Jane Friedman's Blog: Jane Friedman, page 9

Senators introduce AI legislation bills that don’t align with President Trump’s recent plan or comments

Following a Congressional hearing on AI, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal proposed the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act.

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New imprint at Simon & Schuster UK: Solstice

Solstice Books will publish sci-fi/fantasy, romantasy, and horror starting in spring 2026.

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New children’s publisher: Dream Jar Publishing

Author-illustrator Angela Quezada Padron has launched Dream Jar Publishing, which will focus on diverse children’s books.

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Storysnap: AI that outlines your book

Storysnap generates a reverse outline of your book, as well a story bible, based on the manuscript you upload.

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Links of Interest: July 30, 2025

The latest in bookselling, AI, and culture & politics.

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Author Promotion Versus Book Promotion: Why You Need Both

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Today’s post is by author, attorney, and managing editor for Amble Press, Orlando Ortega-Medina.

When I speak to authors about promotion, I often find a common point of confusion: they conflate book promotion with author promotion, treating both as one and the same. In reality, they serve different purposes. And if you want your work to reach the readers who will value it most, you need to be thinking about both.

Book promotion is a sprint

Book promotion is what most writers think of when their manuscript is ready to launch. It’s a time-bound campaign that focuses on getting your book into the hands of readers, reviewers, booksellers, and media outlets. A strong book publicity push typically includes:

Targeted review outreachMedia appearances timed to releaseVirtual or in-person eventsSocial media teasers and campaignsPaid promotions or giveawaysARC (advance review copy) distribution

This kind of promotion often ramps up three to six months before publication and extends a few weeks or months after launch. It’s focused, strategic, and fleeting.

Author promotion is the long game

Author promotion, on the other hand, is an ongoing investment in your identity as a writer and public figure. It’s about building an audience that’s interested in your perspective, not just your latest release. It involves:

Publishing essays, op-eds, or thought pieces on topics aligned with your workParticipating in panels, podcast interviews, or community discussionsMaintaining a professional presence online (website, bio, author photos, etc.)Sharing useful or personal content on social mediaEngaging with readers, influencers, and fellow authors year-round

Author promotion doesn’t stop when the launch buzz dies down. In fact, it’s most powerful when you’re not promoting a new book, because that’s when readers get to know who you are without a sales pitch. Think of it as planting seeds for future harvests.

Why the difference matters

Here’s the reality: If readers, journalists, or podcasters don’t know who you are or why your voice matters, they’re far less likely to care that you have a book coming out. Book promotion without author promotion is like shouting into a void. But when you’ve been steadily building a presence, such as sharing your voice and connecting with your audience, your next book doesn’t just appear, it arrives with anticipation.

Where publishers fit in

Book promotion is typically a collaborative effort between the publisher and the author. We’ll work together to position the book, coordinate outreach, and provide resources where possible. But author promotion—your public identity, your ongoing visibility, your relationship with readers—is entirely yours. No publisher, big or small, is going to build your brand for you.

From my experience as a managing editor at a small press, we receive a steady stream of submissions—some of them genuinely well-written—from authors whose platform consists solely of writing classes, contest wins, or a stated love of writing. But with no website, no social media presence, no previously published work, and no indication of an effort to be known as an author, it becomes incredibly difficult for us to justify taking the financial risk. As a traditional for-profit publisher, our continued existence depends on book sales, and that means working with authors who are already taking steps to engage with their future readership.

That said, once in a blue moon, we come across a manuscript so exceptional that it simply must be published—regardless of the author’s platform. But these cases are the exception, not the rule.

Do-it-yourself author promotion tips

You don’t need a massive budget or platform to get started. Here are a few practical steps:

Build a simple website with your bio, photo, links to your writing, and contact informationPitch short pieces to outlets aligned with your book’s themes or your backgroundEngage with niche communities where your work resonatesStart a newsletter or Substack to connect with readers directlyBe generous online: share your journey, spotlight others, and add value to the conversation.

The key here is consistency. A little effort every month compounds into meaningful presence over time.

When a professional PR firm might be worth it

Once you’ve started laying the groundwork on your own—building a website, engaging with your community, and finding your voice—there may come a point where you want to expand your reach. For some authors, this is where a professional publicist can help.

That said, hiring a PR firm is not essential, and it’s certainly not within reach for everyone. But if you have the resources and a clear goal in mind, the right publicist can help shape your story, pitch to appropriate outlets, and open doors you might not access on your own.

At Amble Press, we’ve seen both sides: authors with little to no platform who’ve struggled to connect with readers despite glowing reviews, and others with modest but focused efforts—think a niche blog, a targeted newsletter, or consistent social media presence—who gained early traction and media interest.

The takeaway? Do-it-yourself promotion is not only possible—it’s powerful. A PR firm is just one tool among many, not a requirement for success.

Final thoughts

The best time to start building your author brand was yesterday. The next best time is now. Don’t wait until you’re a month from launch to start thinking about how to reach readers. Whether you DIY it or bring in professional help, remember that readers don’t just buy books—they buy into people.

And if you’re not showing up, someone else will.

The Villain Is the Hero of Their Own Story

Photo by Gabriel Meinert on Unsplash

Today’s post is excerpted from The Villain’s Journey: How to Create Villains Readers Love to Hate by Debbie Burke.

As Christopher Vogler and other wise authors have observed, villains are the heroes of their own stories. Villains and antagonists have their own goals, needs, and desires to fulfill. They feel justified that the path they pursue is the right and righteous one. From their point of view, the so-called “hero” of a story is their opponent or enemy.

The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler is the classic textbook for screenwriters and novelists that explains the Hero’s Journey. Since villains usually consider themselves heroes, they can also go through the same stages heroes do, with some important variations to be discussed a little later.

Here are the 12 stages the hero goes through:

The Ordinary World: the hero is seen in their everyday lifeThe Call to Adventure: the initiating incident of the storyRefusal of the Call: the hero experiences some hesitation to answer the callMeeting with the Mentor: the hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to commence the adventureCrossing the First Threshold: the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventureTests, Allies, and Enemies: the hero explores the special world, faces trials, and makes friends and enemiesApproach to the Innermost Cave: the hero nears the center of the story and the special worldThe Ordeal: the hero faces the greatest challenge yet and experiences death and rebirthReward: the hero experiences the consequences of surviving deathThe Road Back: the hero returns to the ordinary world or continues to an ultimate destinationThe Resurrection: the hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth so they are pure when they reenter the ordinary worldReturn with the Elixir: the hero returns with something to improve the ordinary worldVillains follow similar stepsThey live in their ordinary world, although that world may be one of debasement and/or crime. What is your character’s ordinary world? Poverty, abuse, boredom, etc.?They are called to adventure. The adventure may be an illegal act, like knocking over an armored car, stealing jewelry from wealthy socialites, or kidnapping for ransom. Or the sleuth-protagonist begins chasing them. What is your character’s call to adventure?They may be reluctant at first and refuse the call.They meet a mentor who influences or trains them in the intricacies of crime, teaching ways to avoid getting caught. Does your character meet a mentor who guides them into villainy? Describe the mentor.They cross the first threshold into the special world by breaking the law. Now there is no turning back. What is their first crime? Or their first action that results in becoming a criminal?They meet others in the special world who are enemies and obstacles to achieving their goal. They may find accomplices to help them attack their enemies. Does your character have enemies? Who are they? If they have allies, where do those allies come from?They approach the innermost cave, prepared to commit the heist, assassination, terrorist attack, etc. As your character faces this brink, what do they feel? Are they afraid? Reluctant? Eager and excited?They meet their opponents in a showdown where they either achieve their goal or they fail. What is the outcome of your character’s showdown?

Starting with Step #9, the villain’s journey may take a different route that leads to a dead end for them. When the hero defeats the villain, good conquers evil. The villain is vanquished by death, capture, incapacitation, imprisonment, or other punishment for their crimes. Game over. They receive their just deserts.

When the hero wins and the villain loses, readers and audiences cheer. They love to see bad guys and gals pay for the wrong they’ve done. They’re reassured that justice can prevail and safety and security can be restored. Understandably, this conclusion is the most popular in commercial fiction.

However, for the villain, Step #9 may not lead to a dead end. Instead, the villain may vanquish the hero and seize the reward. In Step #10, the villain then returns to their ordinary world or ultimate destination with the prize. They are likely to skip Step #11, resurrection. They do not experience spiritual death nor enlightenment. They are not purified by the experiences they have on their journey. They remain unchanged, although they usually wind up richer and/or more powerful.

Many villains skip Step #12 altogether. They are selfish about the reward, either keeping it for themselves or possibly sharing with criminal cohorts. This ending occurs in noir fiction and, although depressing, can be satisfying. An example is the 1974 Oscar-winning film Chinatown. Villain Noah Cross remains wealthy, powerful, and untouchable. The battered detective hero Jake Gittes is told by his partner: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” In other words, nothing can be done to change corruption because the controlling hierarchy is inherently corrupt.

The Usual Suspects, a 1995 film directed by Brian Singer, features an elaborate con job where investigators are sent on a wild goose chase seeking the elusive crime boss Keyser Söze. The complex revenge plot winds through twists and turns with a shocker ending that reveals all assumptions were illusions, not reality. The real villain convinces everyone he doesn’t exist and walks away, successful, cynical, and satisfied. Viewers of the film were also satisfied. The film won two Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie.

Another ending variation for the Villain’s Journey is Conversion and Redemption. This ending is rarer but is immensely satisfying to readers. In Step #11, the villain has a revelation that the way they have lived is wrong. They endure spiritual death and rebirth, resulting in purification and resurrection. They are changed and redeemed. In Step #12, they share their wisdom with the community. The classic redeemed villain is Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens.

Bestselling mystery and romantic suspense author Allison Brennan offers an additional take on the journeys of heroes and villains: “Everyone talks about the heroes and their backstory and conflict, but they often forget that the villain needs it all and more—we need to figure out how they became so evil.”

How will your villain end their journey?

Do they fail?

Do they succeed?

Do they come to a realization, and change?

Note from Jane: If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out The Villain’s Journey: How to Create Villains Readers Love to Hate by Debbie Burke.

New agent at Ampersand (UK)

Abigail Fenton will join Ampersand as an agent in September; she was previously editorial director at HQ Digital and a freelance editor.

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Romance book event directory

Romancing the Data has launched an event directory to help authors and readers find events in the US, Canada, and online.

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Aethon Books and Vault Comics partner on a new imprint

Together, they will bring Aethon’s biggest ebook and audiobook titles into print.

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