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 a the "Big 6", now known as the "Big Five". It publishes over 2,000 titles annually under 35 different imprints.
History
Early years
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.
To attract attention, the book came with a pencil attached. The advertising campaign implied that it was about to become a new fad:
- 1921: Coué
- 1922: Mah Jong
- 1923: Bananas
- 1924: The first crossword-puzzle book
The ad proved prophetic, and crossword puzzles were indeed the craze of 1924. Simon & Schuster continues to be the preeminent U.S. publisher of crossword puzzle books.
Expansion
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. 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.
Corporate ownership
In 1975, Gulf+Western acquired the company, and nine years later, Prentice Hall was brought into the company fold, followed by mapmaker Gousha in 1987. G+W would change its name to Paramount Communications in 1989.
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.
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 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.
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.
In October 2014, Simon & Schuster signed a multi-year partnership deal with Amazon.com in negotiations concerning the price of e-books.
Personalities
Editors
Some of its prominent editors have been William Cole, Robert Gottlieb, and Michael Korda.
Authors
North America
United Kingdom
- Jackie Collins
- Joan Collins
- Mark Gatiss
- Richard Madeley
- Mark Radcliffe
Logo
The sower, the logo of Simon & Schuster was inspired by the 1850 Jean-François Millet painting of the same name.
Imprints
Adult publishing
- Atria
- 37 Ink
- 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 Books
- Howard Books
- Keywords Press, "a new imprint to publish books by Internet entertainers"
- Marble Arch Press
- Strebor Books International
- Washington Square Press
- Gallery Books
- Karen Hunter Publishing
- Mercury Ink
- MTV Books
- Pocket Books
- Pocket Star
- Threshold Editions (specializes in publishing politically right-of-center books, including Jerome R. Corsi's controversial The Obama Nation)
- Scribner
- Touchstone
- Simon & Schuster (the flagship imprint)
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Free Press
- Simon451
- Saga Press
Children's publishing
- Aladdin â€" initially the children's mass-market paperback imprint of Atheneum Books
- Atheneum â€" initially (1959) a publishing house and adult imprint, with a children's division from 1961, it now publishes children's titles, formerly just part of its output.
- Beach Lane Books
- Little Simon
- Margaret K. McElderry Books
- Paula Wiseman Books
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Simon Pulse
- Simon Spotlight
Audio
- Pimsleur Language Programs
- Simon & Schuster Audio
Former Imprints
- Earthlight (UK science fiction imprint, discontinued)
- Fireside Books
- Green Tiger Press
- Linden Press
- Long Shadow Books
- Poseidon Press (operated 1982â€"1993)
- Richard Gallen Books
- Sonnet Books
- Wallaby Books
See also
- The other US "Big Five" book publishers:
- Hachette, Holtzbrinck/Macmillan, HarperCollins and Penguin Random House
- List of largest UK book publishers
- Media of New York City
Notes
References
- Citations
- "Simon & Schuster Inc." International Directory of Company Histories. 4:671â€"672.
- "Simon & Schuster Inc." International Directory of Company Histories. 19:403â€"405.
External links
- Official website
