How to Legally Protect Your Book: Copyright, Trademarks & Contracts for Authors
- Janee' Brown
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
Many authors, don’t consider or maybe don’t realize, their book is intellectual property. Their focused on the creative process—writing, designing the cover, and getting it on Amazon KDP - big mistake!
Publishing a book is more than just hitting "publish."
It’s about legally protecting your work so no one else can claim it, repurpose it, or profit from it without your permission. If you’re an aspiring author, don’t skip this step. Here’s what you need to know about copyright, trademarks, and contracts to protect your book and brand.
What is Intellectual Property (IP) for Authors?
Your book isn’t just words on a page—it’s intellectual property (IP). That means it has real value that deserves legal protection. For authors, IP includes:
Copyrights – Protects your book’s content (text, illustrations, and unique elements).
Trademarks – Protects your book title (if it’s a series), brand name, and coaching programs.
Contracts – Protects you from editors, designers, and publishers misusing your work.
And trust me, you want this protection. Without it, someone could copy your book’s content, use your signature phrase, or even hijack your book title for their own brand.
Copyright: Do You Really Own Your Book?
When you write a book, you automatically own the copyright. But without registration, it’s harder to prove in court if someone steals your work.
🚨 Lesson learned: I had a consultation with an author who's manuscript register in both their pen name and the publishing consultant’s name. Decisions on the manuscript after the book was published was, messy for the lack of better words.
You wrote the book and YOU alone, should be on the copyright registration.
How to Register Your Copyright
1️⃣ Go to copyright.gov
2️⃣ Submit your book manuscript
3️⃣ Pay the fee
That’s it thats all!
This one-time step ensures that if anyone tries to copy your book, you have the legal proof you need to fight back.
🔹 What’s Protected: Your book’s text, original illustrations, and unique elements.
🔹 What’s NOT Protected: Your book title (we’ll get to that next) or general ideas.
I get this question all the time: “Can I trademark my book title?”
The answer? Not if it’s just one book. But if you’re turning it into a series, coaching program, or business, then yes—you can (and should) trademark it.
💡 Example: Let’s say you wrote a book called The Confidence Code. If it’s a one-time book, you can’t trademark the title. But if you expand it into The Confidence Code for Leaders, The Confidence Code for Women, or a Confidence Code coaching program, you can trademark the brand name.
How to Trademark Your Book Brand
✅ Search for existing trademarks at uspto.gov
✅ File for a wordmark (text-only) trademark
✅ Use it in business (courses, programs, products)
If you’re building around your book, trademark protection is essential. Otherwise, someone else can legally take the name you worked so hard to build.
Contracts: Protect Your Book from Editors, Designers, and Publishers
When you hire an editor, ghostwriter, or book designer, you assume they’ll do their job and move on. But what happens if they:
Use your book as a portfolio sample without permission?
Claim they co-wrote it because they edited it?
Repurpose your book’s content for their own course?
😳 Yikes.
This is why you need contracts—even for freelancers.
Essential Contracts for Authors
✔ Work-for-Hire Agreement – Ensures you own all rights to what your editor or designer creates.
✔ Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) – Keeps your manuscript private.
✔ Publishing Agreement – Clearly defines rights and royalties.
NEVER assume a handshake deal is enough. If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist.
Don’t Let Legal Oversights Cost You
Most authors don’t think about IP protection until there’s a problem—and by then, it’s expensive to fix.
Safeguard your brand assets
✅ Register your copyright (protect your book’s content).
✅ Trademark your brand (if you’re building beyond the book)
.✅ Use contracts (protect your work from freelancers and publishers).
Your book is more than just words—it’s a valuable asset. Protect it like one.
Food for thought: Your book is a brand asset and should not be the gateway to brand suicide or legal feuds. Yes, we live in the world of DIY but your book is not a new standing desk for your home office that you can put together yourself. I strongly recommend, working with a seasoned intellectual property lawyer for all legal protections. Open Book Publishing’s partners with a legal firm that specializes in intellectual property for our clients needs- you should too!
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