Your writing belongs to you, from the time you create it until 50 years after your death. The easiest way to assert ownership is to print the copyright symbol , the year, and your name on your work. It is not necessary to register your copyright with the Library of Congress. If a publisher offers you a contract, he/she will copyright the book in your name. Dont worry about whether a publisher will steal your work. Publishers are in business to make money. If they stole manuscripts or ideas, they wouldnt be in business very long. Besides, their aim is to develop good writers, writers who will produce many books for them. If you are self-publishing a book, registration also is not necessary, particularly if your distribution is local, or if you are printing under 5,000 books. If you decide to register your copyright anyway, you must make application before the book is published and submit a complimentary copy after publication. If your book is smaller than 50 pages, it doesnt qualify for Library of Congress registration. For further information visit www.loc.gov/copyright.

ISBN (International Standard Book Numbering) is a worldwide identification system. If you plan to distribute your self-published book through major bookstores and to libraries, an ISBN and a UPC bar code are necessary, because those venues automated systems for pricing and inventory are based on ISBN. The bar code is your ISBN transferred to a scannable image. For information on acquiring an ISBN, visit www.isbn.org.

In referring to, or quoting from, other authors work, be aware of the following:

A trademark () protects words, phrases or designs that identify a source of goods or services. For example, the drawing of an apple minus one bite, is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. A register mark protects goods, such as Kleenex brand tissue. You may not write, She wiped her eyes with a kleenex. You could be sued. The generic (acceptable) form would be: She wiped her eyes with a tissue.

Fair Use is the exception to copyright. There are occasions when you may copy, distribute or display a work, if it is for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching or research. If you must quote from a copyrighted work, quote as little as possible to make your point, and give on-the-spot credit to the author. The Writers Golden Rule: Dont do to others any more than you would approve others doing to you.