Simon & Schuster
Encyclopedia
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 four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House
, Penguin
and HarperCollins
. It publishes over two thousand titles annually under 35 different imprints.
s first appeared in the New York World
in 1913, and soon 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:
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.
, 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.
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 1996, Viacom sold Gousha to longtime rival Rand McNally
, who closed the Gousha offices in Texas and discontinued all product lines.
In 1998, Viacom sold Simon & Schuster's educational operations, including Prentice Hall and Macmillan, to Pearson PLC
, becoming part of Pearson Education
.
Viacom would split into 2 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 such, S&S continues to publish books based on Viacom properties, which since 2006 has included many DreamWorks
films (Paramount/Viacom owned DreamWorks outright between 2006-08, back catalog still owned by Paramount/Viacom).
As part of CBS, Simon & Schuster is the primary publisher for books related to various media franchises owned by CBS, such as Mission: Impossible
, Star Trek
and CSI.
In addition to the main Simon & Schuster imprint are the following:
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
, is a publisher founded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1924 by Richard L. Simon
Richard L. Simon
Richard Leo Simon was an American businessman, Columbia University graduate, and co-founder of the publishing house Simon & Schuster. Born in New York City, his brother was music critic and author George T...
and M. Lincoln ("Max") Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, Penguin
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
and HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. It publishes over two thousand titles annually under 35 different imprints.
Early years
Crossword puzzleCrossword Puzzle
For the common puzzle, see CrosswordCrossword Puzzle was the second to last album made by The Partridge Family and was not one of the most popular albums. It was released in 1973 and did not produce a U.S. single. This album was finally released on CD in 2003 on Arista's BMG Heritage label...
s first appeared in the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
in 1913, and soon 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 — CouéAutosuggestionAutosuggestion is a psychological technique that was developed by apothecary Émile Coué from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.-Origins:...
- 1922 — Mah JongMahjongMahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
- 1923 — Bananas
- 1924 — The 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 BooksPocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
, America's first paperback publisher.
In 1942, Simon & Schuster, or "Essandess" as it is called in the initial announcement, launched the Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
series in cooperation with the Artists and Writers Guild. Simon & Schuster's partner in the venture was the Western Printing and Lithographing Company
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
which handled the actual printing. Western Printing bought out Simon & Schuster's interest in 1958.
In 1944, Marshall Field III
Marshall Field III
Marshall Field III was an American investment banker, publisher, racehorse owner/breeder, philanthropist, heir to the Marshall Field department store fortune and a leading financial supporter and founding board member of Saul Alinsky's community organizing network Industrial Areas Foundation.Born...
, owner of the Chicago Sun
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
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+WesternGulf+Western
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
acquired the company, and nine years later, Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
was brought into the company fold, followed by mapmaker Gousha
Gousha
The H.M. Gousha Company was one of the "Big Three" major producers of road maps and atlases in the United States during the 25 years following World War II, making maps for free distribution by Oil Companies and auto clubs...
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
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
. Simon & Schuster's first move under Viacom was the acquisition of Macmillan USA
Macmillan Publishers (United States)
Macmillan Publishers USA, also known as Macmillan Publishing, is a privately held American publishing company owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than 30 others....
.
In 1996, Viacom sold Gousha to longtime rival Rand McNally
Rand McNally
Rand McNally is an American publisher of maps, atlases, textbooks, and globes for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data...
, who closed the Gousha offices in Texas and discontinued all product lines.
In 1998, Viacom sold Simon & Schuster's educational operations, including Prentice Hall and Macmillan, to Pearson PLC
Pearson PLC
Pearson plc is a global media and education company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is both the largest education company and the largest book publisher in the world, with consumer imprints including Penguin, Dorling Kindersley and Ladybird...
, becoming part of Pearson Education
Pearson Education
Pearson Education is an international educational publishing and technology company providing textbooks and other educational material, such as multimedia learning tools...
.
Viacom would split into 2 companies at the end of 2005: one called CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
(which inherited S&S), and the other retaining the Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
name. Despite the split, National Amusements
National Amusements
National Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned theatre company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone....
retains majority control of both firms. As such, S&S continues to publish books based on Viacom properties, which since 2006 has included many DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
films (Paramount/Viacom owned DreamWorks outright between 2006-08, back catalog still owned by Paramount/Viacom).
As part of CBS, Simon & Schuster is the primary publisher for books related to various media franchises owned by CBS, such as Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and CSI.
United States
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- Mary Higgins ClarkMary Higgins ClarkMary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney , known professionally as Mary Higgins Clark, is an American author of suspense novels...
- Hillary Clinton
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- Hilary DuffHilary DuffHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
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- Walter IsaacsonWalter IsaacsonWalter Isaacson is a writer and biographer. He is the President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. He has been the Chairman and CEO of CNN and the Managing Editor of TIME...
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United Kingdom
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Imprints
Adult
- Atria
- Beyond Words PublishingBeyond Words PublishingBeyond Words Publishing is a book publishing company located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1983, the company was unprofitable in its early years, though its works were award winning. The privately owned company focuses on non-fiction titles in the New Age genre, but began as a...
(specializes in publishing new age, self help, and inspiration stories with a "spiritual" focus.) - Free PressFree Press (publisher)Free Press is a book publishing imprint of Simon and Schuster. It was founded by Jeremiah Kaplan and Charles Liebman in 1947 and was devoted to sociology and religion titles. It was headquartered in Glencoe, Illinois, where it was known as The Free Press of Glencoe...
- Gallery Books
- Howard Books
- Pocket BooksPocket BooksPocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
- ScribnerCharles Scribner's SonsCharles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
- Strebor
- The Touchstone and Fireside Group
- Threshold EditionsThreshold EditionsThreshold Editions is an imprint of Simon & Schuster — the publishing division of CBS Corporation — specializing in conservative non-fiction. Louise Burke is the publisher, Anthony Ziccardi is the deputy publisher, and the imprint's senior editors include Mitchell Ivers, Kathy Sagan,...
(specializes in publishing politically right-of-center books, including Jerome R. Corsi's controversial The Obama Nation) - Mercury Ink
Young adults and children
- AladdinAladdin PaperbacksAladdin Paperbacks is one of several children's-book imprints owned by Simon & Schuster.It was established by Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Books where she was the founding director of the children's department . Atheneum merged with or was acquired by Scribner's in 1978, then MacMillan in 1984, before...
- AtheneumAtheneum BooksAtheneum Books was a publishing house and adult publisher created by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. in 1959. He recruited editor Jean E. Karl personally, to come and establish a Children's Book Department in 1961....
- initially (1959) a publishing house and adult imprint, it now publishes children's titles, formerly just part of its output. - Beach Lane Books
- Little Simon
- Margaret K. McElderry Books
- Paula Wiseman
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Simon Pulse
- Simon Spotlight
See also
- The Big Six book publishers:
- HachetteHachette- People :* Jean Nicolas Pierre Hachette, French mathematician* Jeanne Hachette, French heroine* Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher- Entities :* a French group of publishing companies, see Hachette and Hachette Filipacchi Médias...
, Holtzbrinck/Macmillan, Penguin Putnam, HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
and Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
- Hachette
- List of largest UK book publishers
- Media of New York CityMedia of New York CityThe media of New York City are internationally influential, and include some of the most important newspapers, largest publishing houses, most prolific television studios, and biggest record companies in the world...