The Wall Street Journal is no longer publishing its weekly bestseller lists based on Circana BookScan data, in yet another disappointment to self-publishing authors, given problems with the USA Today list. Until recently, the WSJ published six bestseller lists as well as a hardcover business list; successful self-publishing novelists could often snag a spot on the top 10 ebook bestseller list for fiction. Publishers Weekly reports that the WSJ decided not to renew its contract with Circana, thus the discontinuation of the lists.
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.
