On September 25, authors, editors, and changemakers gathered for a collaborative event between Hachette Book Group and HerAgenda to take a deep dive into how powerful women in publishing and media continue to make an impact and succeed. Titled “Off the Page: Women Changing Publishing and Media,” it was clear that publishing is a career with purpose, and these women are helping to shape the culture.
“Books are very personal for me,” said Rhonesha Byng, founder and CEO of HerAgenda, a digital media platform bridging the gap between ambition and achievement for millennial women. “To me, authors are like superheroes, and the publishing houses that allow them to have the platform are the people that give them the key…to their superpowers.”
The evening began with a one-on-one conversation between Sojourner Elleby, digital and social media manager for Hachette Book Group, and Sally Kim, president and publisher of Little, Brown and Company. Kim discussed her path into and through the publishing world. Throughout her career, Kim has championed diverse voices and endeavored to reach diverse readers.
After three decades, the publishing industry is quite different from when Kim began. “I love being part of making the change happen,” she said. By being open to changes in her career, she saw her influence growing from an editor working with specific authors to a publisher able to have a broader impact
“Readers are now showing up in a very different way,” said Kim. “[In the past] publishers would look to anoint writers and books. … Readers are now showing, ‘We’re going to decide what we want to read.’ … Who is at the table…reflects the people who are buying the books.”
In a panel moderated by Byng, authors Eboni K. Williams, Debbie Millman, and Shannon Downey discussed their paths to getting published and how they promote themselves and their work. Williams, an attorney, storyteller, television host, and podcaster, mentioned that her first book, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance, and Success, did not sell many copies — receiving her first royalty check after eight years — but it increased her public platform and provided great talking points. Her second book, Bet on Black: The Good News About Being Black in America Today, has sold well, but took a while to find a suitable publisher.
“The enormous significance of storytelling and representation,” said Williams, who in her career made the conscious decision to transition from practicing law to working in media, starting in talk radio and then segueing to television, which then led to writing books. “For me, it was with great intention, clarity, and focus, and actually a bit of sacrifice.”
Millman, who was a branding expert, launched her podcast, Design Matters, in 2005, years before podcasts were a thing. At the time, she wanted to reignite her creative soul. She has now written eight books. Her current one is Love Letter to a Garden. Representation and diversity are integral to her work.
“I almost always prefer to do whatever I’m doing as an outsider,” said Millman. “I am not getting rich on my book writing. My book writing helps me in all of the other areas of my life.”
Downey combines crafting with activism, which is quite different than the stereotypical vision of a craft enthusiast. Her book is Let’s Move the Needle: An Activism Handbook for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers. She also teaches at colleges and universities and actually wrote her book before her book proposal.
“If this platform goes away, I will still do the work, but [I value] having the opportunity to reach and connect with and influence and encourage the passions that [people] never thought they could,” Downey said. “It’s so exciting to help people lean into that identity.
“I believe in the immeasurable power of representation and media in all its various forms –– podcasting, books to digital content to old school, terrestrial radio, and television –– will always have a place in our society,” said Williams. “The interplay of all of those change spaces, change institutions, and change power, balances.”