Nomad Editions Builds on Momentum for Inventing New Media Model for Mobile Devices; Announces Roster of Acclaimed Journalists to Complete Editorial Staff

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Nomad Editions, a first-of-its-kind media company that will be producing digital weekly publications designed exclusively for mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad and other platforms, today announced its roster of renowned magazine writers and editors who will be leading its first three inaugural titles—Real Eats, Wide Screen, and Wave Lines.

Former Newsweek president Mark Edmiston—joined by renowned designer Roger Black and publishing and advertising industry veterans Marjorie Martay and Samuel O.J. Spivy —has redefined media on mobile devices by employing a unique subscription-based business model that allows readers to access high-quality, original content, while editors, writers and contributors receive fair compensation via readership count. In advance of its expected launch later this year, the Nomad Editions platform has received acclaim in media industry circles worldwide for its ability to effectively monetize content.

Nomad Editions combines the capabilities of magazines and websites to create an entirely new format—a digital publication with the visual aesthetic quality of magazines, and the mobility and rich multimedia capabilities of the web. Enhanced by a new technology called Treesaver, content is automatically formatted to fit any browser without the use of an additional app. The software suite was developed by Roger Black and Filipe Fortes, a former Microsoft engineer involved in early efforts to transform traditional print to web-based products.  

"The launch of the Nomad Editions Writers Roster demonstrates the level of dedication we have to deliver top-notch, original content to our readers," said Mark Edmiston, CEO of Nomad Editions. "Without the reliance on advertising dollars, writers and editors with decades of combined magazine experience now have the flexibility to concentrate on one thing—providing the best possible editorial and media aesthetics to each Nomad Edition reader based specifically on his reading interests."

The first three digital weekly titles are currently in production, and the full Nomad Editions platform is expected to launch later this year.

"I'm excited by the challenge of creating the right content for a new form and a new medium--something that isn't a magazine but isn't a website," says John Benditt, Nomad's Editor in Chief. "Our goal is to deliver to a subscriber just enough information (photos, text and multimedia) to provide a satisfying experience every week.  I'm also excited by the terrific team of writers, photographers and editors I have working with me to understand and exploit this new medium. We're unleashing the creativity of a huge group of talented people who have been dispirited by the collapse of old media and the inability of new media to pay a living wage. Their creativity will power Nomad's success."

The full Nomad Editions editorial roster is as follows:

EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP

• John Benditt (Editor-in-Chief) had a long career as a magazine editor, mostly in science and technology publications, before setting up his own consulting business, DrivingWheel Inc., in 2002. He was an editor at Scientific American, Science and then editor-in-chief of Technology Review, published by MIT. As the editor of Technology Review, he was responsible for a growth in circulation from 80,000 to 310,000 and a 100-fold increase in advertising revenues. In addition, the magazine was nominated for National Magazine Awards three times in his five years as editor, including for General Excellence. Among dozens of other projects DrivingWheel has carried out since 2002 were three major relaunches: of The Scientist, Science News and Scientific American.

• Sean Elder (Executive Editor & Editor of Real Eats) has been an editor at numerous magazines including Parenting, California Magazine, Elle and Premiere. He was the executive producer of the pioneering website Totalny.com and later editor-in-chief of New York Citysearch.com. He has been a staff writer at Salon, Details and The Wall Street Journal's online edition, and wrote website reviews for The New Yorker ("Only Connect"). He has coauthored several books, including "Websites That Work" (with Roger Black) and "Mission: Al Jazeera" (with former Marine Captain Josh Rushing). His freelance writing has appeared in numerous publications including New York Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, National Geographic, Men's Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, Gourmet and Food & Wine. He writes a column about cooking with his daughter for AOL's Kitchen Daily ("In the Kitchen with Franny") and blogs at seanelder.com.

• Laurie Kratochvil (Director of Photography) began her career at The Los Angeles Times as a photography editor and worked for numerous publications before joining Rolling Stone in 1982. During her 12 years there as photo editor, Kratochvil saw the magazine win every major photography award, including the National Magazine Award. Kratochvil was the founding photography editor for In Style magazine and has since worked as a visual consultant for Self, O: The Oprah Magazine, Bloomberg Personal, Men's Health, Essence, Reader's Digest and others. She has also worked on a number of book projects, including "Rolling Stone: The Photographs." Kratochvil is a board member of The Society of Publication Design, a jury member of World Press, and a faculty member in the continuing education program at The International Center for Photography. A native of Newport Beach, California, Kratochvil lives in New York City and Southold, New York.

• Susan Murcko (Deputy Editor) has been a senior editor and a leader of the editorial team at a string of famous magazines spanning topics from popular culture to technology and business. She began her New York career at Rolling Stone, ultimately editing cover stories and features on topics including current affairs and popular culture. After Rolling Stone, she served as articles editor of Details magazine. During her tenure, Details was three times a finalist for the National Magazine Award for General Excellence.  Following her stint at Details, she was a senior editor at Wired, where she developed and edited long-form features, including the magazine's all-time best-selling cover story on George Lucas. She was invited to join the launch team for Conde Nast Portfolio, where she was a senior editor during the magazine's short-lived run. For Nomad, Susan is developing new and existing Nomad Editions as well as overseeing the flow of copy into the weekly editions.

REAL EATS CONTRIBUTORS

• Serena Bass authors "Serena Generis," a Real Eats column that unspools the quirky personal narratives behind Serena's unique recipes. Serena is a celebrated New York caterer and cookbook author whose "Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day," won a 2005 James Beard Award. She is also the former owner of the late, lamented Serena Bar, which was located in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel.

• Elisabeth Garber-Paul muses about amateur mix-ology and entertaining among the younger set in her column, "Lush Life." Garber-Paul was the editor-in-chief of the New School Free Press, and her work has appeared in The Nation, Media, and OMMA. She is currently a researcher at Rolling Stone.

• Alice Gordon answers burning questions about modern table manners—how to deal with cell phone use, picky guests, and the like—in her "Eatiquette" column. Gordon is a self-proclaimed civility nut and former editor at Vogue, Travel + Leisure and the Texas Monthly. She is currently the coordinator at the Blue Mountain Center, an artists' colony in the Adirondacks.

• Melinda Joe is an American journalist in Tokyo specializing in food, drinks and travel. Her debut feature for Real Eats chronicles her visit to a reindeer farm in Lapland. Melinda is the bar editor for the award-winning restaurant and bar guide Bento.com  and the sake correspondent for the Japan Times, as well as a regular contributor to CNNGo.com. Her work has appeared in The Wine Enthusiast, The UK Guardian, and Time Out Tokyo. A certified wine and sake professional, Melinda has given sake pairing seminars and conducted private gastronomy tours. She chronicles her adventures in food, sake, and wine on her blog, "Tokyo through the Drinking Glass" (http://tokyodrinkingglass.blogspot.com).

• Nanette Maxim hopes to channel Charles Kuralt (famous for his CBS "On the Road" segments) as she tells the stories of people who get meals to our plates in her "Will Work for Food" column. With this column, Maxim brings us into the lives of fishmongers, bakers, ranchers, and other-working men and women from various food trades. Maxim is a former senior features editor at Gourmet and currently edits for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

• Justin Nobel investigates the effects of the BP gulf spill on the food of New Orleans in his Real Eats feature, "The No-Boy Sandwich." Nobel has recently been in New Orleans covering the effects of the BP spill for the Audubon magazine website. He received a grant from the Nation Institute's Investigative Fund to cover the effects of climate change on indigenous cultures. His work has appeared in Audubon magazine and on Gourmet.com

• Susie Quick ("Honest Food") is the founder of a nonprofit organization, Honest Farm (honestfarm.org), which promotes sustainable farming in her native Kentucky. Quick was founding food editor of Real Simple magazine, the food and nutrition editor at Glamour, and food editor at Sprig.com and Organic Style. She is the author of "Quick Simple Food" and "The Cake Club: Delicious Desserts and Stories from a Southern Childhood."

• Michelle Wildgen offers a weekly guide, via her "TV Dinner" column for Real Eats, on what to seek out and avoid in the tangled world of reality food TV. Wildgen is the author of two novels, "But Not for Long" and "You're Not You," and editor of "Food & Booze: A Tin House Literary Feast." Her work has appeared in The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, "Best Food Writing" (2004 and 2009), and elsewhere. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

WAVE LINES

• Jon Cohen (Editor) is a correspondent with Science, and also has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, Outside, Slate, Technology Review, Discover, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Glamour, Surfer and other publications. He has written three books, "Shots in the Dark: The Wayward Search for an AIDS Vaccine" (2001), "Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth About Miscarriage" (2005), and "Almost Chimpanzee: Searching for What Makes Us Human, in Rainforests, Labs, Sanctuaries and Zoos" (2010). In addition to magazines and books, he has done mini-documentaries for Science and SlateV, and writes for the blog ScienceInsider and the online daily ScienceNOW. He lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, just north of San Diego, where he is able to indulge his passion for wave lines all year round.

• Art Brewer is a California-based photographer whose work has appeared in hundreds of magazines, including Surfer (where he was the principal staff photographer), Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Esquire and Playboy. He has also worked with Nike and many clients in the surf industry. His books include "Masters of Surf Photography: Art Brewer," and "The Story of Bunker Spreckels."

• Steve Hawk spills about not surfing as well as he used to in "Shades of Gray," his Wave Lines piece on being an aging wave-rider. Hawk is the former editor of Surfer magazine and the author of "Waves" (2005). He was a staff writer on David Milch's HBO drama, John from Cincinnati. He is currently the editor of Sierra, the Sierra Club's magazine, and lives in El Granada, California.

• Lewis Samuels is a technology consultant and journalist who founded the blog Post Surf, which asked tough questions about surf culture and attracted a big following in the surf community. Samuels' writing has appeared in Surfer magazine, Surf Europe, Stab, and Surfer's Path. He currently lives in San Francisco.

• Paul Shapiro discusses being an unwelcome outsider in a tight-knit Oregon surf community for his first Wave Lines feature. Shapiro is a surfer and kite surfer in Miramar, California, who has supported his habits by working as a molecular geneticist.

• Matt Warshaw is a former editor of Surfer Magazine, and author of seven surf-related books, including the newly released "The History of Surfing." His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Outside, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, Interview and Surfer's Journal. A former professional surfer on the world tour, he once was ranked #2 in the boys division in California.

WIDE SCREEN

• Glenn Kenny (Editor) has been writing about film, music, and other aspects of popular culture since the early '80s. From 1996 to 2007, he was a senior editor and then the chief film critic for Premiere magazine, where he worked with the likes of William Prochnau, John Connolly, Tony Kushner, Martin Amis and David Foster Wallace. He has written for the Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, TV Guide, Rolling Stone and other publications. He is the editor of the book "A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on 25 Years of Star Wars." He currently contributes to MSN Movies, The Daily Notebook at MUBI, The Los Angeles Times, the Directors Guild of America Quarterly, and his own blog, Some Came Running. (http://somecamerunning.typepad.com/)

• Simon Abrams writes about film and comics for outlets including the New York Press, TheReeler.com, The Comics Journal, and The Washington Square News.

• Farran Smith Nehme will revisit vintage films of note in her "RetroFit" column. She established herself blogging under the pseudonym The Self-Styled Siren, writing with inimitable panache about cinema of the (mostly) past. Her work quickly attracted the attention of a cadre of bigmedia luminaries, including Vanity Fair's James Wolcott, who called her "Sophisticated and yet not stuck-up about it." After sophisticatedly revealing her identity in early 2010, Farran's helped program the "Shadows of Russia" series for TCM and used the power of the blogosphere (with fellow online film writer Marilyn Ferdinand) to raise thousands of dollars for film preservation.

• Vadim Rizov synthesizes and explains the ever-whirring machine of the film industry in his "Unconventional Biz-dom" column. Rizov contributes regularly to the Village Voice, LA Weekly, Sight & Sound and the website The House Next Door. Along with fellow wag John Lichman, he developed the innovative podcast "Live From Grassroots With Rizov and Lichman," in which one or more select film writers were shanghaied by the title duo to the title Manhattan dive bar and goaded, with the help of copious (even by writer standards) amounts of alcohol into saying rude things about movies and colleagues as uncleared jukebox tunes blared in the background. He keeps all the freelance fragments aggregated at vrizov.blogspot.com.

• Karl Rozemeyer is a freelance syndicated columnist, a journalist and a photographer who has worked as the international editor for Premiere magazines in New York and as the Director of Photography for Hachette Filipacchi magazines in Prague. He is currently a columnist for the New York Times Syndicate, where he contributes toward a weekly feature called "StarBeat." He has also written cover stories, features and articles for several international magazines including ELLE Japan, Total Film in the UK, Fotogramas in Spain and FilmInk in Australia. Karl was born in Zimbabwe and educated in Cape Town, South Africa.

For more information, including instructions on how to register for a free one-month trial of Nomad Editions' digital weeklies upon launch, please visit www.readnomad.com.

About Nomad Editions:

Nomad Editions is a unique media marketplace that provides readers with digital publications on a wide range of subjects, developed specifically for mobile devices. High-quality editorial and rich multimedia capabilities are enhanced by new technology that automatically formats content onto the web browser of any mobile device, ensuring easy engagement and mobility on this new media format.  Founded by Mark Edmiston, former Newsweek President and long time media investment banker—along with renowned designer Roger Black and a team of media veterans—Nomad Editions uses a subscription-based business model where editors, writers and contributors are fairly compensated for their creativity.

SOURCE Nomad Editions