In this crucial legal episode, I sit down with Gordon Firemark, intellectual property entertainment and media lawyer, to navigate the Wild West of AI in publishing.

With 50 lawsuits currently underway against AI companies, most dealing with training on pre-existing copyrighted material, Gordon explains that Anthropic just agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement with a group of authors, noting if the trained system outputs material substantially similar to an existing copyrighted work, that is infringement. We can't hold the machine responsible for damages, meaning the person or company who publishes AI generated material bears full liability.

Beyond copyright concerns, AI systems hallucinate, requiring meticulous fact-checking especially for nonfiction work. Gordon shares an alarming example where an AI-generated article about a person with a common name incorrectly attributed a felony conviction from someone in Colorado to an innocent person in Florida, creating defamation liability.

Gordon emphasizes that authors cannot own AI-generated work because copyright law has been clear for a century that if the author isn't human, the work gets no copyright protection. Courts have consistently ruled this way with AI-generated images, with one case currently petitioning the Supreme Court for review. However, if human authors show sufficient creative input, they can claim copyright in elements they contributed.

When publishing on Amazon, there's a checkbox requiring disclosure if you used AI to create your material, and failing to check it could result in delisting, violating terms of service, or accusations of fraud. If you use AI and don't disclose it, you can be accused of defrauding the copyright office, invalidating your copyright entirely and leading to damages and penalties if you try to sue for infringement. Those advertisements promising six figures by having AI write your book in one day are misleading because you can't claim copyright infringement if someone else copies, distributes, or creates derivatives.

Gordon recommends safe ways to use AI as a tool. His strongest advice: there's nothing like making writing a habit. The act of writing, rereading, rewriting, and reorganizing is what authorship truly is, and while mainstream publishing involves editors and copy editors, they guide the fundamentally human process.

Ready to write your authority-building book? Schedule a discovery call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Until next time, keep writing, dreaming, and creating—your book is waiting to be born!

Podcast Resources

Start on your author journey today by Booking a Discovery Call

Unsure where to start when it comes to writing your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

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Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

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I sat down with Terry Whalin to debunk common misconceptions that trip up aspiring authors. Terry tackles the biggest misunderstanding among new authors, which is the belief that publishers will sell and promote your book for you.

While publishers invest in marketing, they have hundreds of books published, meaning authors must take 100% responsibility. The person with the greatest investment in your book is you, not your publisher, making author-driven promotion essential regardless of whether you're self-published or working with a publisher.

He also addresses the New York Times bestseller dream, which Terry calls almost like winning an Oscar in the book business. The New York Times list isn't purely numbers-based, but editorial, meaning you need approximately 11,000 copies sold in a seven-day period through their list of brick-and-mortar and online bookstores, plus editorial approval from Times editors who decide whether your book deserves the list. Terry knows authors who sold enough copies but didn't make the list because editors deemed it unsuitable. However, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists are slightly more accessible.

The key is consistency and perseverance in promotion. He warns authors against spending $30,000 on the wrong PR firm and emphasizes building assets you control like your own newsletter, blog, and website rather than relying solely on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Terry demolishes the myth surrounding the glamorous writer's life. Other common mistakes include pitching children's books "for all ages" and submitting 190,000-word manuscripts from first-time authors. Terry stresses that everyone needs professional editors providing developmental feedback, not just AI tools. He warns against using ChatGPT or Claude to edit books because AI-generated phrases slip into your work that you would never write yourself, becoming an immediate cause for rejection.

Ready to write your authority-building book? Schedule a discovery call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Until next time, keep writing, dreaming, and creating—your book is waiting to be born!

Podcast Resources

Start on your author journey today by Booking a Discovery Call

Unsure where to start when it comes to writing your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Get Terry’s book 10 Publishing Myths

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, affiliates, and guests from any liability.

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see authors make repeatedly: skipping professional editing or relying solely on AI to edit their work.

I cannot stress this enough—your book creates a first impression you cannot undo! An unprofessionally edited book at a business networking event is like wearing jeans and a t-shirt while everyone else wears business casual. Grammar mistakes, awkward phrasing, and missing transitions signal to readers that you lack professional confidence.

Readers equate writing quality with professional credibility, so a poorly edited book damages years of reputation building in an instant. Professional editing solves problems you cannot see in your own work. Editors tighten prose by eliminating redundancies while ensuring clarity and accessibility for your audience. Sensitivity editing catches cultural, social, and trauma-related issues authors might miss.

Your book is a permanent professional artifact living on Amazon for years, representing you when you're not in the room. Event planners review books before booking speakers, journalists and podcast hosts evaluate credibility through writing quality, and potential clients use books to assess you. If you charge premium prices for your services but present an amateur-quality book, the disconnect destroys credibility and costs you high-paying clients.

Professional editing costs between $1,500 and $5,000, which might sound expensive until you consider that one lost media opportunity, speaking engagement, or high-paying client costs more than professional editing. Your ROI includes better speaking fees, more opportunities, improved client acquisition, ability to charge higher prices, and media opportunities that multiply over time.

Even professional editors hire other editors for their own books because you cannot effectively edit your own work no matter how skilled you are. I myself am co-writing a fiction book with an editor friend, and we're still paying another editor because we want our book to be well-received.

Whether self-publishing or working with a publisher, professional editing is non-negotiable for protecting your reputation, establishing authority, and safeguarding your income and lead generation.

Ready to write your authority-building book? Schedule a discovery call and take the next step to moving one step closer to writing and publishing your book!

Until next time, keep writing, dreaming, and creating—your book is waiting to be born!

Podcast Resources

Start on your author journey today by Booking a Discovery Call

Unsure where to start when it comes to writing your book? Download your Book Clarity Blueprint today!

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guests, and any affiliates is not intended to substitute for professional legal or financial advice or any professional advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have.

The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guests are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guests, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or actions taken hereto based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge and...