Why I Changed The Title of My E-Book 2 Months After Publishing It
I published my fourth e-book two months ago. It’s a beginner’s guide to writing online, building an audience, and making money.
The book was doing good — I sold a few copies through Medium and my social media, and people had given good reviews.
Yesterday, I received an email saying I had to change the name of my e-book. Otherwise, I would violate the “For Dummies” trademark.
The title of my e-book was “Online Writing for Dummies.” Apparently, I am not allowed to use “For Dummies” because the trademark belonged to someone else.
I was disappointed, of course. But I wouldn't want to be violating any trademark. So I asked the person who emailed me for more links and documents regarding the matter. I checked them, and it turned out he was right.
So, I had to change the title to something else.
When I thought about my initial title, I did check if someone had used the name previously. I didn’t find anything. But I had no idea about the trademark.
I did, however, find a book series with “For Dummies” in the title.
Now I know that it was a trademark that the company owns.
It’s not a huge issue, but I am now aware of what I should consider before naming the title of my books.
To anyone aspiring to write a book or e-book, don’t forget to check the trademark and other essential factors before publishing it.
Thank you for reading. Check out my ebook here.
If you like my work, buy me a coffee.
