Jane Friedman
Publishing industry analyst and educator (The Business of Being a Writer) sharing nuanced insights for authors on business models, marketing, and industry trends.
Harsh Comment Sections Teach Us to Listen and Grow
"The comment section in Huffington Post is notoriously harsh, and conventional wisdom says to avoid reading it. I write to understand, but I publish to be part of a larger conversation. Therefore, I want to listen—mostly—to what readers say. And, wow, did these readers have some choice words for me." Author Lea Page shares what she did after reading some terrible comments on her personal essay: https://janefriedman.com/when-the-comment-section-is-challenging/
Podcast Guesting Supercharges Nonfiction Book Launch
Therapist and nonfiction author Oona Metz was a guest on over 50 podcasts prior to her book's launch. Here's what she learned: https://janefriedman.com/how-to-use-podcast-guesting-to-promote-your-nonfiction-book/
Use Principles Over Formulas to Structure Your Story
Try searching for “how to structure a story” and you'll get a panoply of instructions: Hero’s Journey Three-act structure Save the Cat Snowflake method Freytag’s Pyramid Fichtean Curve What do you do with them? Tiffany Yates Martin advises: https://janefriedman.com/base-your-story-structure-on-principles-not-systems/
Book Publicist Scams Exposed: $1800, Zero ROI
This case study in hiring a book publicity firm is both laugh-out-loud funny and highly informative. As author Kirsten Bell points out, few people share these poor experiences due to shame and embarrassment. So I couldn't be more grateful to her...
Journalistic Editing Skills Transform Book Publishing Success
Making the leap from journalism to book-length work brought one writer into contact with a new challenge: being truly edited. Lessons from @julietizon: https://janefriedman.com/how-editing-like-a-journalist-will-make-your-publishing-journey-easier/
Animal POVs Add Quirky Depth to Adult Fiction
Be forewarned, if you write fiction involving animal characters, especially for adult readers, people will likely refer to your story as “quirky.” Book coach Erin Radniecki advises on when animal POVs can benefit your story: https://janefriedman.com/embrace-quirky-5-benefits-of-using-animal-point-of-view-characters/
TV Agency Launches Book Division Targeting YA, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Recently, the LA-based TV literary agency Kaplan Stahler brought on Jillian Davis to start their book department. She focuses on authors of YA, romance, and women’s fiction. I’m grateful to Jillian for answering a few questions about the unique space she’s...