Why Put Copyright Info at the Back of the Book?

One of the things you will come across when editing your book, will be putting the copyrights and your publishing information in it.

This usually happens on the first page after the title page, which is in the very beginning of the book. While there are many ways of accentuating those things on the first blank pages, have you ever thought about putting it at the back?

Why does it matter?

Who said the Copyright page had to be in the front?

Let's start with why you may want to put the copyright page in the back.

• The main reason is to get more of the free sample Amazon allows for people to read.

People don't tend to follow publishing companies, they follow authors. Those who are grabbed by the cover and blurb will look into the sample. In turn if you have more of the author's writing than legalese blocking and hogging up space for the writing, the less of a free sample people will be able to read.

When Amazon only allows 10% of the book to be viewed and you have a short story--only the publishing info will be seen. Also, you want to give people as much of the sample as possible. Sometimes if you give them the whole chapter, they feel invested in the book and will buy it.

• The next secondary reason: it's annoying to see all the legalese first.

Maybe that's just my preference, but I as a reader, want to read the book. Readers expect a book to be copyright. As long as the copyright is somewhere in the book the author is protected. Having to scroll through the copyright, the dedication, the acknowledgement, the TOC, the acronyms...I don't care! This stuff isn't endearing. Let me see what the author can write. If I like the book and want to use the editor, I will find them. Only publishers care about who published the book. If I want the info I'd rather find it in the back.

What about why you should put the copyright in the front?

• If you want this part highlighted, not hidden, that is often the only way it will get noticed and memorized by readers who do follow closely to publishers and such.

Be aware of the fact, that the common reader might not even get to that mysterious part of the book, which usually contains only the appendix, the afterword and the index page.

• There’s sense in putting the year of publishing, edition and ISBN number in the beginning just for organizing purposes.

When the book is later stored in libraries and bookstores and for the buyer’s that desperately want your book and can only find it through an ISBN number, they will look in the front. Some might even be so confused that they may never think to look in the back of the book. 
  

• Number one reason for putting the copyright in the front is accidentally slipping into looking less professional.

There’s always going to be that person that thinks the copyright should always be in the front. They will claim an unwritten law about the copyright page in the front of the book. "It's always been like this..." -- said the lemming ready to jump.

But it's true, a certain expectation to be met with how you present yourself and your book and the rules that the reader will expect to be complied.   When you are publishing on your own, you want your work looking as professional as it gets.

Having your book edited the traditional way will look clean and polished, while stepping off into other direction might look extravagant. Of course if that’s the idea behind it, go for it, otherwise it might just not be properly understood.

Of course I'm part of the movement that breaks with tradition and hope the readers thank me for getting the copyright page out of the sample. Ebooks don't allow you the same sampling as walking into a store and picking up a print book to browse. Authors only have that 10% sample to give readers and sometimes an extra page of the story makes the difference of a sale.

Whether you think of creating an e-book or an old-fashioned paper tome, you should consider what changes would serve your work the best. Remember the innovation is the key of new generation, but the devil still lives in the details.

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