This is always a difficult piece to share; while it offers real value and insight into which small publishers are succeeding in the current challenging environment, it invariably includes a couple companies that charge authors up front to publish. This time it’s Morgan James (which has made the list before) and Brown Books Publishing Group. Notably, most of the publishers focus on nonfiction publishing, and none are dedicated to adult fiction. Take a look.
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.
