Publishers Message

Message to Vermont Woman Readers

By Sue Gillis

Dear Reader of Vermont Woman Newspaper,

This issue, October 2005, marks the 2nd Anniversary of Vermont Woman, which means we have transitioned from “baby to toddler’, no small achievement for her mothers or the child.

In the world of independent newspaper publishing (as opposed to corporately-owned newspaper conglomerates), it takes more than ideas, talent and money to reach this milestone; none of those qualities flow seamlessly from day one, only over time do the three begin to synchronize. It also takes chutzpah and naiveté (and nuttiness) to even get to the press for the first issue. Some would say that all of the above are required criteria to work for Vermont Woman…

“A Bold Posse of Women” is how one reader’s letter-to-the-editor described the Vermont Woman staff. Well, it’s true. That “boldness” is most likely the essential characteristic that runs through everyone who works here. Timidity would have buried us long ago. But with boldness comes mistakes and a few tears and we’ve had both. Women working together on a start-up, highly creative and visible publication every month packs plenty of stress. But it’s life’s personal heartaches that take a significant toll on a small staff. In the end when a fresh issue, that is well-written, smartly-designed and full of ads hits the streets, a shout and a sigh fills the offices of Vermont Woman.

Today we are celebrating, not with a big party, but with a quiet sense of satisfaction that with only 22 issues, Vermont Woman is already an award winning newspaper and is read by 40,000 plus every month. Soon you will see some new additions and changes in our pages. Our goal is to continue to provide you with a woman’s perspective on the events of our time.

So from this “Bold Posse of Women” we thank all our readers for your ideas, your feedback and for being supportive to our efforts. We thank our advertisers who know their market is our readers. And we thank our Founders who believed in us from the beginning.

To be Continued.