Ellen Erikson – How to Publish Classic Books Legally: The Complete Public Domain Guide

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• How to identify opportunities where existing editions look outdated or homemade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

Connect with Ellen:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenerikson/

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• @teddyagsmith
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