The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition

by Jane Friedman

A thoroughly revised edition of the comprehensive guide to building and maintaining a successful career in writing.

 

Writers talk about their work in many as an art, as a calling, as a lifestyle. Too often missing from these conversations is the fact that writing is also a business, and those who want to make a living from their writing must understand the basic business principles underlying the industry. The Business of Being a Writer offers the business education writers need but so rarely receive.



Jane Friedman is one of today’s leading experts on the publishing industry. Through her website, social media presence, online courses, email newsletters, and other media, she helps writers understand how to navigate the industry with confidence and intentionality. This book advises writers on building a platform in a way that aligns with their values; critical mindset issues that might sabotage their efforts before they even begin; how to publish books and short works strategically; and what it means to diversify income streams beyond book sales. For this second edition, Friedman has updated every topic to reflect how the industry has evolved over the past half-decade. New features include a section on business and legal issues commonly faced by writers, exercises at the end of each chapter, and a wealth of sample materials posted on a companion website. 



Reaching beyond the mechanical aspects of publishing, The Business of Being a Writer will help both new and experienced writers approach their careers with the same creative spirit as their writing. Friedman is encouraging without sugarcoating reality, blending years of research with practical advice that will help writers market themselves and maximize their writing-related income. Her book will leave them empowered, confident, and ready to turn their craft into a sustainable career.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Business

408 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2025

About the author

I've worked for 25 years in the publishing industry and have a special interest in how the digital age is transforming writing careers, publishing, and storytelling. Rather than taking a dark view of how the Internet era has affected writers' livelihoods, I'm more interested in how revolutionary change can inspire new business models, and how authorship will ultimately evolve. I believe history is on the writers' side: they've been sustaining their careers in ever more innovative ways since the era of Gutenberg. Furthermore, I don't think that business and art must be at odds—I believe they can inform and push each other to flourish.

I sit at the intersection of several communities, which gives me a 360-degree view of the changes now shaping writing and publishing. People working inside the industry see me as an expert in digital and self-publishing, while independent authors see me as a traditional publishing figure. The university and MFA community see me as very commercially minded, while the business people see me as literary and academic. I would have it no other way; I prefer to serve as a bridge.

I earn my living as a freelancer, and my income is driven largely by my own writing and teaching, as well as consulting services for writers. Thus, I consider my interests to be aligned with writers' interests.

Find out more (including the resume detail) at JaneFriedman.com

Reviews

[Kelly Turner]

An expectation-calibrating, must-read for an aspiring author!

Jane's Electric Speed newsletter is a must-open for me. I have the previous edition of this book and thought I'd give the updated version a skim. Much too fresh and relevant for a skim! I didn't stop for 100 pages. Jane is thoughtful and wise. The mix of advice, information and historical context is spot on for what I needed. Highly recommend.

[David Kent]

Every author needs this book.

[Tina Panik]

Reviewed for Library Journal; full review appears there.

[Lloyd Downey]

Yes, from time to time I’ve harboured the thought of writing a novel that is both captivating and deep. That would become one of the great books of the western world:.....well not just the western world, of course but for the whole of humanity and have the kind of impact that Plato has had. Now, the current book goes a long way towards putting some sense of reality into those kind of vaulting ambition. And my conclusion after reading it is “Don't bother!” After all, any business where 99% of the work is rejected is not going to be much fun. I wonder if writers in the time of the Brontes had so many manuscripts rejected?
Actually, I AM a published author (published in three languages) though, because it was a semi-technical manual, I don’t tend to regard myself as a “real” writer. But being commissioned and paid for the work by the hour seems to have a lot more going for it than relying on royalties to pay the bills.
Enough negativity. The author is clearly experienced in most aspects of the book industry and I found this extremely enlightening. She has shared her extensive knowledge very generously. And it’s interesting to see things from the publisher’s perspective....with many of their publications not paying their way. And unrealistic expectations from authors about what their agent or publisher might do to ensure the success of their book. (Spoiler alert....don’t expect much from either the publisher or the agent. They will be expecting you to work your own networks and followers as a ready-made market).
The book tends to be focused on people who have decided to be “full time” writers. In other words, that’s their job. Their vocation. And the underlying message here is that you need to be working across all spheres of writing: advertising, scripts, magazines, travel, short stories, journalism, feature articles, documentary writing etc. Really hard to be a JK Rowling.
The author certainly relates her advice to the era of social media but there is no discussion of artificial intelligence and its impact on writing. Clearly, it is already massive. And it’s just a matter of time before the great American (or Australian) novel is written by AI.
I’ve included some extracts from the first two sections of the book, below, that I thought were either valuable advice or they caught my attention in one way or another. (They also tend to help me remember the key points from the book). But overall, I really learned a lot and I’m happy to give this book five stars: well worth it.

Perhaps you’ve read personal essays by debut authors “exposing” the fact that the average book advance does not equate to a full-time living for even a single year. Such essays reveal unrealistic expectations about the industry—or magical thinking: I will be the exception and earn my living from writing great books.
But because very few people can make a living solely by writing and publishing books, this book goes further, showing why this one pursuit should not constitute one’s entire business model......It’s the writers who lack education on how the business works who are more vulnerable to finding themselves in bad situations......Many writers end up teaching, or holding down a day job, to support their writing, which is neither good nor bad—but often it’s an accident or shadow career the writer never intended.........MFA programs want their graduates to flourish, they need to expose their students to the foundations of publishing industry success, and not give the false impression that it all boils down to excellent writing.
I think grasping how the industry works is foundational to getting published.
PART ONE: FIRST STEPS Making a Life as a Writer
To make your writing the foundation of a sustainable living will likely involve compromise. If you want to realize monetary gain, you have to be willing to treat (some of) your art as a business......Once you seek payment, you have to consider the market for what you’re producing, especially during a time when supply outpaces demand.
Expecting to make a living through freelance writing or journalism is a very different proposition than expecting to make a living through creative writing (such as novels, short stories, or poetry). Freelancers and journalists must pay attention to the market. They are often writers for hire, and don’t typically expect—or shouldn’t expect—to make a living just from writing what they want.
Writers may trick themselves into thinking that by developing their business acumen, they are improving as writers—but all the business acumen in the world can’t make up for inferior writing.......I asked professor and author Michael Martone if he could tell which of his students were going to succeed as writers—was there a defining characteristic? He told me it was the students who kept writing after they left school, after they were off the hook to produce material on a deadline or for a grade. The most talented students, he said, weren’t necessarily the ones who followed through and put in the hours of work required to reach conventional publishing success.......I used to believe that great work or great talent would eventually get noticed—that quality bubbles to the top. I don’t believe that anymore. Great work is overlooked every day, for a million reasons.
Gaining readers can be just as valuable as earning money. It’s an investment that pays off over time.......Sometimes it’s smart to make trade-offs that involve earning less money now in order to grow readership.
Finally, I’ve witnessed many writers hit their heads against the wall trying to publish or gain acclaim for a particular type of work, even as they succeed wildly with something else—that they don’t think is prestigious or important enough......Paul Graham has written elegantly on this, comparing prestige to a “powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.”
“Brand” is about how you and your work are perceived. In a word, brand is expectation. What do readers expect from you? Like it or not, they will form expectations.
There are two types of relationships to pay close attention to: (1) influencers or gatekeepers and (2) readers, fans, and evangelists.
Taking the time to engage on social media is exactly like taking time to attend readings, community events, and parties where you can meet influencers or established authors. Rather than being so goal-oriented that everyone moves far, far away from you (“Please like me!”), you should be there to have a good time, to listen and learn, to stay in touch with like-minded people. That’s why social media works best for long-term awareness and networking, not the hard sell.
Publishers try to encourage this word of mouth, but few of them have brand recognition with readers, because they haven’t traditionally been direct-to-consumer companies.....Learning how to pitch yourself and your work is a function of several variables:
• understanding the needs or motivations of the person or business you’re targeting
• having something desirable or being someone desirable (or faking either)
• approaching at the right time
• reflecting confidence (or charm)
• being lucky......(Note that I’m avoiding the word “quality.” First, quality is subjective. Second, even high-quality work doesn’t always succeed, often as a result of market concerns.
Excellence takes time to develop, and time for people to notice.....No one was publishing boarding school fantasies for middle-grade and young adult readers at the time J. K. Rowling was submitting the first Harry Potter manuscript. But publishers became deluged with such work once her series became successful.
Resilience in the face of rejection and disappointment is perhaps the biggest key to success in pitching.
The facts provide the foundation for your bio, but don’t limit yourself to the facts. Make your short-term or long-term goals apparent. If you’re working on a book or collection, mention it. If you’re hoping for freelance gigs, then give us a sense, or tell us explicitly, that you’re a freelance writer, and do so in the first few lines. It’s also acceptable to flat-out describe your dream job or aspirations.
Even established writers may write for exposure......Bottom line: it’s smart for writers to make some amount of content available for free—whether through their own platform, social media, or publications—as part of a strategy of continually generating leads.
Many consider social media a marketing and promotional tool, but it is just as much a creative writing and publishing tool:.......It’s no easy task to make your blog visible to the right audience, and few people pursue blogging with the consistency required to generate a meaningful return.
Most writers don’t have a clue how to build an audience large enough that an agent or editor is likely to come calling.....That said, my blog, now in its eighth year, is one of the most important ways I make money.....The value of my blog content attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every month, and ranks at the top of Google searches for how to write and get published.
Look at the engagement of the readership. Are there active comment threads or Facebook pages? Do people spend a lot of time on the site—is the site “sticky”?.....You’d like writing about books and reading to be a primary and perhaps profitable activity, try to narrow your focus to a particular theme, genre, or type of author—........Writing and publishing in print-based literary journals that don’t pay is among the weakest types of lead generation because few people may see the publication.......One important caveat: if you publish in a journal avidly read by literary agents, editors, or influencers, it can serve as a stepping-stone to a book deal or other paying opportunities.
The majority of graduates of MFA [Master of fine arts] programs earn little from the writing they produce, rarely a living. So an MFA program is not necessarily the best choice to advance a writing career, given that the average student will be thousands of dollars in debt when they graduate......there are thousands more graduates of creative writing programs than there are teaching positions available.......MFA programs have largely focused on producing writers who would be considered “literary” in the marketplace. “Literary” in publishing speak is sometimes code for “doesn’t sell.”....Poets, short story writers, and personal essayists in particular need to prepare themselves to earn next to nothing as they begin their careers.
If you have little interest in teaching as part of your living, think hard about why you should obtain a degree.......The majority of employees currently working in publishing don’t have specialized master’s degrees, nor is it expected that applicants will have them.
PART TWO: UNDERSTANDING THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
Publishing is a business, not so much because that is in question but because writers often forget what drives decision-making at the end of the day: the bottom line.
Since the invention of printing, publishers have remained fairly consistent in their profit-driven approach......Even Horace, a Roman poet in the first century BC, warned writers of the Sosii, the brothers who published his work and were, in his view, less than honest in their business dealings. Yet he also acknowledged that without their efforts, his work would never have become so well known throughout the Roman Empire.
These are the top companies publishing books for a mainstream, general audience in the United States.
1. Penguin Random House. With more than 250 imprints worldwide, PRH releases 15,000 new titles every year, or 25 percent of the world’s English-language books. It is easily twice the size of the next four publishers on this list combined.
2. Amazon: It’s estimated that across all formats—print, e-book, and audio—more than 60 percent of book sales in the United States are now made through Amazon. Looking solely at e-books, Amazon is believed to account for 70 to 80 percent of all US book sales.
Publishers’ marketing and sales strength pales in comparison; most of them have limited consumer data, while Amazon has data on millions of book buyers.....The launch of the Kindle in 2007 changed the face of book retailing forever.....Between 2006 and 2011, the number of self-published titles tripled, to nearly a quarter million a year. By 2013, that number had risen to nearly half a million. By comparison, traditional publishers in 2013 turned out about 300,000 titles.
While more books are being published than ever, the bad news is that book sales have remained more or less flat, with slight gains in some sectors.
Agents and publishers often say their rejection rate is 99 percent, even 99.9 percent....The lucky author who gets a publishing deal often realizes, after the fact, that their book is just one among thousands of titles released every year. In bookstores, it will likely sit spine-out on a shelf, rather than on display.
Most authors will earn little, or at least nothing close to a living wage, from their books.
book advance for an unknown author may not go beyond $ 20,000 even at a major New York house.......Furthermore, because it’s an advance on royalties, you won’t receive more money after publication until you earn back that amount through sales.
When I started negotiating author contracts, my marching orders were to ensure the author advance didn’t go beyond what the P& L indicated would be earned out through sales of the first print run.
Industry insiders estimate that 70 percent of authors do not earn out their advance, and authors do not have to return or repay the advance if that happens....So the advance represents a true risk on the part of the publisher.
Once an author has at least one book published, they have a sales track record that can be found and researched by anyone in the publishing industry with a subscription to Bookscan.
Hardcover royalties typically start at 10 percent, paperback royalties at 8 percent, and mass-market (an inexpensive and small format) even lower than that—When evaluating royalty rates, it’s important to know whether they’re based on the list (retail) price of the book or on net receipts.
E-book royalty rates at most traditional publishers have been “stuck” at 25 percent of net for years.
There’s not a whole lot of money to be made in book publishing, for either the author or the publisher. John Steinbeck famously said, “The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.”
When the first magazine in America was published in Philadelphia in 1741, it was out of business within three months. Nearly all early magazines suffered the same fate, mainly due to insufficient paying readership. People lacked leisure time and were able to satisfy their informational needs through newspapers.....Most publications struggled to turn a profit until their prices were lowered, making them mass-market products and viable advertising vehicles.
Advertising-editorial ratio. Every magazine (with rare exception) has a mix of editorial pages and advertising pages, and has a target ratio of advertising to editorial pages. For example, a 20–80 ratio means a magazine has 20 percent advertising pages and 80 percent editorial pages......Most magazines have a fixed editorial and art budget for each issue that must not be exceeded.....A publisher can expect to receive about 50 percent of the cover price for a newsstand sale. Unsold copies are destroyed........Sell-through is the number of copies sold through newsstands. Sell-through figures vary tremendously, but, as of this writing, about 25 percent is average.
In 2007 US magazine print advertising exceeded $ 25 billion; by 2016 it had fallen below $ 17 billion with no prospects for improvement........it’s the rise of digital media...Longtime industry observers predict a great shakeout yet to come, where many magazines fold.
If a reader wants to experience the New Yorker beyond its pages, there’s no shortage of opportunities to do so. Of course, the big question might be: Do readers really want more to consume or have time to consume it? (How many subscribers can even keep up with the weekly issues?)
In the mid-2000s, as digital media became more central to every publishing company, the word “content” took centre stage. There were proclamations such as “content is king,” and new professional positions emerged in the field of “content strategy,” including chief content officers......Most publishers—recognizing that what they do is about much more than writing—are ready to adapt to whatever form of media is preferred by their audience.
When compared to print, the most striking quality of digital or online publishing is that there is little barrier to entry and low overhead
Advertisers quickly discovered that the value of many online ads is exceedingly low because they aren’t effective, a devastating blow to publications.....Once a readership has been developed based on free content, it is difficult to turn back the clock and make that same content pay-only. One successful example is the New York Times, but even it uses a “leaky paywall” that allows readers up to ten free articles per month

[Mark]

This revised second edition is even better than the first and I truly believe that any writer who wants to properly understand the current publishing landscape would be well-advised to get this book at to read it at least once. Then after 6 months to a year, read it again. And again.

Friedman is one of the few people in existence who comprehensively understands the world of traditional publishing as well as the world of indie/self-publishing and is capable of sharing insights and details to help others learn and understand it too.

This book would be one of the very best books you could ever purchase for someone who is a writer.

[Erin]

Got the audiobook!

[Emily]

I read this shortly after reading Write Through It by Kate McKean. These books feel very compatible to each other. Whereas the other was more focused on how to navigate the emotional aspect of publishing (with some business talk thrown in), this is pretty much solely focused on the business aspect of it. It also goes over a lot of topics that weren't touched on in the other book, such as self-publishing, freelance writing, etc.

Because it is so broad in what it covers though, it is a book you probably won't read cover to cover. For example, I skipped most of the section about self-publishing and paid forms of publishing because I really have no interest in ever trying that route. Conversely, if you're the opposite and are only interested in non-traditional publishing, a lot of the book is probably not going to be relevant to you until it gets to those portions.

This is probably more the type of book you would read as a reference and look at specific portions rather than sit down and read like a book like I did. Reading it as just a book for pleasure, it's a bit dry, but it does have a lot of info.

[Russell Ricard]

The Business of Being a Writer, 2nd ed. Sure, you’re an artist. And at the same time, if you want to put your art into the marketplace, then you are running a business, and would benefit from nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset.

Thinking like a business person can be daunting, but this book will help.
The end-of-chapter exercises, and web links to a wealth of vital resources/samples offer practical usage to build one’s craft in navigating the business of writing.

The nonfiction proposal information is particularly thorough and insightful.

This book provides concrete advice and a vast overview of information—across the publishing spectrum—beneficial to all writers, no matter the positioning in their career path.

I read the first edition, and this is quite an impressive follow up—tons of new and relevant information. I’ll refer to this book again and again.

It’s my joy to help celebrate an author who, for decades of tireless work, insight, expertise, and literary citizenship, has helped and continues to help so many in the publishing world. Cheers Jane Friedman on this terrific book.

[Jenni Enzor]

This was the book I wished I'd had when I first started writing. It's really hard to get real information on how publishing works from insiders. And Friedman also confronts the adage, "Don't worry about the business part of things, just write," by showing that writers do need to think about the business side of things, and that doesn't have to get in the way of your creativity. I appreciated her pointing out that it's never been easy to make money as a writer, that there is no "Golden Age" of writing, and that most writers need to do something else (a day job, editing, or teaching) to survive. The section about self-publishing is fairly short, but balanced. I will be bookmarking the portions about running your business, taxes, etc. I recommend this to anyone who is a writer or aspiring writer and really wants the truth about the business.

[Christine Zandt]

Jane is the go-to source in our industry and the updated edition of this book does not disappoint. A question I get asked a lot is about choosing a path to publication. That topic is covered, as are many others. There's much more to being a writer than "just" (!) writing the book.

I believe that it's better knowing what you're up against in the industry and making decisions on how and where to engage from there. Whether you want to self-pub a book and call it a day or if you're shooting for a career as a writer, there's something to be learned in this book.

If you have a writer in your life, whether they're published or pre-published, this would be a thoughtful gift.

I bought my copy from Jane at the ALA and she was just as lovely, gracious, and knowledgeable in person as she is in her webinars and classes.

[Rosie]

"The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition," by Jane Friedman is a comprehensive resource for writers who aspire to turn their passion into a profession.

I read and listened to her audiobook. It was best to absorb the wealth of information she provides in small increments.

Friedman guides writers by offering practical advice on how to build a personal platform, including valuable website information, too.

With her blend of research and practical wisdom, Friedman encourages writers, both beginners and veterans, to approach their careers with creativity and resilience. Her advice is easy to understand. "The Business of Being a Writer" is a keeper and serves as a roadmap for establishing a fulfilling and sustainable writing career.

[Brent Henry]

I have to say that I recall seeing this on a recommended read for a course I took a while back, but I never got around to purchasing and reading it. I'm starting an MFA in Fiction and it is one of the two main references. After reading it through, I can see why! There is so much good information and resources here that I wish I had read the original version when it first came out.

I know that I want to write and publish a book and I think that "The Business of Being A Writer" will help in many different areas.

I have a short list of books that have been a big help in my writing journey and I'm adding this one to the list. A must read for anyone who wants to consider themselves a serious and profitable writer.

[Clara]

This book strikes exactly the right balance between encouraging and pragmatic. There is SO MUCH practical advice about the business side of writing. It’s chock-full of concrete examples on everything from contract details, to platform-building strategies, to doing your taxes…there’s even a healthy section on self-publishing. I found the tone (practical, “Are you ready for how hard this is going to be?” mixed with gentle, “It’s going to be hard, but you can absolutely do it”) to be exactly what I needed at this point in my writing career. Highly recommend to all writers.

[Mary Ardery]

I'm preparing for my first book's publication in a few months, and I have found this book so helpful! My favorite thing about the way Jane shares her expertise is that she covers topics from so many different angles while still conveying her own opinion. This combination—providing an overview while transparently explaining her stance—makes it so much easier to think through and decide what YOU think is right for YOUR book (or for your career in general).

[Geoffrey Wells]

Invaluable for serious writers

Jane covers it all. This book helps writers not just to get their work out but to relax, knowing that Jane has addressed your stress while trying to write a novel. Especially a novel. Buy this book and then check out all the other things from the amazing Jane Friedman—the best writing friend I have ever had.

[Joy Walker]

I haven’t finished this yet, but this is every bit as good as the first edition. You may want to read it from cover to cover, but it’s not necessary. It’s like a reference guide so you can go straight to the chapters you want to read most. Jane is truly the expert in the BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER. If you are or want to be a writer this is a must read.

[Erin Matson]

I’ve been a copywriter, corporate writer, ghostwriter, news and opinion writer, MFA student, novelist, memoirist, essayist, and blogger. I’ve been published in books and literary magazines, print and online publications. Jane Friedman’s tome was still packed with plenty of news to me. It is practical, straightforward, and wide in scope. Do you want to make money from writing? Educate yourself.

[Craig Kingsman]

In the Business of Being a Writer, Jane Friedman lays out different areas that authors need to be aware of to be successful. Each chapter is a snapshot of advice...that is, each chapter could be a an entire book, but Friedman gives you the basics. Highly recommended for new

[Laura]

Jane Friedman really knows her stuff, and she’s made a very valuable book for writers. I especially liked the sections on agents and publishing. This is way more in-depth and research-based than anything you’d find in an online search on these topics. Great for all types of writing and publishing.

[Kenneth Chanko]

A workmanlike survey, quite instructive.

[Jamie Siebrase]

A must-read for anyone trying to make it as a writer.

[Karen]

Review forthcoming.

[Jonathan Webb]

One of the best non-craft books on writing. A must read for any writer trying to expand their business or readership.

[Christopher Kulp]

Very useful for authors. I’ll probably need to read it several times to absorb it all.

[Lisa Miller]

This is a book every writer needs.

[L]

Excellent.

[Angel Ackerman]

Completely easy to read, full of advice on every topic and still a comprehensive, amazing, useful resource. I killed two highlighters.