You're off to a good start with the preliminary steps you have taken. One more thing you should certainly do is register your copyright with the US Copyright Office (http://www.copyright.gov/). Registration is not necessary to obtain a copyright since a copyright was automatically established when you put pen to paper and embodied your original idea in the book. However, registration does provide several added benefits, including a presumption of ownership and statutory damages if your copyright is registered prior to any subsequent claim of infringement. In addition, if your copyright is ever infringed, you'll need to register before you can bring a suit for infringement. The registration fee is nominal, so given the added benefits, it really makes sense to register it now instead of waiting for someone to infringe your work. Also, FYI. since your book is a how to, it's important to note that it is likely that some the elements in your book that are not copyrightable. That's because copyright doesn't protect processes. Therefore, a copyright won't prevent someone from doing the thing you are teaching and it won't prevent someone else from teaching the same thing, even in book form. However, the copyright will protect your specific expression of the process (as embodied in your book) and will prevent verbatim or near verbatim copying of your book). Other may freely express the same process in different terms. It may be possible to protect the how-to process itself using a patent (which affords some protection to process, methods, and systems among others things).

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 6/28/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

File a US copyright on the book.

Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 6/28/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

I would recommend that you consult with an intellectual property attorney to discuss the possibility of trademarking the name of your book as well as a copyrighting the entire contents of your book in order to protect you.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 6/28/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

You should file a copyright application for registration. I would be happy to assist you with that process.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 6/27/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

The most likely intellectual property protection for is book is registering your copyright. Although, as the author of the book you own the copyrights to it, registering it solidifies your ownership of it.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 6/27/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.