Let’s start by clearing up any misconceptions:
- In the U.S. you do not have to apply for copyright in order for your content to be protected. In the U.S. (and possibly other countries) copyright is created as soon as you create the work.
- You are not required to submit your book to the Library of Congress or to register it with the US Copyright Office in order to gain copyright. But registering your work may give you additional protection in the event of infringement.
If you'd like your book to be available in the Library of Congress, you can submit copies yourself. Learn more about submitting a book to the Library of Congress, including their eligibility requirements.
If you believe you may need to submit a copy of your work to the US Copyright office you may wish to read more. If you reside outside the US you may wish to search for legal deposit requirements for your country.
Keep in mind that Blurb is not a publisher but a self-publishing platform. This means we do not provide legal deposit copies and can't assist you with getting your book into the Library of Congress. This also means you should not list Blurb as the publisher of your book; as a self-published author you are the publisher.
We suggest that you do your own research to verify any information provided here because requirements and restrictions may change over time.