LITERARY, ARTS and CULTURAL TOURISM BACKGROUND

Amy Zuckerman spent almost 20 years in daily news covering arts, culture, economic development and lifestyle, as well as being an assistant photo editor and occasional photojournalist. During this period she was a freelance book critic for regional and national publications and became a published author.

Since 1991, she has operated a strategic marketing company in western Massachusetts and has directed national book campaigns for five of her own books and many others for clients. She is currently handling projects for regions and municipalities that leverage the arts and cultural tourism to boost local and regional economies.

She has appeared in print in 70-plus publications worldwide for her business and economic development writing.

The following are AZ's areas of expertise that relate to the arts and cultural tourism:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Since 1983, AZ has been a strategist/advisor to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts in Cape May, N.J., which is now one of the largest cultural tourism centers in the country.

• AZ developed and produced V alley Goes Hollywood in March 2004 to promote 21 individuals in western Massachusetts, representing all facets of the film industry (technical and creative). The program was a talent showcase, work fair and assisted economic developers identify a burgeoning film industry in this region.

• AZ founded Writer's Of Worcester (Mass.), at one time an affiliate of the National Writer's Union. The aim was to boost income for writers and promote their work.

• She is a member of the Creative Economy Initiative, a New England-wide organization, that both boosts the arts and helps develop new industries that relate to arts and technology.

• AZ has advised economic development and tourist officials in Pittsfield, Mass. about ways to promote existing arts/cultural activities in that city.

AUTHOR OF:

• Nine books through AMACOM Books, Pharos Books, Capstone Books (now part of Wiley) and Dutton Children's Books

• Assisted in writing Abbie Hoffman biographies Steal this Dream (Larry Sloman)

• SURROGATE PARENTING was a major trade book published in 1988 (Pharos). It garnered huge national publicity (TV, print and radio), including being part of a front-page NY Times Book Review spread.

• 2030 (Dutton Children's Books) is a children's book slated for release in 2007. It has gone to an illustrator and spreads will be in sketch form next winter.

• The other books are business-related. The most recent was TECH TRENDING (Capstone/Wiley), a business trade book published in 2001.

BOOK REVIEWING

AZ was a freelance reviewer for:

• The Sunday Telegram (Worcester, Mass.)
• The Atlanta Constitution
• New York Times Book Review (two shorts)
• Kirkus

BOOK AGENTS

• Anita Diamant, now deceased
• John Willig, Literary Services, Inc. (business trade books)
• Alison Picard, children's fiction

BOOK SCOUT/"DOCTOR"

• AZ scouted for the Palmer & Dodge Literary Agency in Boston (early 1990s)

• AZ has worked professionally with clients on fiction/non-fiction helping them assess work for sale, edit and find agents

VIDEOS

Wrote, produced, acted in and   three shorts for a cable TV station in Worcester, Mass.

PUBLICITY

As noted, AZ is a veteran book publicist of her own campaigns and others.

She is currently helping promote two new releases:

• SAME DIFFERENCE (Basic Books)

• Life 2.0 (Crown)