Joni Evans
Encyclopedia
Joni Evans is an American book publisher of over 100 bestsellers, writer, editor, and literary agent. Evans’s background and career in publishing includes posts as Senior Vice President of the William Morris Agency
(1994-2006), President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster
(1989-1994), and Publisher at Random House
(1977-1989).
, Christopher Byron, Ann Coulter
, Fannie Flagg
, Martin Garbus
, Peggy Noonan
, James Patterson
, Liz Smith
, John Stossel
and Michael Weisskopf
.
From 1989-1994, Evans was Executive Vice President at Random House Adult Trade Division and also Publisher of Turtle Bay Books, a division of Random House. Previously, she had worked at Simon and Schuster for 14 years where she served as Subsidiary Rights Director, Associate Publisher, then as Editor in Chief of her own division, the Linden Press, and finally as President and Publisher of Simon and Schuster.
Before that she worked as an editor at William Morrow Publishers, the Book of the Month Club
, and for various women’s magazines.
Evans was part of a 2003 Penn & Teller
's Bullshit!
episode, which showed "a nice expose of Rosemary Altea
during a taped readings arranged by Showtime. Viewers got a clear picture of how she worked the small group of people present for readings prior to the taping in order to glean information for later use. They also learned how her publicist, Joni Evans, seeded the group with people whose biographies were already known to Altea in order to boost her on-camera success."
Evans was married to Simon & Schuster
head Richard E. Snyder
. Their high-profile divorce made headlines in 1990.
Joni Evans is one of the founding members and CEO of wowOwow
.com. Evans founded with site in 2008 along with Liz Smith
, Lesley Stahl
, Mary Wells Lawrence
and Peggy Noonan
.
William Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
(1994-2006), President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
(1989-1994), and Publisher at Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
(1977-1989).
Life and career
Evans was most recently Senior Vice President at the William Morris Agency where she had been since 1994. Evans represented a wide array of authors including Marcus BuckinghamMarcus Buckingham
Marcus Buckingham is a British-American New York Times bestselling author, researcher, motivational speaker and business consultant best known for promoting what he calls "Strengths." Basing most of his writing on extensive survey data from interviews with workers in countries around the world, he...
, Christopher Byron, Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
, Fannie Flagg
Fannie Flagg
Patricia Neal , known professionally as Fannie Flagg, is an American actress, comedienne and author. She is perhaps best-known for the 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was adapted into the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes; Flagg was nominated for an Academy Award for...
, Martin Garbus
Martin Garbus
Martin Garbus is an American attorney. He has tried cases throughout the country involving constitutional, criminal, copyright, and intellectual property law. He has appeared before the United States Supreme Court as well as trial and appellate courts throughout the United States...
, Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan is an American author of seven books on politics, religion, and culture and a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal...
, James Patterson
James Patterson
James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
, Liz Smith
Liz Smith (journalist)
Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Smith is an American gossip columnist. She is known as The Grand Dame of Dish.- Early life and career :...
, John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
and Michael Weisskopf
Michael Weisskopf
Michael Weisskopf is a Polk Award-winning journalist, currently working as a senior correspondent for Time magazine. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1996 for the accounts he and David Maraniss gave of the activities in 1995 following the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in 1994,...
.
From 1989-1994, Evans was Executive Vice President at Random House Adult Trade Division and also Publisher of Turtle Bay Books, a division of Random House. Previously, she had worked at Simon and Schuster for 14 years where she served as Subsidiary Rights Director, Associate Publisher, then as Editor in Chief of her own division, the Linden Press, and finally as President and Publisher of Simon and Schuster.
Before that she worked as an editor at William Morrow Publishers, the Book of the Month Club
Book of the Month Club
The Book of the Month Club is a United States mail-order book sales club that offers a new book each month to customers.The Book of the Month Club is part of a larger company that runs many book clubs in the United States and Canada. It was formerly the flagship club of Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc...
, and for various women’s magazines.
Evans was part of a 2003 Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...
's Bullshit!
Bullshit!
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is an American documentary television series that aired from 2003 to 2010 on the premium cable channel Showtime. In Canada, the series aired on The Movie Network and Movie Central.- Overview :...
episode, which showed "a nice expose of Rosemary Altea
Rosemary Altea
Rosemary Altea is a New York Times best - selling author and psychic medium. She has appeared on various televisions shows, including Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show "20/20," "Unsolved mysteries", "Prime Time, with Diane Sawyer," "Politically Incorrect," "Leeza," "The View," and Fox and...
during a taped readings arranged by Showtime. Viewers got a clear picture of how she worked the small group of people present for readings prior to the taping in order to glean information for later use. They also learned how her publicist, Joni Evans, seeded the group with people whose biographies were already known to Altea in order to boost her on-camera success."
Evans was married to Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
head Richard E. Snyder
Richard E. Snyder
Richard Elliot “Dick” Snyder is an American publishing executive best known for his tenures at Simon & Schuster and Western Publishing.-Life and career:...
. Their high-profile divorce made headlines in 1990.
Joni Evans is one of the founding members and CEO of wowOwow
WowOwow
wowOwow is a U.S.-based website publication run by Joni Evans. The site was launched by CEO Joni Evans, Mary Wells Lawrence, Liz Smith, Lesley Stahl, and Peggy Noonan on March 8, 2008...
.com. Evans founded with site in 2008 along with Liz Smith
Liz Smith (journalist)
Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Smith is an American gossip columnist. She is known as The Grand Dame of Dish.- Early life and career :...
, Lesley Stahl
Lesley Stahl
Lesley Rene Stahl is an American television journalist. Since 1991, she has reported for CBS on 60 Minutes.-Personal life:...
, Mary Wells Lawrence
Mary Wells Lawrence
Mary Wells Lawrence is a retired American advertising executive. She was the founding president of Wells Rich Greene, an advertising agency known for its creativity and innovative work, and the first woman CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.In the late 1940s, Mary Wells...
and Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan is an American author of seven books on politics, religion, and culture and a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal...
.