Protect your work lawfully. Copyright exists automatically in an original work of authorship once it is fixed, but a copyright owner can take steps to enhance the protections. The most important step is registering the work. Registering a work is not mandatory, but for U.S. works, registration (or refusal) is necessary to enforce the exclusive rights of copyright through litigation. Timely registration also allows copyright owners to seek certain types of monetary damages and attorney fees if there is a lawsuit, and also provide a presumption that information on the registration certificate is correct.
Copyright registration also provides value to the public overall. It facilitates the licensing marketplace by allowing people to find copyright ownership information, and it provides the public with notice that copyright protection has been claimed. It also provides a record of this nation’s creativity.
Protecting your work has only one place existing to register a claim of copyright in the United States: the Copyright Office. Go to the copyright.gov portal. Click on Literary Works, then Register A Literary Work.
Take a minute to create an account with the U.S. Copyright Office. Go to Copyright Registration on the left side of the screen and click on Register A New Claim and follow the instructions.
Mailing a transcript to leave it unopened may not be recognized as legal proof of privilege where registered copyright is.
What is best for you as a novice is a question only you can answer.
Lawfully protect your work by publication or printing the manuscript to have it registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Protect your work lawfully by using what is most available and affordable for you. When economics had such a staggering role in my early writing experience, I choose to print my first book in Asia, when I was living in the Philippines. The cost was less than half of the costs of the other options and it was a regular price given by an independent printing firm, not forced labor.
Protect your work lawfully for confidence and faith. There is nothing unpatriotic about wanting to generate the largest profit for yourself that you can and the one thing that is not in question: for the same quality, your books will cost far less when they are printed outside of the country, that includes shipping costs. With lower-priced inventory, you stand to make a far larger profit. With a larger profit, you can do more. Having a number of books ready to be shipped may not be enough if your book becomes popular and having a less expensive supply chain can help . Selling all the books you have stocked may be catastrophic for your future sales. You may want to ask for investors through different means.
Protect your work lawfully and making a profit is always the means to continue writing and printing where it is more affordable doesn’t make anyone unpatriotic. You can do more by giving yourself the best chance to earn a consistently positive income and have success.
