Decide which method of registration you wish to use. The United States Copyright Office offers three methods: manual registration, Form CO in which an electronic form is printed out and mailed, or online registration.
You must write to the U.S. Copyright Office to request the necessary forms if filing manually. For a book, you should request form TX. Write to Library of Congress, U.S. Copyright Office, 101 Independent Ave SE, Washington D.C. 20559-6222.
Fill out the forms according to the instructions. Send this form along with payment for registration and a hard copy of your work to the same address. Send it by registered or certified mail and request a return receipt. The day the Copyright Office receives your registration form is the day your copyright goes into effect.
Register using Form CO by first going to the Copyright Office website (see Resources). Click the forms tab at the top and follow the link to Form CO Instructions. These instructions explain how to fill in the form online. You cannot print out a blank form.
Proceed to the Form CO. Once you fill out the online form, print it, sign it and mail it along with the fee and your hard copy to the U.S. Copyright Office.
Register using the online registration process, known as eCO (electronic Copyright Office). This is the least expensive method and recommended by the Copyright Office.
Follow the link from the forms tab to the eCO forms. Fill out the forms according to the online instructions. Pay the fee with a credit card or debit card and upload an electronic copy of your work.
You will receive a certificate of registration from the Copyright Office once the office has completed your registration. The process can take up to one year. Your copyright is in effect, however, from the day of receipt.
Fees for registering your work range from $35 on up to register your work. The least expensive way is to file electronically. As noted on the Copyright Office website, fees are subject to change at any time.