Nov. 29, 2005 - LEADING BOOK PUBLISHER, MEDIA AND BEST-SELLING AUTHORS TAKE INNOVATIVE LEAP ONTO GATHER.COM

LEADING BOOK PUBLISHER, MEDIA AND BEST-SELLING AUTHORS TAKE INNOVATIVE LEAP ONTO GATHER.COM

Diverse Group Offers Content Ranging from Airstreaming and Bird Watching To Dictionaries and New Fatherhood

BOSTON, MASS., Nov. 29, 2005 -- Gather.comâ„¢, the place to share and find the best member-generated content online, today announced that a leading book publisher and a diverse group of online media, public radio station programs and best-selling authors are now contributing content to the Gather community on a regular basis. Publishers ranging from Houghton Mifflin's "Peterson Field Guides" to "Grist Magazine" online are joined by best-selling authors such as David Vann and Sandra Choron and a public radio station from Philadelphia.

"People don't read or listen to or watch content anymore," said Gather CEO Tom Gerace (tom.gather.com). "They connect around it. These innovative media companies see Gather as their opportunity to develop deeper, more interactive relationships with their audiences."

"Gather.com's innovative publishing system offers a unique and complete marketing solution for both individual authors and media companies," said John Blossom, president of research and advisory firm Shore Communications Inc.

"Bloggers and other online authors using Gather's easy-to-use publishing features can monetize their content and demonstrate their credibility alongside mainstream media through audience ratings, comments and usage indexes. Media companies that integrate their content with Gather will benefit greatly from the authentic and engaged online communities that form there," Blossom said.

The new Gather.com contributors consist of a leading book publisher, online media, public radio station programs, and bestselling authors:

• Houghton Mifflin (hmco.gather.com, www.hmco.com): One of the leading educational publishers in the U.S. which also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction, Houghton Mifflin will contribute weekly columns from the award-winning "Peterson Field Guides" (bird watching and other nature topics) and "The American Heritage® Dictionaries."
• WXPN (xpn.gather.com, www.xpn.org) in Philadelphia is the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots, and folk. This non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania produces "World Cafe®,"public radio's most popular program of popular music hosted by David Dye and syndicated by National Public Radio, and the Peabody Award winning "Kids Corner," hosted by Kathy O'Connell.
• "Airstream Life" (airstreamlife.gather.com, airstreamlife.com): "Airstream Life" is the quarterly magazine devoted the Airstream RV lifestyle. Rich Luhr, publisher of Airstream Life, is currently on tour around the country, and keeping fans updated using Gather.com.
• "Mental Floss" (mentalfloss.gather.com, www.mentalfloss.com): "Mental_floss" is built on a simple premise: People love to feel smart. But no one has enough time these days to achieve that admirable goal. "Mental_floss" takes the chore out of learning by presenting information in a way that's quick, simple, quirky and fun.
• "Grist Magazine": (grist.gather.com, www.grist.org) The nonprofit, independent, online magazine "Grist" was founded in April 1999, and over the past six years has developed the most recognizable voice in environmental journalism: funny, opinionated, and intelligent.
• "Void Magazine" (voidmagazine.gather.com, www.voidmagazine.com): An online literary endeavor dedicated to serving the needs of the ever-evolving literary community. The magazine seeks to showcase the work of talented writers and serve as a free resource to contemporary reader and writers.
• Sandra Choron (schoron.gather.com): Sandra Choron is a writer, editor, literary agent, book packager, and designer. She and her husband, Harry Choron, a graphic designer, are the authors of "Planet Dog," "College in a Can," "The Book of Lists for Teens," and "The All-New Book of Lists for Kids," among other works.
• Kristin Henderson (kristinhenderson.gather.com): Kristin Henderson has written frequently about military issues, including two cover stories for the Washington Post Magazine, where her forthcoming book, "While They're At War," had its origins.
• Gregory Mone (gmmone.gather.com): Gregory Mone is the author of the novel, "The Wages of Genius," and is an associate editor at "Popular Science" magazine.
• David Vann (davidvann.gather.com, www.davidvann.com): David's new sailing memoir, "A Mile Down: The True Story of a Disastrous Career at Sea," is now a national bestseller and has been featured on national media. David is publishing short stories from his upcoming collection, "Legend of a Suicide," on Gather.com.

 

About Gather
Gather.com (www.gather.com) is the space for the public radio crowd to share their passions and perspectives, or "beat" online. Gather.com members are rewarded for their participation with Gather Pointsâ„¢, or even cash for top contributors. Gather.com is led by an all-star team of industry veterans with extensive experience in building highly successful, Internet-based companies and creating relevant content. The Gather.com site was named the winner of the Media/Portal category in the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX), 2005 annual awards -- the largest awards competition in the country that recognizes achievements in the development and implementation of interactive technologies. Gather.com is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

For more information, visit www.gather.com or call (617) 720-4000, x1010.

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