Who We AreWomen's Media Group is a New York City-based nonprofit association of women who have achieved prominence in the many fields of media. Our members—drawn primarily from print and digital book, magazine, and newspaper publishing; film and television; and online and other digital media—meet to collaborate with, learn from, inform, and support one another. The organization is also dedicated to mentoring young women interested in pursuing media careers. |
Rise Up with a Rise Fund Grant Special Members-Only Opportunity! The WMG Rise Fund provides financial support for professional development opportunities that concretely help members enhance their career growth. Please apply by October 31, 2026. View previous Rise Fund recipients
Upcoming Events
Monday, October 19, 12-1 p.m. ET Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom) Writing a good query letter is essential to finding an agent for your book—but there’s a lot of conflicting advice on how to create the perfect message. During this virtual session, editor Emily Murdock Baker and author Frances McGarry will demystify the querying process through interactive exercises, giving writers the tools they need to craft an attention-grabbing letter. Meet the speakers:
Refunds available up to 48 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event.
WMG members only; FREE (Virtual) Are you unemployed, underemployed, or just thinking about a career change? Convene with WMG member Betsy Loredo and other job seekers in this weekly, informal online meetup. It’s a supportive space to share job-seeking ups and downs, pass along tips, and network with friendly peers who might have contacts to opportunities. On alternative weeks, we'll use the hour to work on resumes, applications, and other job search actions together—making it feel less overwhelming and more supportive. NOTE: Betsy Loredo will be traveling in a different time zone today. While she’s away, the meeting room will be available during the regular time slot for anyone to drop in and commune.
Wednesday, October 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET Penguin Random House, 1745 Broadway (between 55th & 56th Streets), Toni Morrison Room, 3rd floor, NYC $20 for WMG members and partner organizations; $25 for non-members; $10 for active Scholars What happens when memoir becomes a lens rather than a destination? Today's most compelling memoirs don't stop at the author's story. They use personal experience as a doorway into larger questions about family, culture, history, psychology, science, identity, and the world around us. In Memoir Plus, writers whose books expand beyond traditional memoir into reporting, research, exploration, cultural criticism, and other forms of narrative nonfiction will discuss how personal stories can illuminate universal themes. How do writers move beyond "what happened to me" to create work that resonates more broadly? Where is the line between memoir and narrative nonfiction, and does that distinction still matter? Join moderator Estelle Erasmus and panelists Regina Brooks, Laura Carney, Hyeseung Song, and Bethany Saltman for a lively conversation about the possibilities of memoir and the power of personal stories that contain multitudes. Meet the speakers:
Meet the moderator:
Refunds available up to 48 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event.
Friday, October 23, 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom) Join this followup to our popular LinkedIn Strategies for Career Growth virtual event to learn more about advancing your career with simple adjustments to your social profile. Hosted by Lynne Williams, Executive Director of Great Careers Network, this interactive session will recap lessons from Part 1 and include live demos and a Q+A, giving attendees the tools they need to take the next steps on their professional journeys. Members can click here while logged into their account to watch Part 1 of this event. Meet the speaker:
Refunds available up to 48 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event.
WMG members only; FREE (Virtual) Are you unemployed, underemployed, or just thinking about a career change? Convene with WMG member Betsy Loredo and other job seekers in this weekly, informal online meetup. It’s a supportive space to share job-seeking ups and downs, pass along tips, and network with friendly peers who might have contacts to opportunities. On alternative weeks, we'll use the hour to work on resumes, applications, and other job search actions together—making it feel less overwhelming and more supportive. NOTE: Betsy Loredo will be traveling in a different time zone today. While she’s away, the meeting room will be available during the regular time slot for anyone to drop in and commune.
Tuesday, November 10, 1-3 p.m. ET Red Rooster Harlem, 310 Lenox Avenue, NYC Early Bird Pricing (through October 23): $85 for WMG members | $115 for non-members Three-course lunch included A Legacy in Storytelling: Celebrating Marie Dutton Brown is a premier literary gathering honoring the legacy of publishing pioneer Marie Dutton Brown. Inspired by her decades-long commitment to championing authors of color and expanding whose stories are heard, the series brings together leading voices, visionary thinkers, and influential creators to celebrate literature, spark meaningful connection, and help shape a more equitable future for publishing. This event marks the exciting debut of Stories She Championed, Women’s Media Group’s new literary series celebrating the stories, books, and lasting legacy of literary trailblazer Marie Dutton Brown. The series launches at Red Rooster Harlem, a celebrated restaurant in the heart of Harlem known for its food, music, and deep ties to the neighborhood’s cultural history. About Marie Dutton Brown: Marie Dutton Brown is an iconic editor and literary agent, who has been called a “living legend who…paved the way for marginalized writers and editors.” President of her eponymous literary agency in Harlem’s Sugar Hill community, she also devotes her time and expertise to many nonprofit Boards, including Faith Ringgold’s Anyone Can Fly Foundation and the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling. Marie is the recipient of WMG’s Media Trailblazer Award, given to a woman or female-focused organization that has broken ground and blazed a trail for other women in the media industry. More panelists to be announced.
Refunds available up to 72 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 72 hours of the event. | Member DiscountsRecent Event Recordings |
Frances McGarry, PhD, is an arts advocate, author, actor, and podcast host. A teacher and a scholar, Frances has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of the arts. She is currently authoring a book based on Stephen Sondheim’s innovative Young Playwrights programs. As a working actor based in New York City, Frances has a decade of experience on stage, film, and television. She is a SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity member and is represented by BMG Talent. She is the podcast host of First Online with Fran, featuring ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the arts to make our world a deeper, richer, kinder place to live.
Emily Murdock Baker 
Wednesday, October 21, 10-11 a.m. ET
Regina Brooks is the founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency, the largest African American-owned agency in the country. She has represented and established a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult and young adult fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. In 2015, Publishers Weekly nominated Regina as a PW Star Watch Finalist. She's been honored with a Stevie Award in Business, and Writer’s Digest named Serendipity Literary Agency as a top 25 literary agency. She is currently the vice president of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) and co-chair of its Communications Committee, a founding member and board member of Literary Agents of Change (LAOC), and a board member of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). She previously held senior editorial positions at John Wiley and Sons (where she was not only the youngest, but also the first African American, editor in their college division) and McGraw-Hill.
Laura Carney is a writer and copy editor in New York. Her work as a copy editor has been in books and magazines for 20 years, such as Good Housekeeping, People, Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, and Macmillan. Her bestselling book, My Father ’s List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free, about her six-year quest to finish her late father's bucket list, was published by Post Hill Press in June 2023. My Father's List was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2023 by Real Simple; as the 2025 One City, One Book read in Greensboro, NC; and as the June 2024 pick for the Modern Prairie book club, where Laura teaches a year-round Bucket List Challenge with Do the Thing creator Stacey Lauren. Laura has appeared on many TV and radio programs, such as CBS News Sunday Morning, NPR, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. She teaches memoir writing, hikes and trains for running races in her spare time. Laura can be found on Instagram 
Bethany Saltman is a publishing expert with decades of experience crafting and selling nonfiction book proposals, including her own. Her critically acclaimed first book, Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey Into the Science of Attachment (2020, Ballantine/Random House), was named one of the Top Science Books of 2020 by New Scientist, has been published in six countries, and is included in psychology syllabi around the world. 
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers. She is the host of the award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct, an adjunct instructor in NYU's School of Professional Studies, and teaches and leads webinars for Writer's Digest. A former editor-in-chief of five national magazines, Estelle has written for more than 150 publications, including WIRED,Slate, Electric Literature, Marie Claire, Salon, Shondaland, and The Independent. Her pieces for The New York Times and The Washington Post have gone viral globally, and she has appeared on Good Morning America and Fox News
Lynne Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, which provides development and networking for career transitions and management. 