When it first started many years ago, the membership program cost $25 per year. The cost is now $40 and comes with free shipping and a 10 percent discount on all purchases. Members also get a tote bag and drink size upgrades at store cafés. Learn more. Barnes & Noble has also launched a free program that allows members to earn a virtual stamp for every $10 spent. With 10 stamps, free members get a $5 reward. CEO James Daunt believes that a large majority of the 5.5 million people who currently pay $25 annually will sign up for the more expensive program.
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.
