What is a copyright page?

The copyright page — also called the edition notice or imprint page — usually sits on the reverse (verso) of the title page in a print book and just after the title page in an eBook. It is small type, but booksellers, librarians and rights buyers read it.

A typical self-published copyright page includes: the copyright notice ("Copyright © 2026 Author Name"), a short "all rights reserved" statement, the ISBN for that specific format, the publisher or imprint name, the edition (for example "First edition"), and credits for the cover designer, editor or illustrator. Fiction often adds a disclaimer that names and events are fictional. If you have a Library of Congress Control Number or CIP data, it goes here too.

Make sure the ISBN matches the edition the file is for — a common mistake is to reuse the paperback ISBN in the eBook file. If you change format or edition, update the page.

In most countries, including the US and India, copyright exists automatically from the moment an original work is fixed in a tangible form, so the notice is not what creates your rights. It does put readers on notice and tells them who to contact for permissions. Registration options differ by country. This is general information, not legal advice.