights reserved wording
The paragraph saying nobody may copy the book without written permission, with an exception for reviewers. The tool offers four versions, compared in the next section.
Disclaimer
A short statement about invented names, recollection or general guidance. There are four wordings, and you can choose none.
Publisher, place and website
Who published the book and where. It helps librarians and booksellers, and should match the publisher on your ISBN record.
ISBNs and Library of Congress number
One ISBN per format, each labeled paperback, hardcover, ebook or audiobook. Add the control number if you have one.
Credits
Cover design, illustrations, editing and typeface, each printed only if filled in.
Printed in
The country where the book is printed, as the closing line. The default is the United States of America, so change it if that isn't true.
How the copyright page generator works
The tool builds the page one line at a time, always in this order: title, the copyright notice, the edition, the rights wording, the disclaimer, publisher, place and website, the ISBN lines, the Library of Congress number, the credits (cover, illustrations, edited by, set in) and finally "Printed in". A blank field is skipped, so an empty credit never leaves a stray label behind.
If you clear the year, it uses the current year. If you clear the author, it writes "the author". The page is built in your browser.
| Option | Words | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| All rights reserved, full wording | 53 | The conventional long form, with an exception for reviewers |
| All rights reserved, short form | 26 | The same idea in two sentences |
| With a machine learning clause | 60 | The full wording plus a sentence that the book may not be used to train AI systems |
| Creative Commons, attribution non commercial | 38 | A licence statement in place of "all rights reserved", with the licence address |
The disclaimers run 36 words for fiction, 34 for fiction using real events, 36 for memoir and 38 for nonfiction guidance. All counts were made by running the tool's own text through a script on October 23, 2026.
The machine learning clause states your position. It doesn't stop anyone from doing anything, and whether such a sentence has legal effect is still unsettled. Include it to put your wishes on the record, not as a lock.
"Download it" gives you an RTF file set in 11 point Times New Roman, one line per paragraph. It opens in LibreOffice and most word processors. Restyle it to match your interior.
Worked examples
Each page below was produced by running the tool's own wording in a script, and the word counts are for the printed page. The names are invented, and the ISBN lines show the tool's placeholder, "978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X", because you should type your own numbers.
The tool opens on this one. Replace the placeholder ISBN before you copy anything.
The Long Winter Count
Copyright © 2027 by Ana Beltrán
First edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents 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.
Published by Western Reflections Publishing
Lake City, Colorado
westernreflectionspublishing.comISBN 978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X (paperback)
Printed in the United States of America
Short rights form, memoir disclaimer, two formats. Each format gets its own labeled ISBN line, and there's no website line because that box was left empty.
What the River Kept
Copyright © 2027 by Marisol Duarte
First edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher, except brief quotations in a review.
This is a work of memoir. It reflects the author's recollection of events over time. Some names and identifying details have been changed, some conversations have been reconstructed from memory, and some events have been compressed.
Published by Duarte Books
Santa Fe, New MexicoISBN 978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X (paperback)
ISBN 978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X (ebook)Printed in the United States of America
Machine learning clause, guidance disclaimer, three credits and no ISBN yet. The page works before numbers exist.
Quiet Money
Copyright © 2027 by Daniel Okafor
Second edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. No part of this book may be used to train, develop or fine tune any artificial intelligence or machine learning system.
The guidance in this book is offered in good faith and for general information. It is not a substitute for professional advice, and neither the author nor the publisher accepts liability for any loss arising from its use.
Published by Okafor Press
Denver, ColoradoCover design by Priya Nandakumar
Edited by Hollis Grant
Set in GaramondPrinted in the United States of America
Choose the short rights form and the fiction disclaimer, enter a hardcover and a paperback ISBN, and fill in the illustration credit. The result runs 97 words, with "Illustrations by" under the ISBN lines. The tool has no line for an illustrator's separate copyright, so add it by hand after you download the file.
What a copyright page does in law, and what it does not
Not legal advice. This section is general information about U.S. practice as of 2026. For a particular dispute or contract, talk to an intellectual property attorney.
Copyright exists from the moment an original work is fixed in a tangible form. You don't need a notice, a form or a fee for that. Registration is separate, it's voluntary, and for a U.S. work it's the step that lets you bring an infringement suit. Our guide on how to copyright a book covers the filing itself, so this page doesn't repeat it.
The notice is optional for books published on or after March 1, 1989, according to the Copyright Office's Circular 3 on copyright notice. It still earns its place. It tells readers that copyright is claimed, it names the owner for anyone who needs permission, and in a published work it may prevent a defendant from arguing innocent infringement. Circular 3 says "may," and so do we. Adding a notice needs no permission and no registration.
As of 2026 the Copyright Office lists registration at $45 for an electronic filing by a single author of one work who is also the claimant and not working for hire, and $65 for the standard application. The Office's registration FAQ covers the online system.
Here's what the page can't do. It can't register your work, and it doesn't protect ideas or, per the Copyright Office, titles. A disclaimer states your intent, and it isn't a legal shield on its own, least of all against a claim from someone identifiable in your pages. And an ISBN is not a copyright: buying one does nothing for your rights.
It can't register your work, and it doesn't protect ideas or, per the Copyright Office, titles.
Choosing the wording by kind of book
Fiction
Use the fiction disclaimer when every character and place is invented. Choose "fiction using real people or events" when a real person or event appears inside a made-up scene. Its wording says the words and actions given to real people are the author's invention, so make sure that's true.
Memoir
The memoir disclaimer says names and details may have been changed and conversations reconstructed from memory. Say only what you actually did, so if you changed no names, don't keep that sentence. If an identifiable living person is portrayed critically, speak to an attorney, because a disclaimer is not a defense.
Nonfiction and advice
The guidance disclaimer calls the book general information and not a substitute for professional advice. It doesn't replace a professional read for legal, medical or financial books. Add credits for your editor and designer.
Children's and illustrated books
Fill in the illustration credit, use the fiction disclaimer, and list a hardcover and a paperback ISBN if you're making both. Where an illustrator keeps the copyright in the art, add a separate illustration copyright line by hand.
Self-published and traditional: who fills in what
Publishing under your own name
You're the publisher. Put your name or imprint in the Publisher box, and use an ISBN you bought in that name so the publisher of record is you.
Using a platform's free ISBN
The platform is listed as publisher, and the number can't move to another platform. Make the Publisher box match the ISBN record.
Signed with a publisher
The publisher builds this page. Check proofs for your name as owner, the right year and the right ISBNs. Don't send this page with a manuscript to an agent or editor, because it's added at production.
Common mistakes on copyright pages
- Using the year you finished writing, not the year of first publication.
- Naming the publisher in the notice when the author owns the book. The notice names the owner.
- Reusing one ISBN for the paperback and the ebook. Each format takes its own.
- Typing an ISBN with one wrong digit. Check it in the ISBN checker first.
- Leaving "Printed in the United States of America" on a book printed somewhere else.
- Keeping a disclaimer that isn't true, such as "names have been changed."
- Putting the page on the wrong side. It belongs on the left-hand page after the title page, with no page number.
ISBNs on the copyright page
The International ISBN Agency's Users' Manual says a printed book's ISBN must appear on the verso of the title page, which is the copyright page, or at the foot of the title page if there's no room. It also belongs on the lower part of the outside back cover. A separate ISBN goes to each separate edition or format, while a change of cover design, color or price doesn't call for a new one.
For digital books the number appears on the title display or the screen that carries the copyright notice. Some retailers that are the sole provider of a proprietary format don't ask for an ISBN, so don't assume every ebook needs one.
In the United States, ISBNs are sold by Bowker. As of 2026 the price is $125 for one and $295 for ten. The hyphens between the five parts are there for readability only. Our guide on how to get an ISBN covers buying them.
The hyphens between the five parts are there for readability only.
Related guides on the Author Resources hub
How to Copyright a Book
Registration step by step, and what it buys you. Read the guide.
How to Get an ISBN for Your Book
Numbers, formats, and free versus bought. Read the guide.
How to Publish a Book
Where front matter fits in the whole process. Read the guide.
When the page is part of the whole book
The copyright page is one piece of front matter inside a laid-out interior. Interior layout is $2.20 a page with a $600 minimum, and it covers the typeset pages, front and back matter, and a print PDF. ISBN and barcode are bought at cost, $125 or $295 for ten, in the author's name. We've published books since 1996, and we read a sample before we quote. Prices on our published prices page are starting prices, not flat rates.
To have the whole book handled, see our book publishing services and interior layout work.
To have the whole book handled, see our book publishing services and interior layout work.
Questions we get asked
What goes on a book copyright page?
The notice (the symbol or the word copyright, the year, the owner), the rights reserved wording, an edition line, the publisher, an ISBN for each format, a disclaimer where it fits, and any credits. The generator above fills those lines in the usual order, and you can drop any you don't need.
Is a copyright page legally required?
No. The notice is optional for books published on or after March 1, 1989, but it tells readers who claims the work and may help against an innocent infringement defense, according to Circular 3. Amazon KDP's formatting help lists the copyright page among its front matter elements, and says many are optional.
How do I copyright my book online?
Your copyright exists once the book is written. To register it, use the Copyright Office's online system. As of 2026 the fee is $45 for the single-author application and $65 for the standard one. Our guide on how to copyright a book walks through the steps.
Can you give an example of a copyright page for a children's book?
It has the same lines as any other book, plus the illustration credit. Example: the title, "Copyright © 2027 by [name]," the edition, the short rights wording, the fiction disclaimer, the publisher, an ISBN for each format, and "Illustrations by [name]." If the illustrator keeps the art copyright, add a separate line for it.
How do I create an author pseudonym?
The Copyright Office says no law requires your real name on the application. If you file under a fictitious name, tick the "Pseudonymous" box. The registration record is public. Whether the notice shows your pen name or your own name is a choice, so ask an attorney if contracts depend on it.
Can I copyright myself as a person?
No. Copyright protects original works, not people. The Copyright Office also says titles, names and short phrases aren't protected by copyright, although some may work as trademarks. Your books are protected as you write them.
Where does the copyright page go, and what font size?
On the first left-hand page after the title page, with no page number, according to KDP's front matter help. There's no official type size, and most designers set the page smaller than the body text. The tool's file is 11 point Times New Roman, so restyle it to match your book.
Does an ebook need a copyright page?
Retailers don't require one, but readers expect it. The International ISBN Agency says a digital book shows its ISBN on the title display or the screen that carries the copyright notice, so this page is the natural place for it.
Is the generated copyright page legal advice?
No. It's standard wording assembled from your answers. For a real person in a memoir or any rights question, talk to an intellectual property attorney.
Keep going with the next tool
Check each number in the ISBN checker, size the barcode area with the cover template generator, and estimate length with the page count estimator. More are on our author tools page.
Tools will only take you so far
Send what you have. Even a half-written manuscript is enough for a reader to tell you what it needs.