Chicago Women in Publishing

Chicago Women in Publishing (CWIP) is not-​for-​profit volunteer organization for professionals in the publishing/​editing field. They offer programs (panel discussions, presentations, etc), networking opportunities and other services.
I recently went to a panel discussion on «a day in the life of” – with 4 women in various publishing careers, at Houghton-​Mifflin, Chicago Tribune, Critical Care Medicine Journal, and a trade publication. The moderator kept everyone on track. I was especially impressed with the Tribune panelist – Patricia Widder, who is on the editorial board. Even knowing how difficult a newspaper job is, she made me want to switch to journalism with her impressive work.
This is a membership organization, and costs $ 100/​year for a premium membership, $ 35/​year for student/​senior and $ 75 for a basic. Corporate membership is also available.
It may be a cliché but still true: the publishing world in Chicago is a small one – CWIP is well worth the fee for networking alone!