December 2025 Meeting: Holiday Social with Publishing Industry Expert Jane Friedman

In lieu of a holiday outing this year, we will be holding another member mixer in our new digs at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Our featured speaker is industry expert Jane Friedman, who will kick off our event via Zoom to share her insights on The Year in Publishing—and What to Watch for 2026. Even though the publishing industry is often considered slow and not as susceptible to technological change (and print is enjoying robust sales), the business of books is always evolving. Join Jane for a discussion about current book sales and marketing trends in the United States and the ongoing effects of AI. Bring your books for a raffle and holiday treats after Jane’s talk!

If you don’t know who Jane Friedman is, you must be new to publishing. She has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. Her impact on publishing education spans multiple formats and audiences from speaking engagements and workshops to her newsletters, The Bottom Line and Electric Speed. Jane’s expertise is regularly featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Today Show, Wired, Fox News, and BBC. She may be the most trusted voice in today’s publishing industry, and we are fortunate to host her as we close out 2025 for the Northern Virginia Writers Club.