New Moon

About New Moon

New Moon Girl Media is a publisher focused on providing a supportive and creative community for girls aged eight to fourteen. The company was founded in 1992 by Nancy Gruver and her husband, Joe Kelly, who were inspired by their twin daughters, Mavis and Nia. Troubled by the media landscape available to girls, which often promoted consumerism and self-doubt, Gruver envisioned a space where girls' own voices and dreams would be central. This led to the creation of *New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams*, with the first issue published in March 1993.

The core of the business is its media offerings, which started with a quarterly print magazine and expanded to include a significant online presence. A key differentiator is the company's commitment to being 100% ad-free, a decision made at its inception to ensure content is not influenced by sponsors and to avoid making girls feel they need to purchase products to fix supposed flaws. This business model relies entirely on revenue from subscriptions and direct sales, making the readers and their families the primary stakeholders. The company survived the 2008 recession and other industry upheavals that caused ad-supported magazines to close, a testament to its community-supported financial structure.

The primary product is *New Moon Girls*, which has transitioned from a print-focused publication to an all-digital format as of summer 2022. The platform serves girls, nonbinary, and transgender youth from ages 8 to 14. Its content is unique in that about 95% of it is created by the readers themselves. Girls submit articles, creative writing, opinions, artwork, and videos, which are curated by a small team of adult editors and moderators. Regular features have included sections like "Herstory" (profiling women from history), "Global Village" (featuring girls from other countries), and "Ask a Girl" (a peer-to-peer advice column). The online community, launched in 2008, provides a safe, moderated space for members to interact, create content in private virtual "rooms," and connect with peers globally.