The DOJ suit to block the Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster deal has resulted in publishers, agents, and authors receiving attorney requests for book deal information. Fortunately, the Authors Guild has compiled an advice page for anyone needing guidance. For agents, they suggest retaining an attorney, but most of the advice emphasizes that only select people related to the case will see this “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” deal information due to the protective order that’s in place.
The Authors Guild notes, “PRH and S&S are in discussions with the DOJ to determine how they can use sensitive information obtained in the litigation without it becoming public. Examples of how this might be done include keeping the courtroom closed during trial to anyone but the lawyers and judge, redacting all publicly filed documents, and/or anonymizing all information.”
For more background on the DOJ suit, see our coverage from last November.
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.
