135 West 50th St.
New York, NY 10020
212/445-6100
http://www.workingmother.com
Change is in the air at Working Mother, a monthly publication of WorkingWoman
Network Inc., and sister to Working Woman magazine. Good Housekeeping veteran
Lisa Benenson joined the book in January as editor-in-chief, and has since brought
a handful of new editors on board. The 20-year-old title also received a makeover
last month. Now publishers are gearing up to launch a sibling Web site this
fall (http://www.workingmother.com),
which will draw roughly 30% of its content from the magazine. Content still
focuses on business and lifestyle issues affecting working moms (duh), with
a heavy emphasis on advocacy for family-friendly work environments. Total readership:
roughly 2.5 million.
Content/Contacts
Working Mother covers a broad range of parenting, health, safety, beauty, technology, personal finance and career/professional development issues. A new section called "The
Mommy Network" replaces the "Parenting" section as of the June issue. "When you're an at-home mom, you talk to other mothers over the fence and in the doctor's office," says
Editor-in-Chief Lisa Benenson. "But when you're a working mother, your networking opportunities won't always involve your children. Our hope is that [this section] will help
fill the gap that working mothers are missing." Contact all editors through the main phone number or mailing address (above). A rundown of recent hires and main contacts:
Executive Editor: Sharlene Breakey (previously with Glamour and Nickelodeon's
Nick Jr.)
Managing Editor: Jo Ann Liguori (previously with Mode magazine)
Senior Editor, Special Editions and Advocacy: Sharman Stein (previously
with Upfront, a magazine for high school students published jointly by the New
York Times and Scholastic)
Senior Editor, Business and Finance: Jackie Day Packel (previously with
SmartMoney)
Senior Editor, Parenting: Carolyn Hoyt
Associate Editor, Health: Keith Mulvihill
Senior Editor, Career/Workplace: Susan Brook
FoodEditor: Susan Ott
Web Editorial Director: Bernadette Gray
Pitch Tips
The magazine straddles women's and parenting genres. As such, many of its articles are of interest not only to working mothers, but also to stay-at-home moms or women without
children. The key is putting the Working Mother spin on each story. "For example, our beauty pages might focus on what is going to make a woman look better quick and enable her
to get out the door smoothly in the morning," Benenson says. "Our reader needs to look polished for the workplace, but doesn't have a lot of time."
Story ideas that are "actionable" have the best shot at pick-up. For example, the May issue includes kid-friendly veggie recipes, a story about the cost-saving benefits of
online banking, and art projects designed to keep kids entertained while Mom's away on business. New features in the redesigned book include a monthly craft page, and a
"supplies" page. "We're doing the browsing for our readers and telling them about cool stuff they can buy," Benenson says.
Email pitches may be hip, but they're likely to get lost in the clutter at this magazine, Benenson says. "It's always more helpful to get something on paper," she says.
Although the magazine commissions most of its own photo shoots, sending artwork or photography with your pitch may help you get noticed.
Comments
"Our readers don't respond very well to fairy-tale, perfect-family stories," Benenson says. "They're looking for balance...for ways to live their lives fully on both fronts.
It's not a question of having it all, it's making the best of all these situations. But our content doesn't position [motherhood or employment] as a burden. It presents a
realistic view of women carrying these loads, but focuses on the positive aspects of being both a mom and a business person."
Working Mother readers crave quality time with their kids, but they aren't sorry for working, Benenson says. Today, 75% of women with children under 18 are members of the
workforce, and 50% of working women are pulling in at least half of their families' income. "It's not discretionary. These women need to work," Benenson says. Realistic, yet
positive stories are likely to get play.