Recently, the FTC in the United States announced a rule banning non-competes nationwide, making noncompetes no longer enforceable. The Authors Guild supported this new rule, since noncompetes are regularly included in book publishing contracts as well as freelancing and journalism contracts (which would be covered by this rule). While the rule is set to go into effect on Sept. 4, 2024, legal challenges could delay or prevent enforcement.
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.
