Keynote Speaker: Jane Friedman

Written By Jen Grogan

Have you heard the big news? Jane Friedman will be the keynote speaker at the 2025 Red Pencil conference on November 8th in Seattle and online! Save the date for a day of learning and fun.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the publishing landscape, editors face unprecedented questions about their role, their relationships with writers, and the future of literary creation itself. In this keynote address, publishing industry veteran Jane Friedman examines how AI is already transforming the editorial process—from manuscript evaluation to developmental guidance to line editing—while placing these changes within broader industry shifts. Rather than taking a utopian or dystopian view, Jane will offer a clear-eyed assessment of both the opportunities and threats that AI presents to editors and writers alike. At this pivotal moment, editors have a unique opportunity to shape how these technologies serve—rather than supplant—the craft of writing and editing.

Learn more on our Red Pencil 2025 page, and keep an eye out for registration opening this summer!

Jen Grogan

In addition to being the Guild's administrator, Jen Grogan is a mother, writer, editor, and web content specialist based out of Seattle. She’s written for Women Write About Comics, The Dream Foundry, and a few other online venues, but has not yet convinced herself to call any of her fiction manuscripts complete. You can find her online at jengrogan.com.

Next

What's in Store for Red Pencil 2025?