Women in Scholarly Publishing (WiSP) is a professional organization serving the educational and professional advancement of its members. Since its creation in 1979, WiSP has worked with a clear commitment to achieving equal opportunity and compensation for all those employed in the field of scholarly publishing.
Membership is open to anyone working in or interested in scholarly or university press publishing who supports the professional development of women in this field. WiSP offers its members workshops, seminars, and other opportunities for professional development in scholarly publishing.
Through a national newsletter, an annual meeting and local chapters, members can meet industry colleagues. An electronic listserve is available for members to discuss topics of interest.
To encourage professional development in scholarly publishing, WiSP offers grants through its Career Development Fund (CDF). Financial support is provided to qualifying members who wish to attend workshops, seminars and other meetings.
WiSP supports the growing number of freelance and contract workers who are actively involved in the business of academic publishing. Through its membership directory and research on benefits, it provides networking opportunities and helps make entrepreneurship a viable career option.
Run entirely on volunteer efforts, WiSP is an organization that depends on the active participation of its members. It has a national slate of officers elected by the membership on an annual basis and an advisory board composed of chairs of standing committees.
In its first two decades, WiSP has achieved success advocating for women in top positions within university presses, offering career development opportunities, and sponsoring income and benefit analysis leading to parity. WiSP continues these efforts as a visible entity within the industry.