• by Kristin Sidorak , January 24, 2006

Self-help online publisher Waterfront Media has entered into an agreement with Meredith Corporation to launch sites for two Meredith special interest magazine titles--Diabetic Living and Heart Healthy Living--and for the book The Sonoma Diet, by Connie Guttersen.

The magazine sites will launch next quarter, while the Sonoma Diet site went live at the end of last month. The move follows Waterfront's recent launch of a site to promote the HarperCollins book Winning By Losing, by Jillian Michaels. "Our job is to bring self-help brands online, and work to maximize their exposure," says Ben Wolin, CEO, Waterfront Media.

Bob Mate, executive vice president, publishing director of Meredith Books, said that the company tapped Waterfront because of its track record in driving sales of diet books. Waterfront has created sites for popular self-help books such as Rodale's imprint The South Beach Diet, Regan Books' Zone Diet, and Workman Publishing Company's What to Expect When You're Expecting.

The Sonoma Diet site, www.SonomaDiet.com, offers paid subscribers features like daily success tips, recipes, and a weight tracker. The sites for Diabetic Living and Heart Healthy Living will provide content specifically designed to help people manage diabetes or heart conditions.