Copyright page for a journal
A journal, planner, or notebook needs only a short copyright page. If your journal has original prompts or page designs, a copyright line protects them, and a short note tells buyers the pages are for their own use. Fill in the form, and then copy the finished page into your journal.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Copyright © 2026 by Hana Sato
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The prompts and page designs in this journal are the author’s original work.
Pages may be copied for the owner’s personal use.
First edition, 2026
Paste it into your book’s copyright page, in Proselis or anywhere else.
- 1Copyright notice
It shows your name and the year the book is first published. The word “Copyright” and the © symbol together are the usual form.
- 2Rights reserved
This tells readers they need your permission to copy the book. Proselis starts every copyright page with this text, and you can edit it.
- 3Journal note
This claims your prompts and layouts. Blank lines and simple grids aren’t protected on their own.
- 4Edition and publisher
This line names the edition and your imprint, if you use one. Leave the imprint out if you publish under your own name.
Three ways to word the journal note
Pick the length that suits your book. “Use this” puts it on the page above.
The prompts and designs in this journal are original.
The prompts and page designs in this journal are the author’s original work. Pages may be copied for the owner’s personal use.
The prompts, layouts, and illustrations in this journal are the original work of the author and are protected by copyright. You may copy pages for your own personal use. You may not sell, share, or republish them.
What does copyright protect in a journal?
Copyright protects original expression, such as your writing prompts, illustrations, and a distinctive page design. It doesn’t protect blank lines, simple grids, or a standard calendar layout, so a plain notebook gains little from a long copyright page.
Does a low-content book on KDP need an ISBN?
No. KDP lets you mark a journal, notebook, or planner as a low-content book and publish it without an ISBN. If you do, leave the ISBN line off this page. Read KDP’s definition of a low-content book before you choose it.
Where does the copyright page go?
In a printed book, it sits on the back of the title page, a left-hand page, set small and near the bottom. In an ebook, many authors move it to the end so the free sample on Amazon shows more of the book. KDP accepts either.
Do you need to register your copyright?
No. Your book is protected the moment you write it. In the US, registration is optional, but you must register before you can sue for infringement, and registering within three months of publication makes extra damages available. The UK and Australia have no copyright register at all, and India’s is optional.
Questions
Does a blank journal need a copyright page?
No rule requires one. A one-line notice is enough for a plain notebook. Add more only when the journal has original prompts or art worth protecting.
Can I use quotes from famous people in my journal?
Short quotes from people who died long ago are usually in the public domain. Quotes from living writers or recent books may need permission, and inspirational quotes are often misattributed, so check the source.
Do I need an ISBN on the copyright page?
Include one if your book has one. KDP gives paperbacks a free ISBN, and Kindle ebooks don’t need one. Each format gets its own ISBN, so list each with its format in parentheses.
Can I copy this page into my book?
Yes. Everything this generator writes is free to use, change, and publish.
This page explains common publishing practice. It isn’t legal advice. For anything that could harm a real person’s reputation, talk to a publishing lawyer.
Format the rest of your book here too
Proselis is free for writing, organizing chapters, and Word export. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.