So… you wrote a novel. First off, CONGRATS!! Now you need to protect it. ASAP. Remember Napster? There are a hundred sites just like that for books, and they won't remove your title unless you have a copyright certificate in hand. People will always break laws, but you need to do what you can to stop your book from being stolen.

What you need is to copyright your book, and the US Copyright Office has made a simple process ridiculously painful. So sit down, pour a beverage, and feel free to use the below guide to help you through the process.