How to use ISBN, LCCN and Copyright
by Vervante •
When it comes to the details of publishing books, planners, card decks and other products, some of the most frequent questions we hear are about things like ISBNs, LCCNs, and copyrighting. We know, all those acronyms can get confusing! So we put together this quick guide for understanding what they are and how they apply to your products to help you with this important part of your next publishing project.
ISBN: An ISBN number (International Standard Book Number) is a unique identifier that is assigned to your book or product. The barcode is required to sell products in a physical bookstore. If you are planning to sell your product on your site and on Amazon, you do not need to print or include a barcode on your product. The ISBN is only required for creating the listing on Amazon. You can easily purchase ISBNs through your Vervante author account or directly from Bowker.com. When you purchase an ISBN from us and we list the product on Amazon, Vervante must be listed as the publisher. You are welcome to purchase and supply your own ISBN purchased from Bowker.
Including the price in your barcode or printing the price on your book/product is not required. In fact, we don’t recommend printing a price on your book. This gives you flexibility to change the price, if necessary, without effecting the printed product.
LCCN: Libraries use the Library of Congress database to stay up-to-date on available titles. You can make it easier for libraries to purchase your book by registering for a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) - a unique identification number that the Library of Congress assigns and uses for cataloging and other book-processing activities. You need an LCCN if you have a book that you would like to be carried by a library. You can file for an LCCN online, or Vervante can provide that service for you. Click on the link that says "LCCN Assignment" on your Vervante author home page.
COPYRIGHT: We are often asked if its necessary to copyright books and information products. Technically, under U.S. copyright law, your self-published work is protected as soon as you put the pen to paper. Official Copyright Registration, however, gives you a higher level of security when it comes to protecting your work. When you register your work with the U.S. Copyright office, you create a public record of your authorship and are officially recognized as the copyright holder in a court of law. (You can find more details about copyright requirements and protections here.)
Filing for copyright is not a requirement to publish with Vervante but we recommend this step to protect your work. You can register for a copyright yourself or we are happy to provide this service for you. Just click on the "Copyright Registration" link on your Vervante author home page to learn more. You do not need to wait for the application to the US Copyright Office to be accepted in order to include the copyright protected statement on your document.
COPYRIGHT PAGE: This is not a requirement, however it is a commonly-used page in your product to collect and provide elements such as: full title, subtitle, author’s name, editor, illustrator, etc., published date, ISBN, LCCN, date of publication and copyright.
The copyright statement can be as simple as: © 2021 Your Name All Rights Reserved
Or you can add additional content such as this:
Copyright © 2021 by Author’s Name
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2021
ISBN 0-9000000-0-0
Your Publishing Name*
123 Main Street
City, State 00000
www.YourWebsite.com
* As a Vervante customer, you are welcome to list Vervante as your publisher, it is not required. Our products are printed and distributed from our printing and distribution facility in Utah, all products proudly made in the USA. If you use Vervante as your publishing name, you can use the following address:
Vervante
224 South Main St #202
Springville, Utah 84663
For more information about copyrights, check out these articles:
The biggest thing to remember is that we provide services for all of the above. Just log into your author account home page and click on the links under the "Product Labeling and Professional Service" section to get started. Or send us an email at customerservice@vervante.com, we're here to help!