Simon & Schuster
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Parent company | CBS Corporation |
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Founded | 1924 |
Founder | Richard L. Simon M. Lincoln Schuster |
Country of origin | United States |
Headquarters location | 1230 Avenue of the Americas Rockefeller Center, New York City |
Key people | Carolyn K. Reidy (President and Chief Executive Officer, Simon & Schuster, Inc.)[1] Christopher Lynch (President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audio) Ian Chapman (Chief Executive and Publisher, Simon & Schuster UK and International) Jon Anderson (President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division) Jon Karp (President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Publishing Group) Judith Curr (President and Publisher, Atria Publishing Group) Kevin Hanson (President, Simon & Schuster Canada) Lou Johnson (Managing Director, Simon & Schuster Australia) Louise Burke (President and Publisher, Gallery Publishing Group) Rahul Srivastava (Managing Director, Simon & Schuster India) Susan Moldow (President and Publisher, Scribner Publishing Group) |
Publication types | Books |
Imprints | Many (see below) |
Official website | www.simonandschuster.com |
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln ("Max") Schuster. It is one of the largest English-language publishers, formerly known as the "Big 6", now known as the "Big Five". It publishes over 2,000 titles annually under 35 different imprints.
Contents
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
Crossword puzzles first appeared in the New York World in 1913, and became a popular feature in newspapers. In 1924, Simon's aunt, a crossword puzzle devotee, asked Simon whether there was a book of these puzzles that she could give to a friend. Simon discovered that none had been published, and, with Schuster, launched a company to exploit the opportunity.[2] At the time, Simon was a piano salesman and Schuster was editor of an automotive trade magazine and together they pooled $8,000 to start the company.[3]
To attract attention, the book came with a pencil attached.[2] The advertising campaign implied that it was about to become a new fad:
The ad proved prophetic, and crossword puzzles were indeed the craze of 1924.[2] Simon & Schuster continues to be the preeminent U.S. publisher of crossword puzzle books.
Expansion[edit]
In 1939, with Robert Fair de Graff, Simon & Schuster founded Pocket Books, America's first paperback publisher.
In 1942, Simon & Schuster, or "Essandess" as it is called in the initial announcement, launched the Little Golden Books series in cooperation with the Artists and Writers Guild.[4] Simon & Schuster's partner in the venture was the Western Printing and Lithographing Company, which handled the actual printing. Western Printing bought out Simon & Schuster's interest in 1958.
In 1944, Marshall Field III, owner of the Chicago Sun newspaper, purchased Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books. Following Field's death, in 1957 his heirs sold the company back to Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster, while Leon Shimkin and James M. Jacobson acquired Pocket Books.[5]
In 1966, Max Schuster retired and sold his half of Simon & Schuster to Leon Shimkin.[3] Shimkin then merged Simon & Schuster with Pocket Books.[3]
Corporate ownership[edit]
In 1976, Gulf+Western headed by Charles Bluhdorn acquired the company which was grossing about $50 million a year for $11 million, most of it in Gulf+Western stock.[3]
1980s[edit]
After the death of Bluhdorn in 1983, Simon & Schuster made the decision to diversify. Bluhdorn's successor Martin Davis told the New York Times, "Society was undergoing dramatic changes, so that there was a greater need for textbooks, maps and educational information. We saw the opportunity to diversify into those areas, which are more stable and more profitable than trade publishing."[6]
In 1984, CEO Richard E. Snyder acquired Esquire Corporation, buying everything but the magazine for $180 million.[6] Prentice Hall was brought into the company fold in 1985 for over $700 million and Martin Davis said that Prentice Hall became the road map for remodeling the company and a catalyst for change. [3] [6] This acquisition was followed by Silver Burdett in 1986,[7] mapmaker Gousha in 1987 and Charles E. Simon in 1988.[7] Part of the acquisition included educational publisher Allyn & Bacon which according to Michael Korda became the "nucleus of S&S's educational and informational business."[3] Three California educational companies were also purchased between 1988 and 1990--Quercus, Fearon Education and Janus Book Publishers.[6] In 1990 Simon & Schuster purchased Computer Curriculum Corporation (C.C.C.) which specialized in computer-based learning systems for schools. In all, Simon & Schuster spent more than $1 billion in acquisitions between 1983 and 1991.[7]
G+W would change its name to Paramount Communications in 1989.
1990s[edit]
In 1990, the New York Times described Simon & Schuster the largest book publishing in the United States with sales of $1.3 Billion the previous year.[6]
In 1994, Paramount was sold to the original Viacom, allowing S&S to launch several new imprints in conjunction with channels owned by Viacom's MTV Networks. Simon & Schuster's first move under Viacom was the acquisition of Macmillan USA.
In 1998, Viacom sold Simon & Schuster's educational operations, including Prentice Hall and Macmillan, to Pearson PLC, the global publisher and owner of Penguin and Financial Times. The professional and reference operations were sold to Hicks Muse Tate & Furst.[8]
2000s[edit]
Viacom would split into two companies at the end of 2005: one called CBS Corporation (which inherited S&S), and the other retaining the Viacom name. Despite the split, National Amusements retains majority control of both firms.
As part of CBS, Simon & Schuster is the primary publisher for books related to various media franchises owned by and/or aired on CBS, such as How I Met Your Mother, Star Trek, and CSI.
In April 2012, the United States Department of Justice filed United States v. Apple Inc., naming Apple, Simon & Schuster, and four other major publishers as defendants. The suit alleged that they conspired to fix prices for e-books, and weaken Amazon.com's position in the market, in violation of antitrust law.[9]
2010s[edit]
In December 2013, a federal judge approved a settlement of the antitrust claims, in which Simon & Schuster and the other publishers paid into a fund that provided credits to customers who had overpaid for books due to the price-fixing.[10]
In October 2014, Simon & Schuster signed a multi-year partnership deal with Amazon.com in negotiations concerning the price of e-books.[11]
Personalities[edit]
Editors[edit]
- Jack Goodman[3]
- Justin Kaplan[3]
- Michael Korda[3]
- Robert Gottlieb[3]
- Peter Schwed[3]
- William Cole
Authors[edit]
North America[edit]
- Allie Brosh
- Andrew Smith
- Andrew Solomon
- Anna Todd
- Annie Proulx
- Audrey Niffenegger
- Becca Fitzpatrick
- Bob Dylan
- Bob Woodward
- Brad Thor
- Cassandra Clare
- Cornelius Ryan[3]
- Dan Brown
- Dave Ramsey
- David McCullough
- Delischa Reddic
- Dick Cheney
- Donald Trump
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Ernest Hemingway
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Frank McCourt
- Gillian Anderson
- Gilda Radner
- Glenn Beck
- Harold Robbins
- Hilary Duff
- Hillary Clinton
- Holly Black
- Holly Goddard Jones
- Hunter S. Thompson
- Ian Falconer
- Isaac Marion
- James Wesley, Rawles
- Janet Evanovich
- Jeannette Walls
- Jeff Rovin
- Jimmy Carter
- Jodi Picoult
- John Irving
- Joy of Cooking
- Kay Thompson
- Ke$ha Sebert
- Larry McMurtry
- Laura Z. Hobson
- Lauren Weisberger
- Mark R. Levin
- Mary Higgins Clark
- Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. (1995–2012)
- Philippa Gregory
- R. L. Stine
- Rachel Renee Russell
- Rhonda Byrne
- Richard Rhodes
- Rinker Buck
- Rona Jaffe[3]
- Sandra Brown
- Shannon Messenger
- Shel Silverstein
- Siddhartha Mukherjee
- Sister Souljah (Emily Bestler/Atria)
- Sloan Wilson
- Stephen E. Ambrose
- Stephen King
- Sylvia Nasar
- Taylor Branch
- Todd Glass
- Thomas Wolfe
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Vince Flynn
- Walter Isaacson
United Kingdom[edit]
Logo[edit]
According to one source, The Sower, the logo of Simon & Schuster, was inspired by the 1850 Jean-François Millet painting of the same name.[12] According to Michael Korda, the colophon is a small reproduction of The Sower by Sir John Everett Millais. [5]
Imprints[edit]
Adult publishing[edit]
- Atria
- 37 Ink[13]
- Atria Español
- Atria Unbound
- Beyond Words Publishing (specializes in publishing new age, self-help, and inspiration stories with a spiritual focus.)
- Cash Money Content
- Emily Bestler Book
- Howard Books
- Keywords Press, "a new imprint to publish books by Internet entertainers" [14]
- Marble Arch Press
- Strebor Books International
- Washington Square Press
- Gallery Books
- Karen Hunter Publishing
- Mercury Ink
- MTV Books
- Pocket Books
- Pocket Star
- Scout Press
- Threshold Editions (specializes in publishing politically right-of-center books, including Jerome R. Corsi's controversial The Obama Nation)[15]
- Scribner
- Touchstone
- Simon & Schuster (the flagship imprint)
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Free Press
- Simon451
- Saga Press
Children's publishing[edit]
- Aladdin – initially the children's mass-market paperback imprint of Atheneum Books[16]
- Atheneum – initially (1959) a publishing house and adult imprint, with a children's division from 1961,[a] it now publishes children's titles, formerly just part of its output.[17]
- Beach Lane Books
- Little Simon
- Margaret K. McElderry Books[b]
- Paula Wiseman Books
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Simon Pulse
- Simon Spotlight
Audio[edit]
- Pimsleur Language Programs
- Simon & Schuster Audio
Former Imprints[edit]
- Earthlight (UK science fiction imprint, discontinued)
- Fireside Books
- Green Tiger Press
- Half Moon Books
- Inner Sanctum Mysteries
- Linden Press
- Long Shadow Books
- Minstrel Books (children's imprint)
- Poseidon Press (operated 1982–1993)
- Richard Gallen Books
- Sonnet Books
- Summit Books
- Wallaby Books
See also[edit]
- The other US "Big Five" book publishers:
- List of largest UK book publishers
- Media of New York City
Notes[edit]
- ^ Alfred A. Knopf, Jr.'s Atheneum—the publisher of Pulitzer Prize winners Edward Albee, Curtis Johnson and Theodore H. White—which included a children's division set up in 1961 by Jean E. Karl.[16] Atheneum merged with Charles Scribner's Sons to become The Scribner Book Company in 1978. (This acquisition included the Rawson Associates imprint.) Scribner was later acquired by Macmillan in 1984, which was in turn purchased by Simon & Schuster in 1994.[citation needed]
- ^ The children's imprint Margaret K. McElderry Books was established and led for many years by editor Margaret Knox McElderry (June 10, 1912 – February 14, 2011).
· LCCN n79--109673 (McElderry at LC Authorities). Retrieved 2014-10-02.
· "Remembering Margaret McElderry". Publishers Weekly. February 24, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
References[edit]
- ^ "Carolyn K. Reidy Named President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon &... - re> NEW YORK, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ^ a b c Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, p. 165. ISBN 0-06-095665-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Korda, Michael (1999). Another life : a memoir of other people (1st ed.). New York: Random House. ISBN 0679456597.
- ^ "Announcing Little Golden Books". Publishers Weekly. September 19, 1942, pp. 991–94.
- ^ a b Business Timeline Archived September 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c d e Mcdowell, Edwin (1990-10-29). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Is Simon & Schuster Mellowing?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Roger (1991-06-30). "Profits - Dick Snyder's Ugly Word". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ Myerson, Geraldine Fabrikant With Allen R. (1998-05-18). "SIMON & SCHUSTER IN SALE TO BRITISH". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
- ^ Mui, Ylan Q. and Hayley Tsukayama (April 11, 2012). "Justice Department sues Apple, publishers over e-book prices". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
- ^ Molina, Brett (March 25, 2014). "E-book price fixing settlements rolling out". USA Today. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
- ^ Amazon signs multi-year deal with Simon & Schuster. Reuters, 21 October 2014
- ^ Larson, Kay (April 16, 1984). "Poet of Peasants". New York Magazine.
- ^ "New Davis Imprint Named 37 Ink". Publishers Weekly. June 29, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (2014-05-21). "Media Companies Join to Extend the Brands of YouTube Stars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
- ^ Rutten, Tim (August 16, 2008). "The extreme-right way to make a buck". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
- ^ a b "Birthday Bios: Jean E. Karl". No date. Vicki Palmquist. Children's Literature Network. (c) 2002–2008. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ Company history at simonsays.com.
- ^ "Who Are 'The Big Six'?". Fiction Matters. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
Further reading[edit]
- Korda, Michael (1999). Another Life: A Memoir of Other People. United States: Random House. ISBN 0-679-45659-7.
- "Simon & Schuster Inc." International Directory of Company Histories. 4:671–672.
- "Simon & Schuster Inc." International Directory of Company Histories. 19:403–405.
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