There is no set formula for what material goes on a copyright page, but some essential elements exist. Before you begin, grab three or four traditionally published books from your bookshelves, printed in your country, to see what details they included.

Below is an outline you can copy/paste into your document and customize with your details.

Some notes:

1. The text on a copyright page can be centred or flush left.
2. Although it’s unnecessary to have everything on this list, such as a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) or the printing number, these are the sort of details that make your book look more professional.
3. The orange text indicates areas where you would replace the text with your information.
4. If the disclaimer (below the cover image credit) does not fit your book, you will find more examples further down this page that might apply. You may need to confer with professional legal counsel for this section.
5. The links below this section will take you to the sites to purchase ISBNs in Canada and the USA, and apply for an LCCN in the USA and CIP in Canada. There is also a link that will take you to a wiki page explaining what the row of numbers near the end of the content means.

Free Copyright Page Template

________________________________________

Copyright © 2025 by author name, publisher if applicable

All rights reserved

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except for brief quotations written as part of a critical review of the work and as permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-0-1234-5678-8 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-2222-2222-9 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-2-3333-3333-0 (digital)
ISBN: 978-3-444-4444-0 (audio)

Cover Design by name
Illustrated by name
Edited by name
Book layout and formatting by name

Typeset in font name

Front cover image of subject © photographer name and licensing agency

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed and bound in USA

Library of Congress Control Number: 0123400000

Publishing Company Name
123 Street Name
City, State
Zip Code

www.the-author-publisher-website.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (* see link below to learn more about the printer’s key).

If your book has been published before, add this before the current copyright and include the year(s) on the copyright line.

First published in [first year of publication]Previous ed. under the title [put original title here if the title changed]

________________________________________

Where do you get your ISBN?

You can purchase an ISBN through Amazon or IngramSpark if you’re printing with them, but you can only use that ISBN with the company you purchase it from; for instance, an IngramSpark ISBN cannot be used to print the book with Amazon and vice versa. To avoid this, you can purchase your own ISBN.

• If you’re in the USA, you can purchase your ISBN here: https://www.bowker.com/
• In Canada, you can apply for an ISBN here: https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/services/publishers/isbn/Pages/apply-isbn.aspx

Where do you get a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) in the USA or CIP in Canada?

• You can obtain the Library of Congress Control Number in the USA at the link below. You will need your own ISBN purchased from Bowker to apply.
• You will also have to publish the address of your USA-based publishing address on your copyright page and have a USA-based phone number (the phone number does not go on the copyright page): https://www.loc.gov/programs/preassigned-control-number/about-this-program/
• You must first apply for a Preassigned Control Number (PCN).
• This is the direct link to begin the process: https://locexternal.servicenowservices.com/auth

• Canadian publishers can get a Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) Number. More information can be found here: https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/services/publishers/cataloguing-publication/pages/applying.aspx

Alternate Disclaimers on Your Copyright Page

• This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
• I have tried to recreate the details shared in this book from my memories. For privacy reasons, I have changed names, identifying characteristics, and other details of some individuals and places.
• While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information in this publication, the author and publisher make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the correctness, applicability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The information is provided “as is” and may be subject to change without notice. The author and publisher shall not be held liable for any damages resulting from the use or misuse of this material. This book is not a substitute for professional [medical/legal/training/ etc.] advice.

*Printer’s Key / Number Line

0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This is the printer’s key. With each printing, you delete a number.

You can find more information about this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer%27s_key