Last week, I was delighted to be a guest on Stephen Campbell’s podcast, The Author Biz.
Some of the topics we cover in our 50-minute chat:
- Why I usually discourage authors from blogging
- My perspective on building author platform
- Whether it’s important to build a Facebook following before you publish your first book (in short, no)
- Why building a direct connection with your readers is an investment in your future sales and career growth
- The challenge of measuring sales and marketing results with social media
Click here to listen to the show.

Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has nearly 25 years of experience in the media & publishing industry. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a professor with The Great Courses (How to Publish Your Book), she is the author of The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as Digital Book World and Frankfurt Book Fair, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.