The Wordsmiths Project (www.WordsmithsProject.com) is a charity fund-raising fine arts project, for which ASJA member Sally Wiener Grotta is creating photographic portraits of the people behind the scenes in book publishing: editors, publishers, agents, critics, and others who influence what is published. (She isn't currently including authors, but may do so in the future.) Sally is dedicating the profits from The Wordsmiths Project exhibit and from its Website, to the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund (WEAF) of the American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA).

One of the collateral advantages of The Wordsmiths Project for writers and others involved in the publishing industry is that Sally is keeping an online journal of her interactions with these important publishing decision makers -- noting what they are looking for from writers, what kinds of books excite them, how they like to work with writers, what they think about the future direction of book publishing, and all kinds of other useful information. The Journal is at www.WordsmithsProject.com.

If you have a suggestion of an individual whom you feel should be honored by being including in The Wordsmiths Project, please contact Sally using the Contacts page on www.WordsmithsProject.com. Specifically, her subjects are those who have made a significant contribution to publishing, or those young people who have that certain spark that indicates they are people to watch.

To see a Book TV interview of Sally discussing WEAF and her photographic portraits of publishing notables for The Wordsmiths Project, click here.