Ebooks -- Self-Publishing
Your Way to Internet Success Part 6 Protecting and Registering Your
Ebook
By Shelley Lowery
Once you've created your ebook, you'll want to take the necessary steps to
protect your work. Although many ebook compilers will enable you to password
protect your ebook, none can offer complete security.
Copyrighting Your Ebook
The moment you create your ebook, the US copyright laws protect you. However,
if you should need to file an infringement lawsuit, you must register. Although
registration is generally voluntary, it is recommended, as you certainly
don't want your work to be copied and claimed by someone else. If you don't
take the time to register a copyright, you may have little or no recourse
should your work be illegally copied.
Visit the following sites to register online:
MediaRegister
http://www.mediaregister.com
Click and Copyright
http://www.clickandcopyright.com/
For further information, visit the US Copyright Office:
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
Once you get your copyright, your next step will be to obtain an ISBN.
An ISBN is a 10-digit number that uniquely identifies books and similar products
that are published internationally. It is used to uniquely identify one specific
title, whether it is a book, ebook or similar product from one specific
publisher. This number is completely unique to that one title or edition.
If you would like to sell your ebooks in bookstores or online, you'll need
to obtain an ISBN. Once you obtain your ISBN, you can submit your title to
be listed in the Books in Print database. Bookstores and Libraries refer
to Books in Print when they need to order a particular book from a
publisher.
When you're ready to order your ISBN, keep in mind, it can never be reused.
Once it is assigned to a specific title, it cannot be used again -- even
if the title is no longer available. What this means is that if you update
your book in any way, you will have to get a new number. In addition, if
you're offering your ebook in different formats, you must use a separate
ISBN for each format.
The current price is $225 for 10 numbers, which is the minimum you can purchase.
You can order right online and should receive your numbers within 10 business
days.
For further information, visit:
http://www.isbn.org/
http://www.bowker.com/
Bookland EAN Bar Codes
If you're planning on placing your ebook on CD-ROM, you'll need to use a
bar code specifically designed for books. The Bookland European Article Number
(EAN) is the standard bar code used in the book industry. It enables the
ISBN to be encoded directly into the bar code.
An EAN begins with 978, which is the Bookland prefix. This code is used on
books and similar products internationally. This code will enable a retailer
to scan the code and easily identify a book by its ISBN. When the book is
sold, the cashier can scan the Bookland EAN bar code and retrieve the book
price and other important information from the bookseller's database.
For further information, visit isbn.org to review their list of Bookland
EAN Bar Code suppliers:
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/barcode.html
If you're serious about publishing an ebook, make sure you research all of
your options before you start. You must look at the entire picture before
deciding upon the right format, whether or not you should copyright your
ebook and if you'll need a bar code. You never know, once you write your
ebook, you may want to expand your market and offer your ebook in different
formats. Not only can you publish your ebook in PDF or EXE format, but you
can also place it on CD-ROM, format it for ebook reading devices or even
Print on Demand. The possibilities are endless.
In part 7 of our series, we will focus on accepting payment on the
Internet.
Copyright © Shelley
Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.com
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