What goes on a copyright page (and a generator so you don't copy someone else's)
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R. S. Breed Founder
Most self-published authors make their copyright page by copying one out of another book. That works until you copy the wrong ISBN layout or someone else's imprint line.
A copyright page usually has:
- The copyright line: © year and the copyright holder (you, by your legal name or your pen name)
- All rights reserved, and the usual line saying nobody may copy the book except for short quotes in a review
- A fiction disclaimer, if it's fiction: names and events are made up
- An ISBN for each format, labelled: paperback, hardcover, ebook. Each format has its own number
- Edition and imprint, if you have them, and credits for the cover designer or editor
Some authors now add a line saying the text may not be used to train AI systems. That's up to you.
Here's a free generator that lays it out from your details: https://bervet.com/tools/copyright-page-generator
Pick the clauses you want, then copy the text or download it. If you've got a book plan, it fills in your title, ISBNs and imprint for you, and one tick marks the copyright page as done on your "Ready to publish?" list.
It's standard wording, not legal advice. In print it goes on the back of the title page.