Publishing services firm Scribe Media, founded in 2014 as Book in a Box, has made headlines recently for abruptly laying off its 87-member staff in late May. Its email to employees stated, “Based on unforeseen business circumstances and faltering business based on unavailability of additional capital, Scribe is forced to shut down its operations and lay off employees at our Austin location.” Due to the abrupt nature of the layoffs, which included no severance or benefits, affected employees have filed a petition for “financial justice.”
Apparently, Scribe’s assets are in the process of being sold off, although a buyer has not yet been determined. Its CEO has stepped down. Scribe’s chief experience officer, Meghan McCracken, told Publishers Lunch (sub required), “Operationally, all of our clients are covered, and we are continuing. … We fully anticipate completely resuming normal operations at the same level of employment that we had before.”
The founders of Scribe Media left in 2021; one of its co-founders said the company had no financial problems at the time of his departure. Here’s more background on the company.
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.
