Knowing the difference between the title page and the title verso page are really important. Critical information is stored on the title verso page and in this blog I’ll be sharing what both look like and what information each one should have.
Your book should start with a title page – this states the title of the book and the authors name. It can include the publisher’s details as well or just their logo.
Here are two examples. The one on the left has no publisher details, the one on the right does.
On the reverse of that page (also known as the title verso; verso being Latin for reverse) comes all of the copyright info, including;
- The copyright statement attributing the author rights
- Date of publication
- ISBN
- Publishers details
- Editors details, if applicable
- Any disclaimers
- Cover design details or cover photo credit
- Statement of National Library deposit (If you’ve used and registered an ISBN, then it’s a legal requirement to send catalogue copies of your books to various libraries outlined when you purchased your ISBN)
I’ve designed two title verso templates which you can adapt for your publication. Click here for fiction template or click here for business template.
Of course, if you’re not selling your book or haven’t used an ISBN then this isn’t so critical, but you might still want to declare your copyright anyway.
Having these pages designed correctly (with all of the right info) will make your book look professional and it’ll protect you from people copying your work (in so much as you can control – stating that people aren’t allowed to copy your work doesn’t mean they won’t!)
Stating any discalimers is also really smart, especially if the book is offering advice. I’ve included this type of wording on the business template.
Also, if your book is based on fact (perhaps an autobiography) then you’ll need to include a statement claiming as such. I’m not going to include the various laws around defamation and liable in this post, but it might be an idea to do your research first on what you can and cannot say.
Having these two pages set up correctly will make your book look professional. If you need any help with your book design then get in touch. You can either visit www.thebookrefinery.com or email me directly at alexa@thebookrefinery.com