Legal Essentials for Authors & Publishers: Protecting Your Work (and Your Wallet)

Legal Essentials for Authors & Publishers: Protecting Your Work (and Your Wallet)

You don’t have to be a lawyer to safeguard your creative business. But if you’re publishing a book, offering services, or managing intellectual property, you do need to think like one.

At this year’s 2025 Business Bootcamp for Authors & Publishing Professionals, business attorney Autumn Witt Boyd will lead a powerhouse session on Legal Essentials for Authors and Publishing Professionals that every creative entrepreneur should know, without the jargon or the overwhelm.

Why Legal Smarts Matter in Publishing

Publishing is filled with contracts, collaborators, and content. If the legal foundation isn’t solid, any of these can make or break your business if the legal foundation isn’t solid.

You worked hard to build your business. Now it’s time to protect it.

After this session, you’ll understand how to:

  • Protect your intellectual property with confidence
  • Negotiate contracts that align with your goals
  • Set refund and payment policies that support your services and digital products
  • Avoid common legal pitfalls that cost creatives time and money

What You’ll Learn in This Session

Autumn will walk you through the three most important legal essentials for authors and publishing professionals:

  • Contracts: What clauses to watch for, what’s truly “standard,” and where you should (and shouldn’t) push back
  • Refund Policies: How to protect yourself when offering courses, services, or digital products
  • Intellectual Property: How copyrights and trademarks work and the steps you should take to secure your work

You’ll leave with practical tools to safeguard your business—and a whole lot more peace of mind.

Meet the Speaker: Autumn Witt Boyd

Autumn Witt Boyd is a trusted business attorney for creatives, authors, and online entrepreneurs. Through her firm, the AWB Firm, she helps content creators protect their work, navigate collaborations, and build sustainable, legally sound businesses.

Check out her work at awbfirm.com

Build Your Creative Empire Without Legal Chaos

Join us August 21–22 for the 2025 Business Bootcamp and get the clarity, confidence, and legal savvy you need to run your business like a pro.