Should I copyright my book before sending it to a publisher?

It is generally not necessary to copyright your book before sending it to a publisher. In most cases, the publisher will handle the copyright registration process for you once your book is accepted for publication. However, it is a good idea to include a copyright notice in your book to protect it from unauthorized use.

A copyright notice is a statement that indicates that the work is protected by copyright and provides information about the copyright owner. To include a copyright notice in your book, you can use the following format:
Copyright [year] [your name]
For example:
Copyright 2022 John Smith

Including a copyright notice in your book can help to deter others from using your work without permission and can also help to establish your ownership of the copyright in the event that your work is infringed upon.

However, it is important to note that a copyright notice is not required in order for your work to be protected by copyright law. In most countries, copyright protection applies to original works as soon as they are fixed in a tangible form, such as being written down or recorded.