ROSEMARIE ROBOTHAM
Literary Alchemy

Overview

 

Award-winning writer and editor of books, e-books and magazine features. Facility with Content Management Systems including WordPress, Wix, Blogger, and InCopy/InDesign. Meticulous line editor with a keen sense of story and voice. For major monthly women's magazine, top-edited cover stories, celebrity and human interest features, and investigative reports, as well as the news, careers, health and relationships sections.
 

 

Experience

 

WRITER, EDITOR, COLLABORATOR Literary Alchemy 2013 to Present

Complete editorial projects in print and digital media for a range of clients, including book publishers, agents, websites, academic institutions, nonprofits, and private authors and clients.
 

DEPUTY EDITOR Essence Magazine 1994 to 2013

For the nation’s largest magazine for African American women (8-million
readers monthly) conceived, assigned, and contracted for editorial features, packages and franchises. Oversaw and edited long-form investigative, relationship, entertainment, and service features and top edited Cover Stories, Work and Wealth, Sex and Love, and Body and Spirit departments.

Developed online components and contributed posts, articles and interviews to Essence.com. Moderated #lunchtimedebate on @Essence_Debates Twitter channel and conceived and implemented interactive social media campaigns across platforms; several campaigns went viral.

Mentored junior editors and problem-solved on stories and administrative issues to ensure deadlines were consistently met. Performed annual performance reviews for direct reports. Maintained working relationships with a wide range of writers, scholars, social justice activists and others to stay current on issues of particular concern to African American women.

SENIOR EDITOR Simon & Schuster 1989 to 1994

Developed annual list for S&S travel guide imprint. Assigned and supervised writers, designers, copyeditors, fact-checkers and book packagers. Supervised all phases through bound books.

Made presentations to trade and field sales force, and assisted in the development of marketing strategies for each title. For fiscal year 1992-93, four titles sold in excess of 250,000 copies.

REPORTER-WRITER Life Magazine 1986 to 1989

Traveled nationally and internationally to report and produce photos essays on a wide range of subjects. Pitched features, prepared shooting scripts, identified subjects, made contacts, scouted locations, coordinated shoots, secured permissions, reported, wrote and fact-checked stories. Worked with top-tier photographers including Mary Ellen Mark, Gordon Parks, Michael O'Brien, Brian Lanker, John Loengard, Annie Leibovitz  and many others.

 

Education & Residencies

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism New York, NY 
Master of Science in Journalism, New York Times Scholar

Barnard College, Columbia University New York, NY
Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, Anne Barrow Hamilton Award for Excellence in Journalism 

Yaddo Artists’ Community Saratoga Springs, NY 
Writer-in-Residence