Betches' Aleen Kuperman on explaining new media to immigrant parents—and not wanting to write about 'The Bachelor' again

Aleen Kuperman is co-founder and CEO at Betches Media. The company has grown from a blog created in a dorm room at Cornell in 2011 to a sprawling media network including nine podcasts, New York Times-bestselling books and millions of Instagram followers. In this episode of the “Ad Block” podcast, Kuperman talks about growing up as the child of Russian immigrants who escaped the Soviet Union in 1988, a year before the Berlin Wall fell. In particular, it was a struggle to explicate what “Betches” was to her parents, who had always had high expectations for her future. “I had to explain to my parents, ‘I’m not going to medical school next year,’” she says. “I was terrified to have that conversation. They were like, ‘What’s a blog? How are you making money? What are you talking about?’” As with many new media startups, the business model evolved quickly, and as soon as she had gotten her parents on board, things would change. “They had just figured out Facebook, now they have to go learn Instagram,” Kuperman says. Tangible successes helped, like the book deal the team landed while still in college. “To my parents, that’s legit. A book, they understand.” Kuperman grew up hearing the stories of the family’s journey out of Russia, living in Vienna and Italy off the personal possessions they could sell before eventually being allowed into the U.S. and settling on Long Island. “Only now, I think back to all the things they instilled,” like her strong work ethic, she says. “It... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-18 09:01:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #instagram followers #soviet union #high expectations #medical school #making money #long island #book deal

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Telecoms Put 77% of Their Mobile Spend in Video and Rich Media

When it comes to U.S. mobile ad budgets for telecommunications companies, 77 percent of the spending is in video and rich media, according to Vdopia's latest cross-client study.  The Silicon Valley-based mobile ad network has a reach of approximately 330 million consumers and counts AT&T,... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Want to work at a bookstore in Scotland? This residency may be for you

Through the Open Book Residency, members of the public are invited to come work in a bookstore in Wigtown, Scotland, for several weeks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Picoult to Write Second YA Novel with Daughter

Jodi Picoult has inked a deal with Delacorte Press to co-write another YA novel with her daughter, Samantha van Leer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man wrongly identified by Fairfax Media as terrorism suspect 'may sue'

Mans photo published in front-page stories on Abdul Numan Haider, shot dead by police after allegedly stabbing two officers Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JukePop Wants To Bring Indie Titles To More Libraries

Finding authors from small presses might be getting easier.It's tough being an indie author. These writers lack the marketing resources of those working with big publishing houses, making it difficult to get their works on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. Readers, meanwhile, often have... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Makes for a Brilliant Book Cover? A Master Explains

If you find yourself in a bookstore, Peter Mendelsund can be hard to avoid. The post What Makes for a Brilliant Book Cover? A Master Explains appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Millennial Media Buys Nexage for $107 Million

Millennial Media has acquired mobile ad exchange Nexage for $107.5 million in cash and stock to boost its programmatic offerings. Under the deal, Nexage’s real-time bidding tools and mobile Web and app inventory across publishers will be used to build out Millennial’s automated media buying and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Specsavers teams with PRH for online crime writing

Penguin Random House’s crime community Dead Good Books and Specsavers have teamed up for #... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Palimpsest turns publisher with collections of Scottish writing

Scottish book production company Palimpsest is to become a publisher in its own right, with new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roddy Doyle writing novel for adults with poor literacy

Booker winner to pen Dead Man Talking for the Quick Reads initiative, which offers books by mainstream authors that are the same in every respect but simply shorter and easierThe Man Booker prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyles new novel will be written for the one-in-six adults in the UK who... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oscar Pistorius: Will he write a memoir?

Pistorius's manager and agent Peet van Zyl says his client will write a book, but the law may not let him. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookShout to Offer E-books to Public Media Via Special Sales

The direct-to-consumer ebook platform specializing in ebook special sales, is partnering with Forest Incentives, a public media distribution vendor, to provide bulk orders of bestselling ebooks to public radio and TV stations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling authors write to Amazon's board over 'ugly' Hachette sales dispute

Group representing Donna Tartt, Stephen King and others says Amazon tactics have driven sales down by at least 50%Some of the worlds most famous authors escalated their heated dispute with Amazon on Monday, publishing a letter to retailers board warning of the ugly history of blocking book... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why This Media Startup is Betting On Print Newspapers

Most of America’s magazines are based in New York City, which houses media giants like Conde Nast and Time Inc. But it always struck Douglas McGray, a journalist who has contributed to the New York Times Magazine and the New Yorker, as a bi ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Hires P&G's Top North America Media Executive

Google has added one more to its growing collection of packaged-goods marketing executives -- Julie Eddleman, who was the top U.S. media executive of the biggest U.S. advertising spender, Procter & Gamble Co.Jodi Allen, VP-North America brand of P&G and Ms. Eddleman's boss, has assumed... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fan fiction: how to write it

Start with One Direction and see where they take you your daydreams could snare you a book dealHow to write a bestselling novelHow to write a killer scriptShare pictures of where you writeThis article is a preview from the September issue of the Guardians monthly activities magazine, Do... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Want to Open Your Own Independent UK Bookstore?

Richard Kemp has opened 3 independent UK bookstores and wants to help others open 1,000 more. Here are his top tips for getting started. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indian journalists protest at publisher's social media demands

Give us your Facebook and Twitter passwords, says Times of India company Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Gregory slated to write a book about Judaism and his 'spiritual journey'

Gregory's book will be released sometime in 2015, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Latest Conde Shakeup: Vanity Fair Publisher Takes Over Corporate Media Group

Conde Nast has promoted Vanity Fair VP-Publisher Edward Menicheschi to CMO-president of the Conde Nast Media Group, which sells ad programs spanning the company's brands, effective immediately. Mr. Menicheschi succeeds Lou Cona, who is leaving the company.Mr. Menicheschi was named publisher of... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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