Kate White is an American author, magazine editor, and speaker. From 1998 to 2012, she served as the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan. She is the author of fourteen novels: eight books in the Bailey Weggins mystery series, including Such a Perfect Wife, and six stand-alone psychological thrillers, including, most recently, Have You Seen Me?. Kate has also written several non-fiction books with business advice for women, including The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success, based on her groundbreaking bestseller Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do, and I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve. Her books have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Best Seller lists. She is also the editor of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook.
White began her career in the magazine industry after winning Glamour's “Top Ten College Women” contest, for which she appeared on the cover and received a position as an editorial assistant at the magazine. During her time at Glamour, White worked her way up to become a feature writer and columnist. She went on to hold positions at other national magazines, including Mademoiselle, before becoming editor-in-chief of Child. White later served as editor-in-chief for Working Woman, McCall's, and Redbook, which she headed from 1994 to 1998.
''Cosmopolitan''
In 1998, White was appointed editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine. During her 14-year tenure, White increased Cosmopolitan's monthly circulation by more than 700,000 readers, with the magazine's circulation peaking at over three million readers in 2012. In September 2012, White announced her intention to leave her position at Cosmopolitan before the end of the year in order to focus on her work as a writer and speaker.
Writing career
Fiction
As of 2002, White published eight novels with the lead protagonist Bailey Weggins, a New York City true crime writer. The first book in the series, If Looks Could Kill, was chosen by Kelly Ripa for her book club and reached number 10 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Entertainment Weekly reviewed the book positively and described it as "inningly salacious." The latest Bailey Weggins mystery is titled Such a Perfect Wife. Publishers Weekly called it “highly entertaining." In addition to the Bailey Weggins mysteries, White has written five stand-alone suspense novels: Hush, which also appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, and The Sixes.; Eyes on You, The Wrong Man, and The Secrets You Keep.
Non-fiction
White has also written four non-fiction books with career advice for women in business: Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead... But Gutsy Girls Do: Nine Secrets Every Career Woman Must Know, 9 Secrets of Women Who Get Everything They Want, You on Top: Smart, Sexy Skills Every Woman Needs to Set the World on Fire, and I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve.
Personal life
White is married to former news anchorman Brad Holbrook, with whom she has two children: a son, Hunter and a daughter, Hayley.
