The prestige black-tie event held every fall (envision the Academy Awards, but for books) has become an online-only event. In an exchange with Publishers Lunch, the executive director of the National Book Foundation said the change would be financially challenging, as the awards ceremony and dinner represents its most important fundraising opportunity of the year. “Without that income, we’ll be in the same position as many others—working to retain sponsors and compelling our constituents to support the work so that the Foundation can remain strong for many years to come.”
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.
