(New York – July 22, 2014) – The bookstore is open for business again. At least the Goodnewsforpets virtual one is! Germinder & Associates, Inc. together with its affiliated publishing platform Goodnewsforpets, today announced its very first Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) sponsorship along with the re-opening of its Book and Guest Interview sections. All three were first tied to the original launch of Goodnewsforpets in 2000. The site was completely rebranded and relaunched in May 2014.
“The CWA was the first media member of Goodnewsforpets. It was CWA member Steve Dale who suggested we promote CWA books and offered his book reviews for the site. The content changed over the years, but for fourteen years we provided a platform for our fellow cat writers to promote their books. Now with this new sponsorship, an introductory interview with CWA president Lorie Huston and the reopening of the book section, we are reintroducing ourselves to CWA members old and new,” said Lea-Ann Germinder, president of Germinder & Associates and publisher of Goodnewsforpets.com.
Germinder hopes that new members will take advantage of promoting their books on the site. Authors will also be considered for interviews. She decided to sponsor CWA to show support for the organization’s aggressive changes to provide professional development and networking opportunities for both bloggers and writers and provide visibility for the new Goodnewsforpets site.
“Lea-Ann is a shining example of what CWA members are capable of accomplishing. I’m so very proud of her with her new launch of Goodnewsforpets and the re-opening of the book store. I thank her for giving other CWA members the opportunity to promote their books there. We have some truly talented writers and the books our members offer are outstanding. We at CWA are proud to welcome Germinder and Associates and Goodnewsforpets as our newest sponsor. We thank Lea-Ann for all of her support and for her hard work. This is a partnership that will benefit all of us long into the future,” said Lorie Huston, DVM, CWA president.
Germinder has been a member of CWA since 2000 and in addition to providing visibility for CWA and its members on the Goodnewsforpets site, has previously served as publicity chair and presented media relations training sessions with mock interviews at several CWA conferences. She has actively sought corporate funding for the organization and has championed authors and writers speaking to veterinary experts in the media. She worked closely with the late Jim Richards, DACVIM, Director of the Cornell Feline Health Center, for whom the CWA Jim Richards Cornell Feline Health Center Award is now co-named on a number of public education campaigns.
Germinder was honored to be asked by then Interim Cornell Feline Health Center Executive Director Dr. Fred Scott to be the first to present this award. The award went to Arden Moore in 2007 for “Feline DNA and You” by Arden Moore (Published in Catnip, September 2006). The award was judged by Dr. Loraine Kogut Jarboe, a leading expert in companion animal medicine (and a proud classmate of Dr. Jim Richards). She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) certified in both the Feline Practice and the Canine/Feline Practice specialties. About the winning entry, Dr. Jarboe said, “I felt that this article was well organized, and focused on all the topics that the award is designed for: technological advances, research, new medical developments and innovations in feline veterinary medicine. The author style is easy to read and the information was both accurate and complete.”
In 2008, the award was won by Dusty Rainbolt for “Ask Einstein” published at www.stickypaws.com. The article was written after Dr. Richards spoke to Rainbolt as part of the KNOW Heartworms campaign, created by Germinder on behalf of Pfizer (now Zoetis) the American Heartworm Society with Dr. Tom Nelson and the AAFP with Dr. Jim Richards to promote a better understanding about feline heartworm and prevention.
The judge for the award category was Dr. Margie Scherk, board certified in the specialty of Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), and a past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioner. About the winning entry, Dr. Scherk said, “Ask Einstein, by Dusty Rainbolt: Heartworms, Lost cat and Panleukopenia were outstanding. The information is both accurate and relevant and will be of help to a great number of cats and their people. The tone is lovely; it is delightful and easy to read these columns. Teaching about H.A.R.D. as well as the ongoing need to vaccinate against panleukopenia (outbreaks in shelters, etc where this has lagged) need to be brought to the cat-loving public.”
Germinder & Associates, Inc. provides strategic counsel, digital publishing content, and national campaigns for niche markets including animal health and pet products. The newly redesigned website Goodnewsforpets curates news of interest and importance to informed pet parents inclusive of the veterinary profession and pet industry. For editorial information, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact Lea-Ann Germinder at Lgerminder@germinder.com. For information about Germinder & Associates, visit www.germinder.com.