The legal-adjacent side of publishing, handled correctly and explained honestly.
Columbia Publication is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. What we do provide, as a standard part of every publishing engagement: ISBN registration in your name, a contract that retains 100% of your rights and royalties permanently, and rights-reversion review if you are leaving a publisher that is not performing. Where a situation genuinely requires legal representation, we say so and refer you to a publishing attorney.
ISBN registration and who is listed as the publisher.
Every book Columbia Publication produces gets its own ISBN, purchased and registered through Bowker as part of the standard production service — the author does not pay for this separately. A single ISBN costs 125 USD directly from Bowker, or 295 USD for a block of 10, which is why publishers who produce multiple titles buy in blocks. The author, or the author's own publishing imprint name, is recorded as the publisher of record in Bowker's Books in Print database, not Columbia Publication.
This distinction matters because who owns the ISBN determines who is recognized as the publisher by bookstores, libraries, and distributors. A free ISBN from a platform like Amazon KDP lists that platform as the publisher of record and restricts distribution to that platform. An ISBN registered in the author's name enables full distribution through IngramSpark to bookstores, libraries, and other retailers. Full detail on the ISBN decision is covered on our ISBN guide.
Rights and royalty retention: what "100% rights" actually means in the contract.
Every Columbia Publication publishing agreement is a flat, one-time production fee. There is no royalty split, no ongoing percentage taken from sales, and no transfer of rights to Columbia Publication at any point. The author owns the manuscript before, during, and after production, and keeps 100% of royalties from every sale, permanently. Because no rights are ever taken, there is no reversion clause to invoke with a Columbia Publication contract — the situation that a reversion clause exists to solve with traditional and hybrid publishers simply does not arise.
Coming from a different publisher and need your rights back?
Authors who signed with a publisher that closed, stopped performing, or is unresponsive often do not realize their contract already entitles them to reversion, or how to formally invoke it. Columbia Publication reviews the original contract, identifies the reversion clause and its specific trigger conditions, and advises on the correct path — whether that is a straightforward written reversion notice or a situation that requires a publishing attorney. No republishing work begins until rights are confirmed in writing. This is covered in full, including cost and timeline, on our dedicated book rights recovery page.
Frequently asked about publishing legal services.
Does Columbia Publication provide legal advice?
No. We are not a law firm. We handle ISBN registration, rights and royalty retention in the publishing contract, and rights-reversion review. When a situation genuinely requires legal representation, we refer you to a publishing attorney rather than attempt to advise on it ourselves.
Who registers my ISBN and who is listed as the publisher?
Columbia Publication purchases and registers your ISBN through Bowker as a standard part of production. You, or your own imprint name, are listed as publisher of record — not Columbia Publication.
Do I keep 100% of my rights and royalties?
Yes. Every contract is a flat production fee with no royalty split and no rights transfer, permanently.
What if a previous publisher will not give me my rights back?
We review your contract, identify the reversion clause, and advise on the correct next step. Disputes that a publisher refuses to resolve are referred to publishing attorneys. See our book rights recovery page for full detail.
Have a specific rights, ISBN, or contract question? Ask before you sign anything.
The free consultation is a good place to ask about ISBN ownership, what your current contract actually says, or whether a situation you are in needs a publishing attorney. Columbia Publication will tell you plainly, including when the honest answer is that we are not the right resource for it.
Book a Free ConsultationOr call (703) 997-9787 · Reviewed by Gia K., Director of Editorial and Book Production · Columbia Publication, Arlington VA
Book a Free Consultation
Ask about ISBN ownership, your current contract, or a rights question. A specialist responds within one business day.