Build a Source-Use Register for Epigraphs in a Novel

Create a source-use register for every epigraph before final formatting. Record the exact text, source edition, proposed attribution, intended formats, and the evidence supporting its use. An attractive quotation or a short length does not by itself establish permission. Resolve specific rights questions with appropriate expertise and preserve the resulting record with the final manuscript.

Inventory the actual passages being included

List each proposed epigraph with its location in the novel and the exact wording intended for publication. Include punctuation, omissions, and any translation used. A note naming an author or a website is not enough to identify the passage being reviewed. Keep a reliable reference to the original source or edition so another person can verify the wording and context without reconstructing the author's browsing history.

Distinguish quotations from text the novelist wrote specifically for the book. An invented saying attributed to a fictional character has a different production history from a line copied from a published poem. Record that history accurately rather than using the same vague "quote" label for both. If a passage came from a secondary collection, trace it back as far as necessary to establish what source is actually being used.

Describe the intended use rather than assuming clearance

Record where the passage will appear, which formats will contain it, and whether it will also be used on a cover, website, or promotional graphic. These are relevant facts for a permissions review. Do not assume that a decision about use inside one edition automatically covers every other context. Keep proposed promotional reuse separate until the applicable evidence has been examined.

Avoid relying on a universal word-count rule or the presence of an attribution as proof that use is permitted. Rights questions depend on the actual material and circumstances. Gather the production facts and consult a qualified adviser when interpretation is needed. The register should make the question precise, such as identifying the passage and intended editions, rather than ask someone to approve an undefined collection of quotations in general.

Preserve the evidence and its limits

For each passage, store the relevant permission, license, source information, or documented review outcome. Record who provided it, when, and what conditions or limits it contains. Keep the actual record rather than only a note saying "approved." If an approval depends on specified wording or attribution, include that requirement in the production brief so it survives the move from manuscript to formatted file.

Mark unresolved passages visibly and keep them out of the approved export until the question is resolved. Prepare an alternative if the epigraph is not essential, such as removing it or writing an original opening line. This prevents the entire release from depending on an unexamined assumption at the last moment. Do not describe a lack of objection or an unanswered request as affirmative permission.

Check quotations again during copyediting and layout

Compare the formatted epigraph with the reviewed text and required attribution. Copyediting can unintentionally change punctuation or remove a line break that mattered to the approved use. Layout can separate an attribution from the passage or make it difficult to read. Review the actual export, not only the source document, and connect the correction to the specific register entry.

If the manuscript changes the passage, translation, or placement materially, reopen the relevant review instead of carrying forward the old approval automatically. The same applies when a later edition adds the epigraph to a new context. Preserve the earlier decision in the history and record what changed. This makes it possible to distinguish a controlled revision from a passage that has drifted away from the use originally examined.

Reconcile the register with the release package

Before submission, compare every included epigraph with the final register. Confirm that removed passages are marked as removed and that all included passages have the necessary resolved status and supporting records. Keep the register with the approved manuscript and asset manifest. The person completing the publishing workflow should be able to identify what is included and where the relevant evidence is stored.

Review KDP's current content guidance as part of the broader submission check. Documentation supports the author's responsibilities but does not guarantee acceptance or replace a specific legal assessment. After publication, use the register when preparing revised editions or promotional material that quotes the book's opening pages. A clear inventory reduces the chance that a later collaborator reuses a passage without understanding the conditions attached to its original inclusion.