For authors who self-publish through Barnes & Noble Press, the retailer updated its terms to be more attractive than what Amazon offers. Why the move took so long is a mystery. The ebook royalty has moved from 65 to 70 percent, effective for all price points. Note that Apple has offered a 70 percent flat rate to authors from the start. Meanwhile, Amazon pays authors a 35 percent rate instead of 70 percent for ebooks priced below $2.99 or above $9.99.
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.
