Copyright page for a poetry book
Poetry collections often list the journals where poems first appeared, either on the copyright page or on a separate acknowledgments page. Fill in the form, and then copy the finished page into your book.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Copyright © 2026 by Lena Hartwell
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.
Some of these poems first appeared, sometimes in different versions, in The Driftwood Review, Lantern Quarterly, and Salt Marsh Journal. The author thanks the editors.
First published in 2026 by Small Hours Press
ISBN 978-1-234567-89-7 (paperback)
Cover design by June Okoro
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.
- 3First publication
This credits the journals that published poems first. Many journals ask for this in their terms.
- 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.
- 5ISBN
Each format needs its own ISBN. It must match the ISBN on the back cover and in your KDP listing.
- 6Credits
This line credits your cover designer and editor. It is optional, but designers often ask for it in their contract.
Three ways to credit where poems first appeared
Pick the length that suits your book. “Use this” puts it on the page above.
Some of these poems first appeared in The Driftwood Review, Lantern Quarterly, and Salt Marsh Journal.
Some of these poems first appeared, sometimes in different versions, in The Driftwood Review, Lantern Quarterly, and Salt Marsh Journal. The author thanks the editors.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the editors of the following publications, where some of these poems first appeared, sometimes in different form: The Driftwood Review, Lantern Quarterly, and Salt Marsh Journal.
What do literary journals expect?
Most literary journals take first publication rights and return them once the poem appears, often asking for credit when it is reprinted. Look up each journal’s terms before you publish the collection, and credit every one that asks.
Should the credits go here or on an acknowledgments page?
If the list is short, put it here. If it runs past five or six journals, move it to an acknowledgments page at the back, and keep one line here that points to 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
Do I need to register each poem separately?
No. In the US, you can register a collection published as one book as a single work. Your poems are protected either way. Registration matters if you ever need to sue.
Can I quote another poet in my epigraph?
Short quotes from poets in the public domain are free to use. For a living poet, or one who died recently, ask their publisher for permission. Poems are short, so even a few lines can be a large share of the work.
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.