a short professional biography
There was little hope of escaping a career in the world of words, being born
to a couple of journalists who also loved to read. The
pull was strong enough to sweep in not just me but my sister, Marion,
an author and writing teacher with whom I collaborate.
But before looking forward, a look back:
I have worked long stints at three places—The New York Times, Newsday,
and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Tucked in the middle of my years
at The Times, I took a break for a two-year editorship of Women’s
Sports Magazine, the creation of Billie Jean King. Even when I was at The
Times, it was the female audience I was interested in reaching: Very early
in my career I wrote the Sunday “Women in
Sports” column.
At Newsday I was first its fashion editor, and then, at last, my desire to link personal passion and profession converged. In 1990 I became the garden editor of what was then the nation’s 10th-largest daily, located in the heart of prime garden territory: Long Island.
It was my garden writing at Newsday that attracted Martha Stewart to hire me as a contributor near the start of Martha Stewart Living magazine, and to bring me on board as her first garden editor. My happiest years were those first ones—traveling to gardens, writing garden stories—but the company grew, and so did I. Out of the garden I did go. I became head of the Internet-Direct Commerce division in the first internet heyday, and managed the birth of marthastewart.com, and after that became editorial director for the company, over all
its books and magazines and internet. In 2008 I began a transition back to being just Margaret—writer and gardener—and formed Margaret Roach Incorporated, located down the road from my garden in upstate New York which for more than 20 years has called out to me to be home more often. I am creating a cluster of blogs that reflect my passions—from plants (www.awaytogarden.com) to sisters and sisterhood of all kinds. I am also consulting, and my first client—no big surprise here—was Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
I am a word person, as I started out by saying, and specifically a person who knows how to use words to create concepts that effectively reach women online and offline. I can conceive, develop and execute; I am expert in packaging content and making it resonate, in creating brands from that content and keeping them true to themselves, and their customers. If I can help you, I hope you will be in touch.
DIGITAL
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
EVP, Internet-Direct Commerce, 1999-2007.
Led team that built the original marthastewart.com, including tools like Recipe
Finder and Encyclopedia of Plants.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Senior Internet Consultant, 2008
Advised current managers on new branded digital products and
features.
www.awaytogarden.com
My own return to garden writing can be found in this blog, which I began
from home on WordPress in March 2008.
PRINT JOURNALISM
The New York Times
1973-1978 and 1981-1985
From copy girl to copy editor, with writing on the side.
Women’s Sports Magazine
Editor in Chief, 1978-80.
Newsday and New York Newsday
Fashion Editor 1985-90
Garden Editor 1990-95
Twice-weekly columnist for one of America’s 10 largest dailies.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Contributing editor, 1994-95
On staff, 1995-2008:
SVP, Garden Editor, Martha Stewart Living magazine
EVP, Internet-Direct Commerce
EVP, Editorial Director, Publishing
BOOKS
"And I Shall Have Some Peace
There," a dropout memoir, due February
2011 from Grand Central Publishing.
“A Way to Garden,” 1998, Named Best Garden Book of the Year by Garden Writers’ Association of America.
As publisher: "Writing What You Know: Realia," by Marion Roach
Smith, April 2011.