Visiting agents have included Emma Sweeney, Jean Naggar, Ellen Levine,
Gail Hochman and Carl Brandt, Jimmy Vines, Bob Tabian, Molly Friedrich at
Aaron Priest, Carol Mann, Liv Blumer at Barney Karpfinger, Vicky Bijur,
Robin Rue of Writer’s House and Henry Dunow. Other visitors have been
Judith Applebaum and Florence Howe of Sensible Solutions. Connie Sayre of
Market Partners (whose list of freelancer editors in the MP newsletter first
inspired, says Gross, the idea of a mutual support group). The day PW
attended the group’s April meeting, the guests were two bright young
agents—Geri Thoma at the Elaine Markson agency, and Noah Lukeman--who
described the kinds of books and authors they represented and the kinds of
services they might require from freelance editors.
Before long, the JEG became oversubscribed. The idea, says Jerry Gross,
was deliberately to limit membership to no more than a dozen,"
otherwise it becomes too unwieldy." So a year or so ago a second group,
called the Consulting Editors Alliance, was set up, also meeting monthly, in
Carol Southern’s spacious Upper West Side apartment. The alliance also has
12 members and performs much the same function as the original: an
opportunity for members to get together on a regular basis to exchange
ideas, offer each other referrals and meet with key book people who can send
business their way.