A note from Jane
I’m busy planning my first trip to Australia and New Zealand (I’m speaking in Darwin in August), and was evaluating Airbnbs when I ran across a host who breaks all the rules of posting property photos.
The first two photos don’t even show the property; instead they offer a general ocean view from two angles, neither distinctive.
The third photo shows a series of buildings—which one will you stay in? A mystery.
The fourth photo is a field of grass.
The fifth photo: alpacas.
The sixth photo: a handsome cat in a field of grass. (This is when I said out loud to my husband nearby, “Aw, this Airbnb has a cat. His name is Buster!”)
The seventh photo: more alpacas.
Finally, a picture of a welcoming and fresh bedroom and clean bathroom.
Who knows if this Airbnb’s owner is being calculated or careless in how he’s decided to present the property. But it broke the predictable pattern and it’s clearly meant to attract animal lovers seeking personality and local flavor.
I booked it.
Jane
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Trustfnd: for people who run paid newsletters
Recently I stumbled on Trustfnd, a tool that allows creators to bundle together newsletter subscriptions as a deal for new paid subscribers. This is primarily for people who use Ghost or Beehiiv for their newsletter. Here’s an explainer from someone using it.
For fans of the erstwhile Dark Sky app
The team that created the Dark Sky weather app (sadly no longer) has launched Acme Weather, showing multiple possible weather outcomes rather than a single prediction. It does cost $25 per year after a 2-week free trial. Apple iOS users only.
How to follow US court cases
With the numerous lawsuits involving authors, publishers, and AI companies, I’ve found myself in need of a method to keep up with new developments. I finally created an account at Court Listener, a nonprofit legal research website that offers numerous types of alerts via email.
Special opportunity for writers in the Cincinnati area
Coming this May: a writers’ book club for The Business of Being a Writer, in-person at the Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati. The first session will be on Monday, May 4, at 3 p.m. Other dates: May 18, June 1, June 15, June 29, July 13. (You don’t have to attend them all.)
I will be dropping in for the May 18 and July 13 sessions. Free to join, but do register through the Mercantile website.
Next online class: Winning Book Presentations
Taught by: Amy Stewart, bestselling author of a dozen books
Ideal for: Any author preparing for a book release this year or next
Jane says: “Amy earns six figures per year in speaking fees. I’ve heard her teach on the topic of preparing book talks and marketing yourself as a speaker, and find her guidance unparalleled.”
When: Wednesday, April 15, at 1 p.m. EDT — all registrants receive the recording whether attending live or not
Your turn: podcast resources
In the last issue, reader Sue Lane asked, “What is a resource that you found helpful when starting a podcast?” Here’s a sampling of what you said.
- Podcast: Feminist podcast studio Softer Sounds has lots of free resources including a launch kit! —Finn Schubert
- I find the best tool for podcasts to be Descript by far. Especially if you are new to podcasting. It’s so easy to record and edit. The editing is done via text, kind of like editing a Word document. Very cool and so easy to catch on. —Kimberly
- My podcast recommendation is helpful for anyone collaborating, and it’s a project management tool that can help with workflows and tasks when working with others. It’s called ClickUp. —Katie Forrest
- One of the resources that I found very helpful was the various videos and lists that my podcast host, Buzzsprout, provided. I’ve done five podcasts with them that are now at an end, and I currently am hosting two podcasts with them. The information is very accessible and the people there are also super friendly and helpful. —Wayne Jones
- When I was contemplating starting my podcast, my husband bought me two books—NPR’s Guide to Podcasting and Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You) by the McElroy brothers. While I love NPR and have even worked with them as a consultant, I found their book to be rather precious about the “NPR way” of making a podcast, which required a lot of knowledge about mics and audio editing. The McElroy brothers, on the other hand, started off with a story about how their father, a radio disc jockey, once poured kitty litter and bleach down a drain, which knocked him unconscious for a few hours—proof that anyone can be on the radio or start a podcast. That was the sort of energy (and writing) I needed to get started! Their book made the process less intimidating and more fun! I highly recommend it as a starting guide for anyone interested in podcasting. —Minal Bopaiah
- My top recommendation is an online studio/hosting site called CAST. For a low monthly fee, we scheduled remote recording sessions and made our edited podcasts available through sites such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. —Marna Ashburn
Next question: What is your e-reader setup, if you use one? A reader is curious about alternatives to Kindle and Kobo, which she already knows about. Hit reply and let me know.
Do you have a tools or resources question you would like me to ask all readers? Offer up your suggestion, and I might feature it.
Free resources featuring Jane
Upcoming online classes
Meet Jane at an event
- ASJA Conference (online), April 20–24, 2026
- Evening with Jane Friedman at The Writers Grotto (San Francisco), April 22, 2026
- Publishing Professionals Network Conference (Berkeley, CA), April 24, 2026
- Sisters In Crime NorCal (Oakland, CA), April 25, 2026
- PurePub.ai (online), May 11–22, 2026
- Stockholm Writers Festival (Sweden), June 13, 2026
- Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, IN), July 16–18, 2026
- Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR), July 31–Aug. 2, 2026
- Romance Writers of Australia (Darwin, Australia), Aug. 21–23, 2026
“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan
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Created by Jane Friedman
I report on the publishing industry and help authors understand the business of writing. My newsletter that helps pay the bills is The Bottom Line, where I recently interviewed children’s author Scott Reintgen on how he moves the needle on book sales.
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