THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING—Copyright Registration
Copyright Registration is an important part of your book’s publication process. Although you can file a “pre-publication” copyright, it is not necessary since the self-publishing process doesn’t take years to complete. 
We recommend that you wait to start copyright registration until after your book has been sent to the printer. If you live outside the United States and are planning to publish your book in the US, you will need to consult with an American copyright attorney for help in determining how to register copyright for your book.
The US Copyright Office has both online and paper filing systems. Their paper system can be confusing and costs an additional $10 to file, so we recommend you file via their online “eCO” system. Filing fees are $35 for eCO and $45 for paper processing. Go to: http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html and follow the steps to obtain a US Copyright Office account and file your copyright.
After completing the process, watch your email for detailed instructions and a packing slip that will be emailed to you from the US Copyright Office. Print out the packing slip and mail it to the US Copyright Office (address below) along with two copies of your book when you get your first order from the printer.
Copyright Registration is a detailed process. If you find you’d like to have someone take care of these details for you and retain all of your rights and royalties, contact us at IAmPublished.com. We offer a wide range of services and several affordable packages depending on your needs.
THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING—Control Number and Cataloging in Publication Registration
To register your book with the US Library of Congress, you can choose to obtain an LCCN or Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data. Read through each section below to decide which one to get.
Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)
After you receive your ISBNs and an estimated page count from your interior layout artist, you should register the book for a Library of Congress Control Number. The LCCN is entered into a directory that allows libraries within the US to order a copy of your book. If your book is published outside of the US, check with your local library for the equivelent of an LCCN. This number will appear on the copyright page along with the ISBN. To apply for an account with the Library of Congress and an LCCN for your book, go to http://pcn.loc.gov and follow the steps.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication (CIP)
Library of Congress CIP data is a detailed description of your book’s subject matter, that is registered in the main Library of Congress database. It helps libraries find, order, and stock books faster. While libraries can order the book with an LCCN, CIP data gets the book in front of them and makes the ordering process even easier. It is beneficial if you are eligible. There are several requirements for getting CIP data, primarily that you are not a self-published author.
As a self-published author, you will not be eligible for Library of Congress CIP information. However, there are two ways to possibly get around this block. First, you can try and register your book for CIP information and just not indicate it is self-published. If you plan on publishing titles by you and two other authors, you will be considered a “small press” and will become eligible for the program. Or you can get Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication data, which doesn’t get you into the main library database, but it does assist libraries with stocking your book, so they are more likely to order.
To try to register for Library of Congress CIP data, go to http://cip.loc.gov and apply for a CIP account using the same instructions as for the LCCN/PCN account. The pages and forms are the same. They will research your information and make a deterimation as to whether they feel you are eligible for the program. If they contact you and say you are not eligible, but you really want libraries to be more open to carrying your book, you should contract a library distributor to create P-CIP data for you. The largest library distributor in the US is Quality Books. They can be reached at:
Quality Books 1003 W. Pines Rd. Oregon, IL 61061
http://www.quality-books.com 800.323.4241
Other Requirements
When you have published your book and get your first order, you need to send one copy to whichever place you have registered it (you can only apply to register it via CIP or LCCN). Use the addresses in the boxes below to submit a complimentary copy of your book. If you chose to use a P-CIP through Quality Books or another company, you must contact them for the rules of submitting copies of your book.
Publishing a book is a detailed process. If you find you’d like to have someone take care of these details for you and retain all of your rights and royalties, contact us at IAmPublished.com. We offer a wide range of services and several affordable packages depending on your needs.
THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING—ISBN Assignment
In the process of getting your book printed and distributed, there is the consideration of the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) prefix. If you don’t already have an ISBN prefix, you can obtain one in the US from RR Bowker at www.isbn.org. If you’re planning on writing and publishing more than one book, it is less expensive and easier to order 10 at a time when you register through their site. It may take up to a week for the processing of your application, so don’t wait until your book is ready for printing to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About ISBNs
Do I have to get an ISBN?
If you are going to market your books directly and have no desire to sell them in a retail store or through an online retailer, you don’t have to assign an ISBN to your book. If you want to sell books through any retail outlet (other than one you may own) or if you want libraries to order it, you must obtain an ISBN.
What’s the difference between an ISBN and an ISBN prefix?
The ISBN prefix is included in each ISBN. It is the first several digits that are the same in each ISBN assigned to you and identifies your publishing company to retailers. If you use all your ISBNs and apply for more, you will receive another prefix as well. A publishing company may have an unlimited number of prefixes depending on how many books they publish.
What’s the difference between an ISBN and a barcode?
The ISBN is the number itself that you purchase. The barcode is a computer-scannable image (like a UPC) generated from the number. It can be generated by using a software program or purchased from RR Bowker (www.isbn.org).
If I don’t get an ISBN barcode from RR Bowker, where can I get one?
A printable ISBN barcode file can be obtained free from www.myidentifiers.com/barcode/faqs. You may give that website to your cover designer or submit the information yourself. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to follow each step on the website carefully. When you have completed the process, download the file(s) to your computer) and give the barcode image file to the cover designer to be included on the back cover of the book.
Should I embed the price of my book in the barcode?
Along with the ISBN, the retail price of the book can be embedded in the barcode as well. It is easier for retailers to find the price of your book if it is embedded in the barcode, so the practice is recommended, however it is your option to decide. For additional information on how to format the price of your book, consult www.myidentifiers.com/barcode/faqs.
What do I do once I get my numbers?
After you get your ISBN numbers from Bowker (www.isbn.org), you’ll need to assign an ISBN to your book. Once an ISBN is listed in the Bowker Books in Print database, it cannot be reassigned to any other book title.
Can I use the same ISBN for hardback and paperback versions of the same book?
ISBN rules require you to assign a different ISBN for each different format of the book. A paperback, hardback, and e-book version of the same title must each have their own ISBN. A new edition of a book title must have a new ISBN.
Does the ISBN barcode have to be a certain size?
The ISBN barcode comes in a standard size, but the recommended size is actually a little smaller: 1.75 inches wide by 1 inch high. This size is still scannable by retailers and looks cleaner on the back of a book. The barcode should be placed on the lower right-hand side of the back cover, at least a half-inch from the bottom and spine.
I’ve heard that reviewers and some booksellers can tell if I’m a small publisher by my ISBN number. Is this true and will it affect sales?
ISBNs are coded with a number in what is called the “penultimate block.” If you purchase a block of 10, that number appears as a single digit. A block of 100 is a double digit and blocks of 1,000 show triple digits. By looking at the ISBN, booksellers can see how many ISBN numbers you’ve purchased, and from there figure out how large your publishing house is. However, if your book is well-written, professionally edited and designed, and if it is an interesting subject to readers, it will sell no matter which block you purchased.
What do the numbers in an ISBN mean?
Country Code
Article Identifier
Penultimate Block
Check Digit Price Code
Publisher Prefix
Tip:
Obtaining an ISBN for each of your published works is a detailed process. The information given does not represent all of the requirements necessary. Go to www.isbn.org and follow the steps to apply for your ISBN.
IAmPublished.com offers a wide range of publishing services and several affordable packages depending on your needs.
THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING—Your Business Identity
If you don’t already have a business, it’s time to consider what kind of image you want to portray. The name you choose for your business is a very important consideration. Hopefully, you will decide on a name that relates to your vision and is not hard for people to spell or remember.
Take the time to do some research and make sure the name you want is not already in use. The first place you can consult is your local county clerk’s office. Or, if you are setting up a corporation or limited liability company, you will need to check with the office of your Secretary of State, which approves business entity filings.
You may also want to do a trademark search. There may be no one in your state who is using the name you have chosen, but there may be someone in another state who is using it as a trademark. If there is any possibility that you might be doing business in other states at some point, you may not be allowed to use your trademark, if someone else had it first.
You can check with the Trademark Electronic Search System through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office known as the TESS database, but even then, what you find may not be accurate as to who might be using the trademark you want.
The best decision would be to use the services of an attorney who specializes in intellectual property. Such an expert should be able to help you do a proper trademark search to determine whether the name you want to use is a safe choice.
Choosing Your Identity
Once you have a name, branding is the most important element necessary for your business. Many authors who do not already have a business will think about branding after their book is published. However, if you are publishing 100% independently, think about branding first. So what is branding? It is simply the choice you make to represent your image to the world. Your logo, colors, tag line—all these things contribute to your “brand.” Think about a large company that has products such as food items, but also crosses over to t-shirts and apparel, toys, books and more. That company probably started out with something simple, like breakfast cereal. They created a logo, tag line, and even possibly a cartoon character to represent the cereal. Then as word spread and people began to buy the cereal, they came out with stuffed toys of their character. The stuffed toys were purchased not only because they were “cute,” but mostly because people were already familiar with the character and recognized it.
Do the same thing with your business. Start with a logo or even a photograph. Or you can choose a specific object or animal to represent your company. One of our book coaching clients chose a butterfly to represent her company, since her first book was an allegory with a butterfly. It didn’t seem to matter what type of butterfly, as when people saw butterflies they told her they thought of her company and book. Several of our clients have opted for a full logo. One of our clients had a logo created of a broken heart to represent her non-profit, and her first book had “broken heart” in the title, so her existing logo helped promote the new book.
An Example of Branding
At Imagine! StudiosTM, we selected a color palate of blue and green to represent our image. Starting with those colors, we came up with a logo that is entertaining and eye-catching. All of our marketing material and training programs use the same shades of blue and green and a similar clean design style. Our logo appears on everything from business cards and brochures to car magnets and books. Using the same logo over and over has helped us create a “brand”—something recognizable that when people see it, they think of Imagine! StudiosTM.
A Note About Color
Color can play a vital role in the feelings you want to invoke from your audience. Use the following color guide when choosing colors for your brand.
Red aggressive, energy, power, anger, hunger, heat, exciting, passionate, enthusiastic
Yellow wisdom, sunshine, joy, radiance, intellect, caution, call to action
Blue water, sky, cool, peace, knowledge, loyalty, trust, contemplation, justice
Green soothing, healing, rest, nature, money, harmony, growth, honesty, truth, testimony
Black night, power, sophisticated, elegant, formal, serious, dignified, solitary, mysterious, intrigue
Anatomy of a Book
When writing your book, keep in mind the proper format in which books commonly appear. Readers are used to seeing parts of a book in a certain order, as outlined below.
Unless you are publishing an exceptionally long book that has a high page count, typically important parts of the book will begin on the right-hand page, leaving the left-hand page blank if need be. Following this protocol makes finding a specific section while flipping through the book easier for the reader.
The standard layout for the interior of a book is:
Frontmatter in this order:
- Half-Title Page (can be eliminated for space issues)
- Complex Title Page (includes subtitles; author’s, illustrator’s, and developmental editor’s names if applicable; publisher’s logo and/or imprint; often mirrors the book’s cover in style and layout)
- Copyright Page, including the following items:
- Publisher Contact Information
- Copyright Year and Author’s Name
- Cover Design Copyright (Depending on your contract with a cover designer, or if you design the cover yourself, this copyright may be different than the book’s text copyright.)
- Cover Designer’s Information
- Standard “All Rights Reserved” Clause (See the copyright page in this book.)
- Photography, Illustration, and/or Graphics Credits (for both interior and exterior graphics)
- Credit for Scripture Quotation
- ISBN and LCCN
- Date of First Printing
- Dedication and/or Acknowledgements Page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Foreword (usually written by someone else)
- Preface (optional)
Chapters or Sections
Backmatter in this order:
- Conclusion
- Appendix including:
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- About the Author
- How to Order Page
Publishing a book is a detailed process. If you find you’d like to have someone take care of these details for you and retain all of your rights and royalties, contact us at IAmPublished.com. We offer a wide range of services and several affordable packages depending on your needs.
An overview and cost comparison of the ways to publish your book
If you’ve written a manuscript or if you’re in the process of writing one, there are many things you have already learned. In addition, there are even more things you may need to know. If you’re a first time author, there are details that may not have even occurred to you that will definitely make or break the success of your hard work.
In the history of writing, people who write have never had the benefit of the opportunities that are now available to help them see their dream come true.
In the past, it didn’t matter how passionate a writer was about the story they had to tell, the question of whether their book would become published was a matter that was mostly beyond their control.
In truth, less than 1% of authors who hope to be accepted through traditional publishing methods will actually reach the contract stage with their manuscript. At the end of only one day, thousands of potential authors have been rejected and may be left wondering if there is any hope of ever seeing their words in print.
If traditional publishing has been your dream, don’t be discouraged by the facts. Let’s take a moment to define the principal ways books can now be published.
Traditional Publishing – The business of producing books to sell to the public. A book publisher buys the rights to an author’s manuscript. The publisher then has control the writer’s work and makes all of the final decisions about the content and how it will be presented. Often, the writer is expected to share costs of promoting the book and may receive very little financial return, if any.
Subsidy Publishing – A partnership between a publisher and an author. Both parties provide an investment in moving a manuscript through the stages of development all the way to becoming a book in print. The profits are shared.
Self-publishing – To publish a book using the author’s own resources and finances without the help of an established publisher. The author has complete control over every aspect of the process and retains 100% of the rights and profits.
Assisted self-publishing – To publish a book using the author’s own resources and finances and the services of an experienced professional. Some authors may pick and choose which parts of the publishing process they will pay to have help with. Others may agree to contract the services of a company or an individual who will basically do everything for them, yet the author will retain 100% of their own rights and profits.
If you’re writing a book and need help with the publishing process, please let I Am Published! know how we can help you. We offer a wide range of services and several affordable packages depending on your needs.
Ten Ways to Write a Book
1. Make a resolution
Determine a number of days that you will set aside time to write in order to complete your manuscript. Spend a reasonable amount of time each day developing the material that you write. Write “on assignment” each and every day until your resolution has been completed and you have a manuscript.
2. Questions and answers
Create a list of ten or twelve questions about a topic you are passionate about, then set about systematically answering the questions and writing ten or twelve pages about each question. Each “answer” becomes a chapter in your book.
3. Chapter of the month
Make a list of twelve topics that relate to a subject you want to write about, then make the time to write a chapter each month of one year to complete your book.
4. Interview style
It’s easier for some people to talk to someone about their passion than it is to write about it. Get a good friend to agree to spend ten to twelve sessions with you as you record what you have to say about one topic for each session. Transcribe what you said and then fine tune.
5. Go on your own writer’s retreat
Book a stay at a place where you will not be distracted, hold yourself hostage, and then write your brains out until your manuscript is completed.
6. Write another person’s story
Meet with a person whose story you want to write about and record what they have to say regarding ten or twelve topics that are pre-determined. Transcribe and develop the material later.
7. By an outline
Sit down and name your book, based on the subject. Break what you want to communicate about your subject into ten or twelve topics. Spend some time creating ten or twelve focus sentences that are all related to each topic. Develop more material about each of the focus sentences until you have said all you want to say.
8. Collaborate
Get a writing partner and set aside time to meet. Create a basic outline for your book and then take turns writing paragraphs.
9. Blog
Set up a blog site and write three posts a week about a topic or random subjects until you have compiled enough of your thoughts to publish a book. Categorize your posts as you write and organize the material into chapters later.
10. Let others inspire you
If you know of published books on a topic you are passionate about, have a look at some of them—don’t read them—just look at them. Without copying their words or the details of their material, use their table of contents as a model to gain your own inspiration. Re-name the chapters your own way and then put the book away and write your own thoughts and do your own research.
Contact I Am Published! so we can help you achieve the professional publication of your book.
In the comment section below, tell us why you want to write a book!
Teach Like a PIRATE
I Am Published! worked with author Dave Burgess to publish his phenomenally successful book, Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator.
We were able to provide Dave with a custom, professional, and eye-catching design for both the cover and the interior of the book that helped it garner widespread attention in education circles. We also took care of certain details, allowing him to stay focused on other parts of his career.
The work we did on Teach Like a PIRATE allowed it to be marketed effectively and successfully, so much so that it has repeatedly made the New York Times Best Seller List in Education books. Additionally, it has been reviewed by and featured in many educational publications.
As an award-winning U.S. History teacher at West Hills High School in San Diego, California, for more than sixteen years, Dave Burgess specializes in teaching hard-to-reach, hard-to-motivate students with techniques that incorporate showmanship and creativity.
Based on Dave’s popular seminars, Teach Like a PIRATE, his book by the same title offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas designed to help teachers boost their creativity, transform their life as an educator, and increase student engagement.
Contact I Am Published! so we can help you achieve the professional publication of your book.
For more on Dave Burgess, visit his website at DaveBurgess.com.
12 Reasons You Should Write a Book
The fact that you are on this blog site shows you are curious and that it has entered your mind to write a book before this moment in time.
Even though it may not be a brand new idea, you’ve taken an important step by browsing and seeing what you can learn.
No doubt, you’re looking for some kind of encouragement that would lead you toward making some kind of commitment or at least moving ahead from where you are now.
Read these 12 Reasons Why You Should Write a Book and if you are feeling even more adventurous, look around our website. Be sure to contact us if we can help!
1. To share your expertise
2. A book is the best possible image development tool to help you build your business
3. A book is a great product to sell through a blog, seminar or speaking engagement
4. As the basis for other creative works, such as a movie, play, speech, etc.
5. To set yourself apart from your competition
6. To create a legacy
7. Because you have a story to tell
8. To help others do something better
9. If anyone has ever told you that you should
10. For the purpose of documenting an experience
11. To memorialize a person
12. To fulfill a dream…because it’s an awesome feeling to publish your vision
In the comment section below, tell us why you want to write a book!
21 Reasons to Use I Am Published to Publish Your Book
- Personal one-on-one coaching
- Your own on-demand printer account
- Worldwide distribution
- Meet bookstore requirements
- Professional, custom book cover design
- Branded, professional custom book layout
- eBook conversion: Kindle, iPad, Nook
- Dozens of book sizes
- Professional copyediting
- Timelines that fit your schedule (in as little as 45 days)
- Retail Distribution:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor and more - 100% Royalties
- No minimum orders
- Print cost based on specs (not retail price)
- Direct distributor access to track sales
- Free ISBN barcode
- Easy, worldwide drop ship ordering
- Everything done for you
- All rights retained (including distribution repurpose)
- Personal one-on-one account training
- Useful marketing materials