56. Determining your publishing path with Jane Friedman

This week, I’m pleased to welcome one of the foremost publishing experts, Jane Friedman.

Jane has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, which was named 2020 Media Outlet of the Year by Digital Book World.

I’ve been following Jane’s work for years, and her site was a critical resource for me early in my writing career (and still is!). In this candid discussion, we cover:

• the three main types of publishing and considerations for each
• an overview of traditional publishing, including working with an agent and a basic time frame
• why an author might self-publish or work with a hybrid publisher
• what makes a nonfiction book marketable
• how to get crystal clear on your reader and niche
• what Jane says all aspiring authors should know

We also have a lot of fun talking shop, sharing our personal perspectives about the publishing industry, writing, and much more. No matter what stage you’re at in your author journey, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Join the waiting list for my accelerated author program, Nonfiction Book School: www.nonfictionbookschool.com.

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To submit a question, email hello@stacyennis.com or visit http://stacyennis.com/contact and fill out the form on the page.

Get to know Jane:

• Access her valuable free content at https://www.janefriedman.com.
• Subscribe to her paid newsletter at https://hotsheetpub.com. I’m a subscriber and highly recommend it if you want to keep up on publishing industry news, trends, and more.

Content discussed in the interview:

• Questions to Ask Your Publisher Before Signing: https://www.janefriedman.com/questions-to-ask-your-publisher-before-you-sign-the-contract/
• How to Define & Describe Your Readership (gluten-free example): https://www.janefriedman.com/define-readers-book-proposal/
• Using Partnerships to Land a Book Deal (getting forewords/intros from other experts):https://www.janefriedman.com/using-partnerships-to-help-land-a-nonfiction-book-deal/

Additional links from Jane:

• How to Write a Book Proposal (+ template): https://www.janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-write-a-book-proposal/
• Key Book Publishing Paths: https://www.janefriedman.com/key-book-publishing-path/