When you publish your own book, you are the copyright holder and the publisher, so a few lines change. You decide whether to print your own name, an imprint name you created, or the name on your ISBN record. The generator below is set up for a self-published book; the template has the lines in order, and the examples show three ways self-published authors handle the publisher line.
Copyright page generator
Fill in what you have; leave the rest blank. Nothing you type leaves this page.
[Book title] Copyright © 2026 [Author name] All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for brief quotations in a book review. ISBN [your ISBN] First edition Printed in the United States of America
Download the template
Free, no sign-up. Open it in Word, Google Docs, Pages or LibreOffice and replace the bracketed parts.
Examples
- Published by Maple Lane Press, Columbus, Ohio (an imprint created by the author; the same name as on the ISBN record)
- Published by the author Copyright © 2026 Daniel Reyes
- Copyright © 2026 Amara Obi ISBN 978-1-98765-432-1 (hardcover) No part of this book may be used to train artificial intelligence systems without the author's written permission.
- Second edition, revised 2026. First published 2023.
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2026912345 (assigned before publication through the PCN program)
Your name, an imprint, or a publisher service
If you buy your own ISBNs, the publisher on the ISBN record is whoever bought them, which is you or the imprint name you registered them under. Use the same name on the copyright page so catalogues match.
If a service supplies the ISBN, the publisher of record is usually that service's name. Check before you print, because the copyright page should not contradict the ISBN record.
Lines self-published authors often add
- A rights line about AI training, if you want to state it.
- A contact line for rights and permissions requests (an email address, not a home address).
- Credits for freelance cover designers, editors and illustrators you paid.
- A revised-edition note if you have updated the book since it first came out.
Registering the copyright
Your copyright exists as soon as the book is written. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional, but it is required before a U.S. author can sue for infringement, so many self-published authors register once the final text is fixed.
Questions
Do I need an imprint name?
No. "Published by the author" or your own name is fine. Some authors create an imprint name so the book looks the same as one from a small press.
Can I change the copyright page later?
Yes, for a new printing or edition. Keep the original year and add the new one for a revised edition.
What address should I print?
None is required. If you want readers to reach you, use a website or email address rather than a home address.
Sources
- U.S. Copyright Office, What is Copyright?, checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Library of Congress, Preassigned Control Number program, checked 28 Oct 2026.
Ready to publish your book?
Compare what each package includes, or send us your questions on WhatsApp.