Meet the Team
Meryl Moss
Meryl Moss is founder and president of Meryl Moss Media Group, a literary media relations and marketing firm that for 25 years has been promoting and branding authors and their books through media exposure, speaking engagements, social media and creative marketing solutions. The firm specializes in working with first-time authors, as well as those who are established and looking for a seasoned group of professionals to take them to the next level. Meryl Moss Media Group is proud to work with authors book after book, the best compliment there is.
Like many new ideas, Meryl Moss created BookTrib.com on a napkin. When traditional media outlets started reducing their coverage of books and authors, Meryl put a stake in the ground with a website featuring under-the-radar authors who deserved to be noticed, and that readers would enjoy discovering – whether debut writers, midlist or even occasional bestsellers. Rather than focus on the household names you read about everywhere, BookTrib.com’s mantra is to give voice to those authors that really need to be heard – and read.
Gerri Silver
Gerri Silver has been Meryl Moss Media Group's business manager for more than nine years. She handles day-to-day operations while overseeing all business activities, including managing budgets, payroll, human resources, client needs and staff supervision.
As director of concierge publishing, she works directly with authors on a range of services that include editing, design and copyright issues. She develops communication protocols, streamlining administrative procedures, inventory control, and oversees the function of the mailroom. Gerri brings a keen eye for detail, ongoing practical and diplomatic guidance, and creativity -- not to mention her awesome cooking and presentation skills.
Deb Zipf
Deb Zipf has been a senior publicist with Meryl Moss Media Group for more than 14 years. Before joining the firm, she worked as an editor and writer at Media Ventures and Medialink Worldwide.
Deb worked as Director of Public Relations for several Connecticut theaters, including the Downtown Cabaret Theater in Bridgeport, the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfield, and Ivoryton Playhouse in Essex. She also did publicity for the American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford and Connecticut Children’s Theater in Essex.
Early in her career, Deb worked as a staff and freelance journalist at The Connecticut Post after graduating from Boston University’s School of Public Communications and has written for The Boston Phoenix, The Real Paper and other publications in Boston as well as for Fairpress and the Fairfield Advocate in Fairfield County. Deb brings focus, dedication and creativity to everything she does.
Tracy Goldblatt Minsky
Tracy Goldblatt Minsky has been a publicist with Meryl Moss Media Group for almost 16 years. She began her career in broadcast journalism as an on-air reporter and as part of the news team behind the scenes in many capacities.
Tracy holds a B.A. in English with minors in sociology and dance from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a M.S. in broadcast journalism from the College of Communication (COM) at Boston University.
A Manhattan native, she now lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her family. Tracy brings the skills of a detective, a commitment to excellence and joy to her coworkers.
JeriAnn M. Geller
JeriAnn Geller has been with Meryl Moss Media Group for more than 11 years as the resident writer, editor and grammarian. Earlier in her career, she was a reporter for Gannett Westchester-Rockland Newspapers, and an editor for the Journal-Register company, the Connecticut Post, and the Taunton Press, and served as head of editorial services for the international charitable organization Hadassah. She was an editor for the American Museum of Natural History, a writer for Reuter’s Health Information News Service, and a columnist for Weekly Reader. She is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport with a bachelor's in studio art and a minor in American literature.
As the story coach/editor for numerous books, she believes in a firm grounding in the principles of story and grammar while staying true to the writer’s voice and inner vision. She has taught classes in memoir writing, the principles of story, and employing the tools of journalism. JeriAnn brings a literary and artistic perspective to all she touches while always softening the rough edges of day-to-day office life.
Jim Alkon
Jim Alkon is the Editorial Director of BookTrib.com and responsible for all editorial operations, content and strategy while developing new marketing programs to help authors get on the literary radar. As a veteran of the business-to-business media and marketing worlds, he has extensive experience in business and content development.
He is an avid reader, lover of dogs, sports and music (he plays the piano by ear), and he is a writer at heart, whether a book review, corporate communication, blog or white paper — it doesn’t really matter as long as his words are making someone happy somewhere. Jim brings a strong sense of humor, a love for the written word and caring sensibility to our office.
Barbara Wilkov
Barbara has a varied career background, having worked in education, sales for several start-up magazines, fundraising and event planning for the American Heart Association, and marketing, communications, PR, and social media for a congregational church, a children’s non-profit, and an emergency and specialty veterinary hospital.
Barbara is also the co-founder of an award-winning website, Motherrr.com , that focuses on healing difficult mother-daughter relationships from the adult daughter's perspective. Look for a Motherrr.com book in the not-too-distant future!
A Stamford, CT native, Barbara has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and English, and an MS in Education. She loves to act and is honored to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Cameron Kimball
Cameron Kimball is an assistant editor at Booktrib.com and an illustrator and graphic designer. A recent graduate from Pratt Institute, she has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Communications Design with a minor in Art History. Cameron is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators and has a great passion for the world of publishing.
Utilizing her vast imagination and strong technological skills for visual communication, Cameron brings creativity and innovation to all she does. She has a talent for creating strong concepts and telling stories through design and illustration.
Cameron has a colossal fondness for animals and in her free time she enjoys reading, music, and a good laugh.
Andrew Masi
Andrew Masi is the King of the Mailroom at Meryl Moss Media Group and has been with the company more than 10 years. He oversees all aspects of shipping and mailing, making sure that our clients’ books arrive in the hands of editors, producers, booksellers and media influencers.
He is a graduate of Norwalk Community College with an associate’s degree in business. A passionate traveler, he displays his gift for photography through the pictures he takes when he visits cathedrals, churches and historic sites. His attention to detail and affability brighten everyone’s day.
Kendall Farris
As a recent graduate from The Fashion Institute of Technology, Kendall has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration, a minor in Creative Writing and an unhealthy obsession with the Fantasy Adventure books that fueled her way through school.
Kendall previously worked at an Independent Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY, experiencing as much as she could about the publishing industry. Now at MMMG, she hopes to bring everything she learned about book trends, social media and industry communication into play as she dips her toes into the world of publishing and publicity and has advanced to associate publicist.
When she isn’t reading, Kendall spends her free time drawing, listening to True Crime Podcasts and spending an unnecessary amount of time online shopping.
Favorite Books:
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Author You Could Be Best Friends With:
Sarah J. Mass
If You Could Be Any Character in Literature:
Aelin Galathynius
Worlds to Live By:
“It is with the reading of books the same as with looking at pictures; one must, without doubt, without hesitations, with assurance, admire what is beautiful.” — Vincent Van Gogh
Kelsey Hall
Kelsey Hall graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a degree in English Literature and a minor in Deaf Education. She is a born and raised Texas gal that can’t stand country music and loves everything bookish. She can often be found cuddled up with her two Pyrenees pups and a good book, The 1975 playing in the background. In addition to working with the BookTrib team, she shares her love of stories by reading to groups of children on the weekends, making sure to pass along the magic and adventures to the next generation.
Favorite Books:
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery,
Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and
Circe by Madeline Miller
Author You Could Be Best Friends With:
Gloria Steinem
If You Could Be Any Character in Literature:
Hermione Granger
Worlds to Live By:
“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality” — Lewis Carroll
Monique Snyman
Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words — be it writing, reading or editing.
Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband, daughter and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novels, The Night Weaver and The Bone Carver, and the upcoming South African horror series, Dark Country.
Author You Could Be Best Friends With:
Kurt Vonnegut
If You Could Be Any Character in Literature:
Emma from Jane Austen’s
Emma
Worlds to Live By:
“A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment.” — Douglas Adams,
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Wyatt Semenuk
Wyatt grew up in New York, Connecticut and on the Jersey Shore. Attracted by its writing program and swim team, he attended Kenyon College, majoring in English with an emphasis on creative writing. After graduation, he took an industry world tour, dipping his toes into game development, culinary arts, dramatic/fiction writing, content creation and even work as a fishmonger, before focusing on marketing. Reading, powerlifting, gaming and shooting clays are his favorite pastime activities.
Favorite Books:
The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, The Shadowhunter novels by Cassandra Clare, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Author You Could Be Best Friends With:
Brandon Sanderson
If You Could Be Any Character in Literature:
Kvothe, Son of Arliden, Name of the Wind
Worlds to Live By:
“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.”
Sharon Furlan
Sharon Furlan resides in Tampa, Florida and has been a freelance graphic designer for Meryl Moss Media Group and Booktrib.com for more than 8 years. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising Production.
Sharon has been a graphic designer for more than 30 years, working in various industries, including print and advertising agencies. Her experience includes financial, law, healthcare, retail, real estate, and MLM industries in the print and web arena.
