In late July, Medium put out a call for entries to The Medium Writers Challenge, which features celebrity writer judges and a $50,000 prize. However, as with so many contests these days, the fine print in the official rules contained a rights grab—giving Medium “an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive, sublicensable, assignable” license to all entries, whether winning or not. Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware was soon alerted, as were other industry watchdogs, like the Authors Guild. In response to community outcry, Medium adjusted the terms, although for some writers it will still be a no-go.
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.
