Published in 2015, Arms and the Dudes by journalist Guy Lawson is a nonfiction book about how three stoners from Miami Beach became the most unlikely gunrunners in history. (The book later became a movie, War Dogs.) One of the people featured in the book sued the publisher and author, arguing the portrayal was defamatory. The Supreme Court issued a denial of Certiorari, and no binding precedent is created by the Supreme Court’s denial. a lower court decision that did not find actual malice by the publisher or author—which is necessary to win a defamation suit. While that is true in the case of Lawson’s book—as the plaintiff is considered a public figure—the same standard does not apply in defamation cases brought by ordinary people who are not considered public figures. It was a 7-2 ruling, with conservative judges indicating that the current standard of proving “actual malice” may need to be revisited. Learn more.
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.
