How to Copyright a Novel
It is important to protect your work before you have it published, either through your own efforts or through a publishing company. After all, you will want to make sure that you can claim it as your own! This article help you learn how to copyright your novel as well as take the first step towards publishing it.
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Instructions
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How to Copyright a Novel
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Prepare your manuscript. Make sure everything is in order before you send the manuscript to a copyright office.
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Visit the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov. Go to the copyright page to file your work(s). You will need to find the file type for your literary work. Depending on what type of novel you have written, you will be instructed to select one of the following: Form TX, Short Form TX or Form CON.
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Complete the paper work. Find the correct form, then combine with your manuscript and a check for $45 dollars. Send the documents together to the Library of Congress.
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Show your copyright stamp of approval. Complete an acknowledgment that the book is owned by yourself. Print on the first page of the book, and include the publication date as well as the Library of Congress number.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that you receive a certificate. Typically, six months after you register your work, you will receive a certificate saying that everything is in order and you are officially a part of the copyright office.
Don't use poor man's copyright. This is where a person sends a document in the mail to himself. Then, leaves the envelope sealed. This will show the 'registration' date that the manuscript was received. While this may work in a court of law, it is not a legitimate copyright.
