In our last issue, we reported on the divided opinions of freelancers regarding the PRO Act, new labor legislation meant to empower organizing among independent contractors. Some worry that it could endanger the ability of freelancers to remain freelance or that it may chill the market for freelance work. Mary Rasenberger of the Authors Guild suggested at the time that there was some reason for concern, but that the bill could be amended to remedy those concerns.
Now the Authors Guild has offered a call to action to members, asking them to contact their representatives in support of the PRO Act—as long as it “covers all freelance writers and authors without affecting their copyright ownership.” That part about copyright ownership is the proposed amendment from the Authors Guild, but making that change would not address the key concern some freelancers have with the stringent ABC test currently included in the bill. Notably, the American Society of Journalists and Authors has come out against the legislation as currently written, just as they came out against California’s AB5 in 2019.
For more on the political bargaining behind the scenes of the PRO Act, The Intercept has a useful update.
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.
