Cover Story : 50 Top Women in Book Publishing

Book Business honors leading female executives who are helping to shape the industry.

Esther Margolis, President and Owner, Newmarket Publishing and Communications Co.
Margolis received the 2008 Poor Richard Award from the New York Center for Independent Publishing for outstanding contributions to independent publishing. She founded Newmarket in 1981 after 17 years at Bantam Books, where she became its first senior vice president for marketing, publicity and communications worldwide and, according to Margolis, originated many publicity techniques, such as the author tour (1966). Newmarket Press, the company’s publishing arm, is noted for books on film (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “Milk,” “Angels & Demons,” “The Shawshank Redemption”), parenting, self-help, health and business, and for helping to launch the book careers of such authors as Lynda Madaras, Suze Orman, Daphne Oz and Dr. Georgia Witkin.

• Tip: “Know your customer(s) … and be mindful that successful publishing … depends on your credibility and the relationships you build with authors, agents, booksellers, librarians, media and other industry professionals.”

Margery Mayer, Executive Vice President and President, Scholastic Education, Scholastic Inc.
Mayer oversees product development, marketing and sales for Scholastic’s Scholastic Education division. She is a pioneer in the development of research-based, educational technology programs. Under her leadership, Scholastic has developed programs such as: Read 180, a reading intervention program for adolescents; System 44, for older students who struggle with basic phonics; and the forthcoming Expert 21, which merges digital and print curricula. Mayer has been the driving force behind the growth in educational technology sales at Scholastic—from less than $40 million in fiscal year 2001 to $160 million in fiscal year 2008.

• Tip: “Innovate! Try doing things that haven’t been done before, but make sure you surround yourself with colleagues who aren’t afraid to tell you when your ideas are not as good as you think they are.”

Jeanne M. Mosure, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Disney Global Book Group, Disney Publishing Worldwide
Mosure directs all of Disney’s Global Book operations, which represent approximately 10 percent of all children’s books sold worldwide and $1.1 billion in retail revenue. Since joining DPW in 1998, she has been instrumental in creating the structure for a successful global operation, while directing the U.S. publishing programs for the Disney Book Group and its imprints, including Hyperion Books for Children, Jump at the Sun, Disney Press and Disney Editions. Mosure has led Disney Global Books to exceptional year-on-year growth. She has held sales and marketing leadership positions at Random House and U.S. Media Holdings.

• Tip: “Understand and respect your end consumer. … Enjoy and promote collaboration with talent, retailers and industry partners. Mandate business discipline while being open-minded to new ideas. … Yet, most crucial: … Surround yourself with a talented team of professionals.”

Alison Mudditt, Executive Vice President, Higher Education Group, Sage Publications
Mudditt heads the Higher Education Group’s publishing programs, covering all college, reference, journal and digital product lines. She has more than 20 years’ experience in academic publishing, beginning in 1988 at Blackwell in the United Kingdom. She also served with both Women in Publishing and the Society of Young Publishers, and as publishing director of the Behavioral Science Division at Taylor & Francis Inc. She joined Sage in 2001 and was appointed executive vice president in 2004. In 2008, she led Sage’s acquisition of CQ Press. She serves on the Executive Council of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the American Association of Publishers.

• Tip: “Never underestimate the value of relationships.”

Suzanne Murphy, Vice President, Group Publisher, Trade Publishing and Marketing, Scholastic Inc.
Murphy joined Scholastic in 2005, and has spearheaded marketing campaigns for Brian Selznick’s Caldecott Medal winner “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J. K. Rowling, and the launch of the all-new “Goosebumps Horrorland” series by R.L. Stine, among others. She was appointed group publisher in 2008, a year in which she and her editorial and marketing teams published and promoted such best-sellers as “The 39 Clues,” “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” by J.K. Rowling. She is the current chair of the Children’s Book Council.

• Tip: “Always be ready to change. If something works, don’t just do it again; ask yourself, ‘how can we do it better?’ The only grand tradition in publishing … is great storytelling. If you believe that everything else is up for discussion, you’ll succeed.”

Carolyn Pittis, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Strategy & Operations, HarperCollins Publishers
Pittis is responsible for coordinating the high-level strategic direction of HarperCollins’ online consumer marketing initiatives, including its Web sites, e-mail marketing and third-party partnership strategies. She previously held leadership positions in the company’s two major change-management initiatives, and worked in consumer sales forecasting, marketing technology, digital asset management, business development, editorial and book production during an 18-year career with the company. In all these roles, she has focused on using data and technology to drive publishing efficiency and effectiveness.

• Tip: “… If you ask yourself every day, ‘How can I add more value?’ and then do this in ways that you enjoy and find meaning in, you will excel. Lead others by initiating authentic conversation about change that benefits all.”

Jamie Raab, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group
Raab oversees the publication of approximately 275 titles per year on Grand Central Publishing’s (formerly Warner Books) hardcover, mass market and trade paperback lists. Since joining the company in 1986, she has acquired and/or edited fiction and nonfiction titles including such New York Times best-sellers as “America (The Book)” by Jon Stewart and the writers of “The Daily Show,” “Mike’s Election Guide,” by Michael Moore, and “I Am America (And So Can You!)” by Stephen Colbert.

• Tip: “Work hard. Enjoy people. And have a deep passion for books.”

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