AUTHOR RESOURCES · RIGHTS & LICENSING
Register your book’s U.S. copyright
Prepare your information, follow the official application, and keep a record of your submission. You complete the registration directly with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Official guidance checked October 17, 2026. Fees and application screens can change; confirm them on the government website.
Open official registration portal ↗SEARCH & REVIEW
Look for possible copyright record matches
Search by book title or author/claimant name. Your search opens the official U.S. Copyright Office results in a new tab. ReaderReach does not retrieve or classify the results, and no search runs until you open the link.
Advanced search, including registration details ↗ · Historical records and coverage
How to review a possible match
- Open the record and compare its full title, author, claimant, type of work and relevant dates. Save the record URL and registration number for your notes.
- Check whether it is your own registration, another edition, a rights transfer or an unrelated work. A similar title or name alone does not establish copying.
- If you suspect unauthorized copying, retain the actual allegedly copied material and its source URL, alongside your own dated material. The catalog does not display deposited book text or run a plagiarism comparison.
- Ask a copyright attorney to evaluate a substantive concern before making an infringement allegation or sending a legal demand. The Copyright Office can also help locate or supply records.
Search limitations: results may be incomplete or inaccurate. No match does not establish that a work is unprotected, that an application is absent, or that licensing rights are clear. This is an on-demand lookup, not continuous infringement monitoring.
Sources: CPRS coverage and limitations; How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work; Records Research and Certification.
Use the checkboxes while you work. They are a temporary checklist for this open page, not a filing or government verification. ReaderReach does not collect your legal identity, payment details, manuscript or registration credentials through this guide.
0 of 8 preparation steps checked.
1. Identify the work and the rights you own
Choose the exact book and edition you intend to register. Check whether it was previously registered, whether there are coauthors, and whether a publisher or other party owns any copyright. A publishing agreement and ownership of a printed copy are different from copyright ownership.
For licensing, separately identify who controls film, television and other adaptation rights. Keep signed publishing, collaboration and rights-transfer agreements in your private records.
What if I used AI or hired a writer or illustrator?
Claim only the authorship you are entitled to claim. The Copyright Office requires applicants to disclose more than minimal AI-generated material and exclude it from the claim. Human-written text, creative selection or arrangement may still be eligible. Do not list an AI system as an author. A ReaderReach-generated pitch is not automatically registrable as wholly human-authored work. Review the official AI registration guidance. Coauthors, commissioned artwork, work made for hire, translations and transferred rights can change the application; consult the Office or a copyright attorney when unsure.
2. Gather the application details
- Exact title, author names, and the year this version was completed.
- Whether the work is published; if so, the accurate first-publication date and country.
- The copyright claimant’s name and contact details, and transfer information when the claimant is not the author.
- Any preexisting or excluded material, previous registration details, and the new material you are claiming.
- A complete copy of the work for the required deposit, plus a payment method.
Do not guess a publication date or treat every online posting as publication. If your situation is unclear, use the Office’s publication guidance.
Privacy: registration creates a public record. Consider appropriate business contact details and review what becomes public before entering personal information. Pen names have special rules; follow the official instructions rather than using a placeholder identity.
3. Open the official portal and choose the application
Go to copyright.gov/registration, follow its eCO sign-in link, and create or sign into your own account. A book is generally registered as a Literary Work. A screenplay is a different work type; use the portal’s Performing Arts guidance.
The Single Application is $45 for one eligible work by one individual author who is also the sole claimant, not made for hire. Use it only if you meet all its eligibility conditions. The Standard Application is $65 and accommodates many situations that do not qualify for Single. Multiple authors, other creators’ contributions or rights transfers need particular attention. Group applications have separate rules.
Confirm the choice using the Office’s Single and Standard application tutorials and current fees. ReaderReach charges no government filing fee and does not take payment here.
4. Complete the application carefully
Follow the portal screens in order. Enter the book title, publication information, author and contribution, claimant, and any limitations of the claim. Supply the requested correspondence and certificate-delivery information.
Help with the fields
- Title: identify the actual work being registered; a series title does not replace the individual book title. Title help.
- Author: identify the creator and what they contributed; handle pseudonyms and work made for hire according to the instructions. Author help.
- Claimant: identify the owner entitled to claim the copyright; this may differ from the author after a transfer. Claimant help.
- Limitation: distinguish new authorship from preexisting, previously registered, third-party or unclaimable material. Limitation help.
Review the entire application before personally certifying it. Do not claim rights merely because you intend to license them.
5. Pay the official filing fee
Follow the payment step inside the government application. Check the amount and applicant information before confirming. Save the payment receipt and application case number. Payment alone does not finish registration; you still need the required deposit.
6. Submit the required copy of your book
The “deposit” is the copy or copies of the work the Office requires—not an additional fee. Follow the application’s deposit instructions.
Use the official deposit rules to determine the correct format and number of copies.
If physical copies are required, print the application’s shipping slip and send the required copies with it to the specified address. Do not assume uploading a PDF replaces a required physical deposit. Keep shipping or upload confirmation. See registration and deposit FAQs.
7. Track the application and answer questions
Sign back into the official portal to check your case. Monitor correspondence and respond if the Office requests clarification. Submission and payment do not mean approval. Processing times vary; use the Office’s processing-time links rather than expecting an immediate certificate.
8. Keep the registration with your licensing records
When the Office issues the registration, save the certificate, registration number, registered title/version and effective date in your private records. Until then, describe it accurately as an application pending, not a completed registration.
Registration and licensing readiness are separate. Confirm the rights covered by your publishing and other agreements before offering a story. You can record relevant rights details in Author tools → Adaptation Pitch. Do not attach a certificate with personal information to a public press kit by default.
Continue at the U.S. Copyright Office ↗
Sources: U.S. Copyright Office registration portal, literary-work tutorials, fee schedule, application field help, registration FAQs, public-record privacy guidance and AI guidance linked above. Reviewed October 17, 2026.