Described as a “groundbreaking reality television series,” America’s Next Great Author is being undertaken by Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry (known as The Book Doctors) and author Kwame Alexander. Writers can sign up for a casting call for a chance to pitch their book idea to a panel of experts; six finalists will enter a writing retreat for a month-long storytelling challenge. Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware takes the long view and recaps the surprising number of times that a reality show for authors has been attempted. America’s Next Great Author hasn’t been picked up by any networks or platforms yet, but that’s the ultimate goal in producing the pilot episode.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
