Welcome!
Women’s Media Group is a New York-based nonprofit association of women who have achieved prominence in the many fields of media. Our members, drawn from book, magazine, and newspaper publishing; film, television, online and other digital media, meet, collaborate, inform and support one another as well as mentoring young women interested in publishing careers. Find out more on the About Us page.
Next WMG Lunch: The New Yorker’s Deborah Treisman on How Fiction is Evolving in the Digital Age
At June’s WMG Luncheon, we welcome Deborah Triesman, fiction editor at The New Yorker, who will be interviewed by WMG program chair Charlotte Abbott about how digital reading, writing, and audience engagement are changing the content and form of contemporary fiction – and how the New Yorker is successfully cultivating new audiences online.
We would like to invite WMG members to submit discussion questions for Deborah Triesman by June 5 – please send them directly to Charlotte Abbott at
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.
Deborah Treisman became Fiction Editor at the New Yorker in January 2003. She joined the magazine as Deputy Fiction Editor in December 1997. Previously, she was the managing editor of Grand Street, and has been a member of the editorial staffs of The New York Review of Books, Harper’s, and The Threepenny Review. Her translations have appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Harper’s, and Grand Street.
The luncheon will be held at 12:30pm on Tuesday, June 12, at the 21 Club, 21 West 52nd Street.
RSVP here.
Space is limited so RSVP early!
WMG Member News: Book Industry Fundraiser for Obama
Bob Miller, Roger Cooper, Tom Dunne and Barbara Loewenstein are co-chairing the PUBLISHING PEOPLE FOR OBAMA fundraiser, to be held on June 18th, 6-8 p.m., 267 Fifth Avenue. This event will be the book industry’s chance to get together behind Obama. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair of the Democratic National committee, will be the guest speaker. Rosanne Cash will be performing. Tickets are $1,000 at the host level, $500 for the VIP reception, $250 guest, $100 under 30.
Please email Barbara Lowenstein (
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) so that donations can be validated.
Save the Date: http://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/image001.jpg
Online donation form: https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/o2012-PublishingPeopleForObama
From Publishers Lunch:
Nearly 70 publishing people so far have enrolled as "host" donors for a book industry fundraiser for President Obama's re-election campaign, organized by Roger Cooper, Tom Dunne, Barbara Lowenstein and Bob Miller, with Domenica Alioto overseeing outreach to people in the business under 30.
The June 18 event has already switched to a larger space based on the early enrollment, and Rosanne Cash has agreed to perform, with a "VIP guest speaker" promised as well. The organizers are continuing to enroll "host"-level donors until the end of this week. Contact one of the organizers for more information; there is general donation and information page as well. To see some of the other enrolled hosts, you can view the preliminary invitation. (And yes, if there is a comparable event among publishing supporters of Mitt Romney, contact us for "equal time.")
Excellent WMG discount for Yale Publishing Course 2012
The senior-level summer program, the successor to the respected Stanford Course for Professionals, is in its third year, directed by Tina Weiner (most recently of Yale University Press). If you were able to attend our recent brown-bag lunch, you heard one of this summer’s speakers, Carolyn Pittis, and had a chance to meet Tina.
The two one-week sessions (July 15-20 for magazine and digital: July 22-27 for book publishing) are designed for mid to senior-level professionals, with intensive daily sessions in small groups, more than 30 speakers, and social and networking opportunities. For the right person, this course with our discount is an unbeatable opportunity.
Get discount details, link, and promo code by logging in and clicking Member Center> Member Benefit Details.
We Need Books Yesterday! The New Tools for Transforming Publishing with Carolyn Pittis, HarperCollins SVP
Want to know why some publishing imprints get books to market faster and more efficiently than others, with better author management? Come join Carolyn Pittis, HarperCollins’s SVP of Publishing Transformation, who will talk about practical strategies for maximizing editorial, publicity and author management in the digital age. “Book publishing without math, without data, without algorithms, without editorial and publicity process that map to cost effective value creation, is over,” she says. “Only through engagement with new ways of working is relevance possible now.” Come find out how you can be part of these necessary changes at this lively and informative lunchtime presentation and discussion.
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
WMG SMALL DINNERS ARE BACK - SPRING 2012
Women's Media Group is always looking for new ways for its members to connect with one another. We are planning a spring round of our extremely popular Small Dinners Program, with a few variations on our usual theme. For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
WMG April 16 Luncheon: Jodi Kantor, Times correspondent, author of The Obamas
At April’s WMG Luncheon, we welcome Jodi Kantor, New York Times Washington correspondent and author of The Obamas, who will reveal what happens when two relatively normal people start living in the White House, and how you report a book about a sitting president. “In public, they smiled and waved,” Kantor writes, “but how were the Obamas really reacting to the White House, and how was it affecting the rest of us?” Her answers draw on her interviews with 33 White House officials and aides and cabinet members—with compelling results, according to reviews by David Remnick in the New Yorker and Joan Walsh on Salon.
“A meticulous reporter, Ms. Kantor is attuned to the nuance of small gestures, the import of unspoken truths. She knows that every strong marriage, including the one now in the White House, has its complexities and its disappointments. Ms. Kantor also—and this is a key—has a high regard for women, which is why hers is the first book about the Obama presidency to give Michelle Obama her due.”–Connie Schultz, NYTBR
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
Excellent BEA Discount is available for members.
BookExpo America, book publishing’s major annual trade show and conference, is at Javits from Monday, June 4 through Thursday, June 7, 2012.
We’re pleased to offer a truly great discount for WMG members. All independents should take advantage of this best offer, good through May 17. The price increases after that date, although still discounted.
Don’t wait! Get the price, link, and promo code by logging in and clicking Member Center> Member Benefit Details.
Meet, Greet and Swap at our Annual Business and New Member Luncheon
Please join us at our annual business and new member luncheon. This lunch is for members only. In addition to welcoming our newest members and voting in our new board we’ll also be hosting a Book Swap.
Invariably at our lunches there is lively conversation about books and authors since our members, no matter what field they are in, are book lovers. To celebrate our love of books at this lunch we ask each attendee to bring a book that she loves packaged in a plain manila envelope. Books will be placed in the center of your designated lunch table and once we sit down to lunch each person will select a package and open it. The person who brought each selected title then can share something about it. People can swap and share as they please. It will be a nice way to get to know our new members and also walk out of lunch with a new book to add to the To Be Read pile as well as with a few more titles jot down to read later. Not into bringing a book? Then bring your favorite magazine, DVD or CD.
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
WMG members, now authors!
Helen Wan, publishing lawyer at Time Inc., will see her name on a book jacket; fellow WMG member Brenda Copeland at St. Martin's Press pre-empted her debut novel, The Firm Outing, about a young Chinese-American attorney, for 2013 publication. Congratulations, Helen! move over, Scott Turow.
Longtime member Jean Naggar, of the Jean Naggar agency, can discuss self-publishing with her clients from a personal perspective. Her memoir, Sipping from the Nile, which tells the story of her growing up in Egypt, began as a self-published project and was soon snapped up for republication by Encore Publishing. The edition comes with a readers guide, and Brilliance Audio released a CD of Jean reading the book. The book is getting awards attention and some great reviews. For more information, visit http://www.sippingfromthenile.com. Congratulations, Jean!
Next WMG lunch: Find out why Amazon, B&N and Indies are buzzing about introverts!
At January’s WMG Luncheon, we welcome Susan Cain, author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts In a World that Can’t Stop Talking, who will tell us about the surprising advantages of being an introvert and how managers can capitalize on the leadership potential of the quiet, perceptive, emotionally complex people who are often at the heart of creative industries like ours – and who represent almost 50% of Americans.
Many of WMG’s board members remember the buzz about this proposal five years ago - and everything seems to be going right for this book, which is edited by Rachael Klayman at Crown (editor of President Obama’s books and Rebecca Skloot’s runaway bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks). It has been chosen as an Amazon Best Books of the Month pick, a Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Month pick, and an Indie Next List pick.
Susan Cain will be joining us the week after her book goes on sale – so we have an early jump on this fascinating subject and author, whose work on introversion and shyness has appeared in the New York Times, on NPR, and on PsychologyToday.com. She has taught negotiation and communication skills at law firms, universities, and corporations, including Merrill Lynch, Shearman & Sterling, and the University of Chicago, and she practiced law on Wall Street for seven years. She is also an honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School.
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
Calling all New Member Nominations!
Women’s Media Group has had an exciting year filled with stellar programming and new kinds of activities and benefits (thanks to the hardest-working board in publishing).
Now that 2011 is winding up and our annual membership period is beginning, I’d like to recap some highlights:
- Powerhouse luncheon speakers, including Diane Ravitch, Gretchen Morgenson, Gillian Tett of Financial Times, and Whitney Hill of Sony;
- Sharply targeted and well-attended, member-led “brown-bag lunch” workshops, including one on e-book basics; another on using Facebook for book promotion, and one on digital book publishing by agents;
- Significant member discounts for the most important upcoming industry conferences plus discounts on services such as ZipCar, and on continuing-ed courses;
- Numerous small-group dinners, hosted by individual members in their homes: These have been a great way to get to know more members and, for me, to collect some delicious new recipes;
- Our first-ever breakfast networking event, elegantly hosted at William Morris, and a great way to start the business day.
We have a new website, enhanced communications, and much more excellent programming coming up in 2012. The group energy is high and we’re keeping dues and fees as low as possible.
This is the perfect time to share your own enthusiasm for WMG with a few choice colleagues or media industry friends and encourage them to join us. We want to grow!
Details on new-member nominations can be found by clicking on the Member Center tab above and selecting New Member Nomination Information.
I hope to see you in the new year,
Anne Kostick
President
It’s a WMG Logo Contest!
Calling you and your creative associates.
It’s time for a new Women’s Media Group logo and identity. To get a fresh look and to engage our members and talented colleagues, we’ve created this logo design contest. As you’ll see from the description below, it is open to all Women’s Media Group members and the women colleagues we work with at all levels of experience and tenure. This is a fabulous opportunity to do creative work that gets noticed…and a chance to have one’s work selected as our new logo and website header design. For more details, go to the contest page under the Member Center Tab.
Celebrate the Season at Our Holiday Party December 8!
Thursday, December 8
6:30-8:30pm
Faces and Names
159 West 54th Street
(Right off 7th Avenue)
We had a great time at last year's party, in spite of the weather. We're looking forward to seeing everyone at this year's event, same time and place, for networking, reconnecting, and making introductions.
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
What Can Publishing Learn from the Music Industry as We Blaze Our Trail into the Digital Future? Find out at our November 14th luncheon.
At November’s WMG Luncheon, we welcome Whitney Hill, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships in Sony Music’s Global Digital Business team. Whitney is responsible for leading Sony Music’s partnership with digital brands and services like YouTube and VEVO. Her team works closely with iTunes, Spotify and Internet radio services like Pandora and Slacker.
As Sony works with both startups and mature tech companies in an effort to find ways to make music profitable in the post-file sharing, post-iPod world, there are surely lessons to be had for print publishers as we deal with our own revolutions in pricing and delivery.
Whitney initially joined Sony Music in 2009 focused on digital strategy and investments. Prior to Sony Music, Whitney worked in TV and film business development and content licensing for Sony Pictures Entertainment and 20 th Century Fox in Los Angeles. She began her career as an investment banker with Greenhill & Co in New York City.
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
October 28: Mother Says Don’t Skip Breakfast!
Our first-ever breakfast networking event is good for everyone, not just entrepreneurs.
It’s for early birds, members with a busy day ahead, and those whose schedules mean they’ve had to miss our lunchtime events. It’s another chance to make connections and introduce your friends to your friends.Of course we’re interested in new ideas, but we want to see you, too. (You don’t write, you don’t call…)
For details, go to Member Center>Event History and Highlights.
Special offer for members: PIA and QED recognizes e-book excellence
The Publishing Innovation Awards (PIA), from Digital Book World, recognizes excellence in e-books, enhanced e-books, and book apps. First-year winners were a mix of big-house and independent publishers, and were also honored at the DBW conference.The QED certificate, called the “Good Housekeeping Seal” for e-books, is in its first year, and comes along with the PIA entry.
The deadline for entry is November 1. Click Member Center> Benefit Details for entry discount code and more information.
WMG speaker Carolyn Reidy to be honored at 2011 Goddard-Riverside Gala Fundraiser
Goddard Riverside’s 25th Annual New York Book Fair gala to be held on Monday, November 7, 2011, at 583 Park Avenue, New York City. This year’s honoree and the first woman to hold that distinction is Carolyn Reidy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster. Goddard Riverside, is a signature charitable partner of the publishing industry and one of New York’s oldest and most respected settlement houses, annually serving 17,600 people. Goddard Riverside is responsible for all street outreach to homeless individuals in Manhattan, is a major provider of home delivered meals to frail, elderly adults, and operates its renowned Options Center which helps young people to attend college, many the first in their family to do so. In all, its 27 programs change the lives of New Yorkers every day, from infants to senior citizens. Contact www.goddard.org for more information.
Meet our first WMG Fellow
We’re delighted to announce that we have selected the first recipient of the WMG Fellowship, Norma Perez-Hernandez.
Norma was born in raised in the Bronx. She recently graduated from the City College of New York (CCNY) summa cum laude, majoring in English Literature and minoring in Theatre. Norma also completed the Publishing Certificate Program at CCNY, where she took courses including Books for Young Readers and The Editorial Process. Norma is currently a full time editorial intern with Kensington Publishing Corp. When she isn’t digging through the slush pile, Norma is usually on a stage near you—she can next be seen in the play Unburdened, premiering at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre later this June.
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