Where is public domain content available? There are literally millions of creative work-books, music, music scores, films, photographs, artwork, images, and much more that exist in the public domain. But if they're so public, why are they hiding?
The short answer is: they aren't. There are a multitude of well-known works that people don't realize are now considered public property. From classic literature to non-fiction works on a wide variety of topics; silent films, classic movies, vintage cartoons and beloved songs; even some instantly recognizable artwork and images can be found in the public domain.
Below you will find several methods of finding public domain work that you can use in any way you like to start making money. Internet Searches
Where would we be these days without the Internet? There are literally millions of resources on the world wide web, available for anyone with the knowledge and patience to find them.
Search engines are a good place to start. Though Google remains the most popular and effective, not every site is listed on the search titan. Try running the same search on multiple engines: AltaVista, Dogpile, Yahoo, and MSN Search are just a few of the many options out there. (And if you really want to start out big, you can run a search for search engines first, then check each one in turn.)
Here are a few examples:
?public domain work examples ?list of free public domain work ?free public domain books ?public domain web site
A note of caution: don't trust everything you read on the internet. Always find out where the web site owner got the information (for example, you can probably trust data from the Library of Congress, but not from my next door neighbor Bubba who runs a successful business out of the trunk of his car.). Generally, if the same title shows up in multiple searches, it's probably public domain.
You can also find forums, message boards and e-groups dedicated to public domain news and discussions. Check Internet directories or do a search for "public domain forum" (also: substitute group, list, board, news, or community for "forum") and you'll discover more information than you will need. Be sure to visit groups, lists and forums, before joining read through some of the posted messages and member profiles to determine whether the other people involved seem easy to talk with and open to new members with lots of questions. The Internet community is often a wonderfully supportive place to find people with similar interests, and most are willing to share the experiences they've gained.
A few of the many public domain resource sites available:
Classic Book Library: A free online library featuring literary and genre novels in the public domain, from authors such as Jules Verne, L. M. Montgomery, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Viewable chapter by chapter in HTML.
Project Gutenberg: An enormous collection of novels, non-fiction books and other written work in the public domain, all available free in downloadable e-book format.
RetroFilm -com: Provides a catalogue of public domain movies, television shows, cartoons, musicals, documentaries and more. The site serves television broadcast companies and does not provide copies of film footage for individuals, but it is a great place to find titles which you can then track down a copy of elsewhere.
Public Domain Report: The site of a monthly newsletter that reveals significant works as they enter the public domain. Each issue features selections and samples from a variety of medium, at least one new book, film, play, song, image, and children's work are included every month, from well-known authors, artists and creators like Dorothy Parker and George Gershwin. A one-year subscription will set you back $395, but for those who don't have the time or inclination to do extensive research themselves, it is an excellent source of fresh material.
Public Libraries
Libraries are an excellent and free resource for finding public domain material. Pick a subject that interests you and scan the shelves for older books relating to the topic, or spend an afternoon browsing through the card catalogue. Most of the time, the publication date is right near the beginning of the listing on the card, so identifying works published before 1923 is a simple matter.
Most librarians are quite knowledgeable about their library's collections and are happy to help you find exactly what you're looking for. If you're planning a visit to the library, it's advantageous to make up a list of questions regarding the object of your search and approach the librarian before you do anything else, particularly if you are going to a small local library. Larger state-run library and university library staff members may not have the time or resources to devote personal attention to every patron.
A lot of web site owners would rather have their fingernails pulled out than have to write articles for their site. Even those who decide to take it upon themselves to write these articles will tend to put the task off as long as they can to delay the inevitable, distasteful work of writing. Research and just the very act of writing are also off putting to others.
Now one could just download an article off of the internet but wouldn't that be stealing? Perhaps not. There are many articles that have been written where their authors have decided to put them into the public domain, meaning that they are free to be used by anyone in any way they like.
Public domain articles can be used as templates for your own articles, of course. Just copy and paste the article into your favorite editor, make any changes you'd like and viola! A brand new article, for all intents and purposes, is born. You can find public domain articles about nearly any subject you could want, which will make the work of editing less arduous.
One of the easiest ways to write articles for your site is to use public domain works in this manner. No research is needed, saving you a lot of time in the process. And if you're looking to drive more traffic to your site, simply add some keywords relevant to your site into the articles before uploading them to your site.
Anyone can use these articles in the public domain, so don't fret about being sued or accused of plagiarism, it's perfectly OK!
A significant amount of money can be saved by using public domain articles for your site as well. You won't need to hire copywriters, who typically will charge $10-15 per 500 word article. This may not sound like a lot, but if you need dozens, or hundreds of articles for your site, it adds up fast.
Public domain articles can be a lot of help if you are trying to make a magazine or newsletter. You can fill up all of that empty space without having to pay those contributors. Just copy and paste!
Public domain articles are an underutilized resource. There are thousands of articles out there available for you or anyone else to make use of. They have incredible value however, as they can be easily retooled to drive traffic to your web based business.
With the increase in demand has come a larger number of content writers skilled in meeting this need. A whole article creating industry has been born out of this need for ever more articles, with companies all over the world stepping in to fill the gap.
Those who are short on the resources or know-how to write their articles fortunately have public domain articles to choose from; an excellent alternative to writing your own articles.
So how does one find these public domain articles? It's very simple. Just use a search engine to locate public domain articles; there are many directories of these articles, arranged by topic. Read, copy, paste and edit and you'll be on your way!
Both Dionisio Gomez & Alvin Blacknall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dionisio Gomez has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Tattoo and Computers and The Internet. Dionisio Gomez is an accomplished Internet Marketer. He has been successfully selling and promoting products for more than 5 years. Dionisio has an amazing site set up where you can find more of his products on Public Data at. Dionisio Gomez's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Alvin Blacknall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Network Marketing, Writing and Parenting. For affiliate and internet marketing tips, visit and Go HERE for the bes. Alvin Blacknall's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.