A note from Jane
Every time I make a significant change to my business, there will be someone who reaches out to tell me that I am making a mistake. They aren’t lodging a complaint, but rather expressing concern.
It’s tempting to think there is a gendered aspect to this, and maybe there is, but what I see underneath is more interesting and less clear cut.
First, my business is pretty successful and stable already, so change presents risk. Second, when people like what you’re doing and want it to continue, they are more likely to be skeptical of change. Third, if the changes you’re making break widely acknowledged business principles, that sends up a red flag.
What I’ve found matters most, though, is that if you make a change without explaining it, people will fill in the gaps with their own reasoning. And that’s when you get the someones writing with concern.
Over the last two weeks, my husband and I undertook the biggest change to my business in 10 years. We integrated my paid newsletter into my main website at JaneFriedman.com and launched a free version of that same newsletter. (Part of this also involves a minor rebranding for Electric Speed, which you may have noticed above.)
I am 1,000% confident this has been the right decision, and I wrote a longish email to my paid newsletter subscribers explaining why I was making the change.
No one responded to tell me they were concerned. That’s not to say there aren’t some doubters or people who’ve already left the building, but they have kept their peace.
That said, I don’t mind and it’s not a bad thing when people express concern. It shows that people care what happens. I prefer that to indifference.
Jane
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Doodle: find a meeting time + Zoom integration
I’ve recommended Doodle in the past as an easy way to find a meeting time for a group of people who don’t work at the same business. Recently when using it I discovered it offers Zoom integration. That means once you find a meeting time that works for everyone, you can click a button and immediately schedule the meeting through your Zoom account, with emails sent to participants. So nice. I’ve never needed anything other than Doodle’s free plan.
Collect vinyl? Want to show it off?
I immediately told my husband about SnapTrack when I discovered it.
Teensy tiny phone tripod
Last year, I surveyed readers to see if anyone was using a particularly good smartphone stand. (See answers.) I was recently delighted to learn of this one from Peak Design that folds up to the size of a credit card. Only drawback is the price. Not cheap! Found via Recomendo.
TV show recommendation: Somebody Somewhere
Late last year, my husband and I watched the entire three seasons of Somebody Somewhere in just under two weeks. I don’t often enjoy 30-minute comedies (technically, this is a comedy drama), so I wasn’t expecting much going in, but it’s now the show I evangelize for. Maybe because it’s set in the Midwest, maybe because it’s about outsiders, but mostly because it treats its characters and the setting as fully human and deserving of love.
Memoir Backstory with Lisa Cooper Ellison / March 5, 2025, 1–2:30 p.m. EST
One of the toughest challenges memoirists face is determining how much of their past belongs in their book. While every aspect of your history shapes your understanding of your own story, only select moments from your past will drive it forward. The key to choosing wisely is to discern which backstory scenes provide critical context while allowing the rest to influence your character’s behavior in the present.
In this 90-minute class with Lisa Cooper Ellison, we’ll delve into the psychological reasons memoirists are drawn to their past, explore the challenges of deciding what to include, and discuss how to insert the right moments into your book.
Your turn: tips for Los Angeles and Yosemite
In the last issue, I asked for recommendations or tips for visits to Los Angeles and Yosemite, since I’m visiting as part of my book launch at AWP. Here’s a selection of what you said—and I will definitely try to do some of these things!
- I have spent much time in Yosemite over the years when I lived in California and I prefer going up the back way through Tuolome Meadows and coming down through the valley. You drive up 395, which is on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It will take you past places like Mount Whitney, Bishop, and mammoth Lakes—the Devil’s Postpile is my favorite spot. Plus the Owens Valley is much less crowded. —Sandra Miller
- Go to Kings Canyon instead. Just next door. Has everything Yosemite has (except half dome) with far far far fewer crowds. We loved it more. Enjoy. —Jackie Cole
- Downtown L.A. doesn’t get enough credit for being a destination. It has beautiful architecture, world class art museums, concert and theater venues, shopping, various districts such as flower and fashion, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and a range of food from posh restaurants to counters at Grand Central Market. The Market is a bustling hub of everything culinary, from fast ethnic fare to spices. If you have time, consider a concert at Disney Hall. Take a wander through the downtown library for an Art Deco immersion. —Renee
- The Bradbury Building. It was featured in the Harry Bosch TV series. Can only look around the lobby/atrium, but oh my. The Los Angeles Central Library: you may want to set aside some time to wander around and look at the architecture and decorative elements. Grand Central Market: it’s been in operation for many years. —P.F. Jennings
- Best advice I can give about Yosemite is to get advice about Yosemite from the rangers at one of the visitor centers. They are so helpful and well-informed, will pull out maps, listen to what you want to see and do, how much time you have. Since you can’t bring your dogs into national parks one of them even sketched outside the map for good places where she takes hers. Rangers for the win. Have fun! —Susan Joslyn
- If you like Japanese food (sushi), I can recommend ICHIMA in Pasadena. In my humble opinion, one of the best variety of delicious sushi rolls in L.A. Also a great time to support business in that area to help them recover from the Eaton fire. —Meier
- Visit the Mariposa grove. The giants there leave me awestruck. —Jean Waight
- The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Fountain Coffee Room. 1950’s style counter service. Musso & Frank: Old Hollywood at its best, numerous scenes have been shot here. Make a reservation for a table in the room with the bar. Right side of entrance. There’s parking behind the restaurant. —Robert Riggs
Next question: What print magazines or periodicals do you receive via snail mail? Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.
Do you have a question you would like Jane to ask all readers? Offer up your suggestion, and she might feature it.
Free resources featuring Jane
Upcoming online classes
Meet Jane at an event
- How Writers Can Earn Money in a Creator Economy (Batesville, IN), March 22, 2025
- AWP Conference & Bookfair (Los Angeles), March 26–29, 2025: meet me at the Bookfair booth signing on Saturday at 12 p.m. (#622)
- My book launch event: Mercantile Library in Cincinnati, April 8, 2025
- Traditional Publishing 101 (Kansas City, MO), April 26, 2025
- ECPA Leadership Summit (Nashville), April 29–30, 2025
- Marketing Before and After the Book Deal (Reisterstown, MD), May 10, 2025
- AI and Publishing: The Technology Is Here to Stay. So Now What? (Reisterstown, MD), May 17, 2025
- NonfictioNOW Conference (Notre Dame, IN), June 11–13, 2025
- Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, IN), July 10–12, 2025
- Craft & Publishing Voyage (cruise ship!), Aug. 27–Sept. 3, 2025
“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan
109 Dorsey St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
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