Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is self-publishing the print and ebook edition of his memoir through his own publishing company, Kaepernick Publishing. Ingram’s Two Rivers will distribute the book in partnership with Melcher Media. Meanwhile, the audio edition will be sold exclusively by Audible—and in fact Kaepernick’s company has a deal with Audible to create multiple projects by a variety of authors and influencers. Michael Cader at Publishers Lunch pointed out that Kaepernick made a deal to publish a memoir with Harper One in 2016 and then later at One World, an imprint of Random House. Neither project came to fruition.
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.
