Kobo, for example, will only give you a 20% royalty for public domain titles. [1] X Research source Apple iBooks and Nook Press have also refused to sell public domain work in the past. [2] X Research source
It’s okay if there is a title so long as it is not for sale for free.
Offer a unique translation. This means you translate the book. Don’t use an online translation app or use a translation that is in the public domain. Include unique annotations, such as literary critiques, study guides, detailed biographies or historical context. Provide 10 or more unique illustrations that relate to the book.
Certain work is not eligible for copyright protection because it is common property, such as calendars or works by the U. S. government. [5] X Trustworthy Source United States Copyright Office Part of the Library of Congress, responsible for maintaining copyright records Go to source In the U. S. , a book is in the public domain if it was published before 1923. [6] X Research source Pre-1923 material is the safest material you can use. If the work was published after 1923 but before 1978, then it is in the public domain if it was published without a valid copyright notice. If the book was published after 1923 but before 1964, it is in the public domain if the copyright was not renewed. You can check if a work was renewed by searching at the Copyright Office. Be careful, however. Works might have been registered under different names. You’re inviting a copyright infringement lawsuit if you publish a work that is protected. The copyrights for books published after 1978 will not expire until the middle of this century. The only way it is in the public domain is if the author dedicated it to the public domain. There should be a notice to that effect on the work.
Join different message boards for indie publishers so that you can keep up on changes to each publisher’s terms and conditions. Also check your accounts regularly. Books might be removed from sale without notice, so you always want to check.
Remember to include a title page at the front. You should identify the title and author of the public domain work. Also identify any original contributions, such as the creator of illustrations. Include your copyright notice for any original contributions. Also insert a table of contents. This is tricky. You should use the “Insert Table” feature in Word.
Don’t us “Tab” to create an indent. Instead, go into “Layout” or “Page Layout. ” Then under “Special” select “First line. ” Pick the indentation, such as 0. 5 inches. You should set the paragraph indent before you even compile the book. Also insert a page break after each chapter. If you don’t, then the text will all run together. To insert a picture using Word, select “Insert” > “Picture” > and then the file you want to insert. [10] X Research source
KDP accepts both JPEG and TIFF file types for your cover image. The height/width ratio should be 8:5. The shortest side should be at least 625 pixels, while the longer side should be at least 1,000 pixels. The cover image cannot be greater than 50MB. Cover art that is white or a very light color should have a thin border added to them so that they stand out.
The book’s language. Book title. Remember to include the words “Translated,” “Illustrated,” or “Annotated” to the book’s title. The tag you use will depend on the original content you provided. [13] X Research source For example, if you provide detailed biographical essays or a study guide, then you would use “Annotated. ” Author’s name. Remember to include the name of the person who authored the public domain work. Contributors. For example, you can select “Translator” and then include your name. Description. You get 4000 characters to describe the book. Remember to include information about what you added to the book. For example, “New illustrations. ” Public domain work. Keywords. You can select up to seven keywords. These keywords help customers find your book. If you are publishing Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, don’t pick generic keywords like “gothic. ” Instead, be creative. The category, such as “Fiction,” “Non-Fiction,” etc. The age and grade range of your reader.
You should also preview your book by using the Online Previewer. Read through the entire eBook looking for errors. KDP will also identify typos. Review these carefully because the program sometimes identifies words that are spelled correctly. Common errors include using “Tab” to indent and not inserting pictures properly. If you find something wrong with the formatting, then go back through your Word document and make corrections before uploading the corrected document again.
Generally, public domain work is only eligible for the 35% royalty. To be eligible for the 70% royalty, you must publish an original translation or add substantial original content to your public domain title. [14] X Research source KDP does not define “substantial,” which will probably be decided on a case-by-case basis. You also must price competitively. Look what other versions of the book are selling for on each vendor’s website. You can price a little higher if you are providing substantial extra value. However, you generally don’t want to be too high.
You don’t have to register in order to have a copyright in your material. However, you must register before you can bring a lawsuit in the U. S. for copyright infringement. [15] X Trustworthy Source United States Copyright Office Part of the Library of Congress, responsible for maintaining copyright records Go to source
