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Ellen Erikson – How to Publish Classic Books Legally: The Complete Public Domain Guide
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Ellen Erikson is a publisher with over 30 books in her catalog, including both self-authored titles and public domain editions. She specializes in helping authors understand how to legally republish classic works by adding value through professional formatting, contemporary cover design, and thoughtful annotations. Ellen teaches other publishers how to navigate the complexities of copyright law, Amazon's content guidelines, and competitive research to create profitable public domain book businesses while keeping literary classics accessible to modern readers.
In this episode:
- What public domain books are and how copyright expiration works across different countries
- The 100-year rule for determining if a book is safe to publish
- Why classics from authors like Charles Dickens and Shakespeare remain profitable
- Amazon KDP's specific requirements for differentiating your public domain edition
- Three ways to make your edition unique: translations, illustrations, or annotations
- How to add 5,000-word annotations including author biographies and study guides
- Common copyright mistakes including newer translations and trademarked characters
- The Winnie the Pooh trademark lesson: why some story elements remain protected
- Competitive research strategies for finding underserved classic book niches
- How to identify opportunities where existing editions look outdated or homemade
- Building a recognizable series of classics with cohesive cover design
- Advertising tactics using author names and famous titles as primary keywords
- Where to find free manuscripts: Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks
- Formatting challenges with old digital files and when to outsource
- Royalty rates for public domain books: 35% ebooks, 60% minus print costs for paperbacks
- Page count limitations for KDP hardcovers (500 pages maximum)
- Using Wikipedia to discover an author's lesser-known works with less competition
- Whether audiobook production makes financial sense for public domain titles
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Chapters
1. Introduction: What Are Public Domain Books? (00:00:00)
2. How Copyright Expiration Works for Old Books (00:01:07)
3. The 100-Year Rule for Finding Public Domain Titles (00:02:15)
4. Why Big Publishers Like Penguin Profit from Classics (00:03:21)
5. Benefits of Publishing Public Domain vs. Original Content (00:03:55)
6. Amazon KDP Rules: How to Differentiate Your Edition (00:04:51)
7. Annotation Requirements: Biography, Context, or Study Guides (00:06:04)
8. Common Challenges and Mistakes to Avoid (00:07:09)
9. Copyright vs. Trademark: The Winnie the Pooh Example (00:08:29)
10. Standing Out in a Crowded Classic Books Market (00:10:04)
11. Advertising Strategies for Public Domain Books (00:12:30)
12. Keyword Research Made Easy with Famous Titles (00:14:03)
13. Common Pitfalls: Translation Dates and Copyright Issues (00:15:07)
14. Where to Find Free Public Domain Manuscripts (00:17:13)
15. Should You Create Audiobooks from Public Domain Content? (00:18:39)
16. Formatting Challenges with Old Manuscripts (00:19:52)
17. Pricing Strategy: Royalty Rates and Print Costs (00:21:15)
18. Getting Started: Your First Steps with Project Gutenberg (00:22:53)
19. Book Recommendation: Discovering Obscure Historical Memoirs (00:25:04)
137 episodes
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