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Feature

MVW (Most Valuable Women)

Publishing’s Most Influential Females

by Jillian Bergsma Manning

March is National Women’s History Month, and this year, the theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” That’s all well and good, but here at IP we want to celebrate publishing’s inspiring, innovative, and imaginative women. We have complied a (by no means exhaustive) list of 20 of the most influential authors, booksellers, publishers, and editors, so read on to see who caught our eye. 

 

THE AUTHORS

1. Aphra Behn (1640 – 1689)

Aphra Behn is commonly cited as one of the first professional female writers of the modern age. Not only was she a poet, playwright, and novelist, but she also worked as a political spy for a few years. And, to top it all off, she was buried in Westminster Abbey. Lucky girl. 
 

2. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797)

Known to many as the mother of Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft was a prolific writer AND women’s rights advocate. Her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of Women argues for education reform and equal treatment for women.
 

3. Jane Austen (1775 – 1817)

A very happy birthday to Pride and Prejudice, which celebrated its 200^th year since its publication in 1813. Although Austen only produced six novels in her lifetime, she contributed immensely to the success of other female authors. In her parodical Northanger Abbey, Austen champions female writers, female readers, and the status of the novel as an art form. Without her, we might still be reading political treatises instead of Suzanne Collins.

“It is only a novel…or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.” —from Northanger Abbey
 

4. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was one of the most influential abolitionist works of its time and the bestselling novel of the 19^th century. In both novel and play form, the story reached millions of Americans and Brits and aided in the dissolution of slavery in the United States. Stowe was a part of that early civil rights movement as both a writer and a political activist. 
 

5. George Eliot/Mary Anne Evans (1819 – 1880)

Eliot tackled politics, outsiders, philosophy, and a host of unique characters across her novels. She was one of the most famous writers of the Victorian era, and Middlemarch has been called the greatest novel in the English language on more than one occasion by many famous critics. 
 

6. Anna Sewell (1820–1878)

Author of Black Beauty (a 50 million+ bestseller), Sewell only lived long enough to see a fraction of the success her book would go on to have. Not only is Black Beauty a beloved children’s classic, but it also helped change the treatment of animals (especially horses) in industrial England. 
 

7. Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

She may have been a bit eccentric, but Emily Dickinson wrote some of the most innovative and thought-provoking poetry in our entire literary canon. Along with a few other greats (Shakespeare, Frost, e.e. cummings), she is one of the most popular, most read, and most quoted poets of all time. 
 

8. Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976)

How could we leave out the bestselling novelist of all time? Agatha Christie’s books have sold more than four billion copies (meaning half the people on the planet could own one of her books), and she was made a Dame by QEII. My jealousy knows no bounds. 
 

9. Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 – )

Le Guin is a legend in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. She’s won dozens of prestigious awards, influenced scores of writers, and written novels, poetry, screenplays, literary criticism and even edited anthologies.
 

10. Toni Morrison (1931 – )

Morrison has received a Pulitzer Prize, a Nobel Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in addition to more than 25 other awards for her incredible writings. She has had an incredible presence on college campuses across the country and has also been very active in the political sphere. 
 

11. Margaret Atwood (1939 – )

This Canadian author, poet, feminist, and environmental activist has an impressive track record of published works and award wins and nominations. She has taught at half a dozen schools and founded the Writers’ Trust of Canada, a nonprofit organization that provides financial and professional support to writers in the form of scholarships, awards, and more. 
 

12. J.K. Rowling (1965 – )

Three cheers for the woman who made reading “cool” again! Rowling defined a generation of readers and will continue to influence book-lovers of all ages for years to come. The Harry Potter series has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide, is further immortalized in movies and video games, and now Pottermore is extending the experience online. 
 

13. Amanda Hocking (1984 – )

Hocking was the first woman to sell over a million copies of self-published books. She is a role model for self-published authors and helped to launch eBooks into the prominent position they occupy today. 
 

THE PUBLISHERS, EDITORS, BOOKSELLERS, AND MORE
 

14. Elizabeth A. Geiser

This founder of the Denver Publishing Institute left her mark in both the publishing industry and in the world of publishing education. Geiser held executive positions at R.R. Bowker and Gale Research before founding DPI. She lectured on publishing throughout the world and was a mentor to hundreds of people currently in publishing. She was inducted into the Publishing Hall of Fame in 1988. 
 

15. Judith Jones: Senior Editor and Vice President of Knopf

Without Jones, we might not have The Diary of Anne Frank, Julia Child, Anne Tyler, or John Updike. Jones has brought hundreds of wonderful books (and lots of great food!) into our lives, and has published a few titles of her own including The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food.
 

16. Midge Decter: Journalist, Editor, Author, Activist

Midge Decter has done it all—she has worked an editor for Basic Books and Legacy Books, been a part of multiple committees and organizations for humanitarian and political causes, and she has authored five books. For a more complete list of her accomplishments, click here.
 

17. Joyce Meskis: Owner of the Tattered Cover Book Stores and Director of the Denver Publishing Institute

The Tattered Cover is the Mecca of all bookstores, and Joyce Meskis made that possible through her impeccable taste and love for her community. In addition to her work with Tattered Cover, Meskis is the Director of the prestigious Denver Publishing Institute, an award-winning advocate of the First Amendment, and the recipient of the American Booksellers Association Lifetime Achievement Award. 
 

18. Dominique Raccah: Founder, President, and Publisher of Sourcebooks, Inc.

What began as a tiny company in a spare bedroom is now one of the leading and largest independent publishing companies in the world. In 25 years, Raccah and Sourcebooks have expanded from one imprint to nine, acquired multiple smaller companies, and published dozens of bestsellers. Raccah is always pushing the boundaries of publishing with new initiatives and is now a forerunner in the digital book and app realm. 
 

19. Ellen Archer: Publisher and President of Hyperion

Ellen Archer has been with Hyperion since 1999, and was named president and publisher in 2008. She has had countless bestsellers, created a brand new women-centric imprint (Voice), and has been focused on the digital future since the very first eBooks appeared. In her spare time (how does she have any?!) she works as a board member of Poets and Writers Inc., mentors on career development, and is a board member for the Masters in Publishing program at NYU. 
 

20. Gina Centrello: Publisher and President of Random House Publishing Group

Centrello has had somewhat of a Cinderella story, working her way up from copyeditor to publisher of one of the most influential (and money-making) publishing companies in the world. In interviews, Centrello always talks about marketing and selling “aggressively” and is a leader in the digital revolution. With a creative outlook, new strategies, and some great books, Centrello made her division the largest revenue contributor to Random House in both 2010 and 2011.

 

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