Copyright myths…

Yesterday, I saw a commercial on TV for a “publishing company” that will publish authors’ books and “handle” all copyright issues for them. I thought, “What copyright issues”? When you put pen to paper, your creative work is automatically covered by copyright law.

If you see a publishing service that charges money to “obtain” the copyright for your work, be aware of this red flag! If you do chose to register, you can do it on your own for as little as $35. But it’s not really necessary.

The only reason you would need to register is if you decide to file a lawsuit against someone for infringing on your copyright.

And copyright has nothing to do with your ISBN. Even if you publish with Amazon or Smashwords, who assign their own numbers, your work still belongs to you. ISBNs and ASINs are ways to keep track of your books. They have nothing to do with copyright.

So, don’t get suckered by companies who charge to do services that you can easily do yourself. Check out our new book, “Make It Happen: The no-nonsense guide to publishing and marketing your ebook.” We talk more about copyright, ISBNs, and lots of other important info. you need to publish your book yourself!