W by Wattpad Books will publish new adult fiction, all based on stories that originated on the Wattpad platform. Wattpad started publishing YA novels in 2019, with 36 titles released so far; the new adult imprint will begin with five titles by romance authors in February 2022. Ashleigh Gardner, deputy general manager at Wattpad Studios/Publishing said, “W by Wattpad Books is the next step in the natural evolution of our publishing program. Over and over we’ve seen fans age up with the genres they love, following their favorite authors and stories to new adult settings in college or the workplace.” Read the press release.
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.
