We all expect to see a copyright notice in every book. But where the notice appears and how it appears can vary tremendously. In this article we present a gallery of creative copyright notices for you to admire and maybe emulate. We’re hoping to inspire you while also saving you hours of browsing time at the library!
Where to place your copyright notice
In Book Design Made Simple, we advise placing your copyright notice on the page after the title page, and this is indeed the standard location. Almost every adult book, whether fiction or nonfiction, uses this spot.
But take a look at picture books, board books, and graphic novels. Almost never do they use the standard copyright notice location. Back covers, final pages, and various pages in the front of the book are more likely. You’ll notice the variations in the gallery below.
Wisely placed copyright notices
The notices below are typeset and laid out more or less in the standard way but are placed so that they take up little space or are barely noticeable. Can you spot them? In each example we show the page or spread with the copyright notice on it, and a closeup of the notice itself.
Cleverly hidden notices
Are these not well disguised?
Thoughtfully designed copyright notices
In these examples, the notices match the shape of the page or space, making for harmonious, interesting, and unusual designs.
Wildly creative notices
Just look.
Once you start searching on your own, you’ll find more wonderful examples of clever copyright notices. Are you feeling inspired?
Read more: Your copyright page: Everything you need to know » features our free copyright template.
And more: Designing a book title page » includes more ideas on copyright placement.
And even more: What does a children’s book editor do? » explains the thought process involved in deciding where to place everything in the book.
Book Design Made Simple. You can do it yourself.
Leave a Reply