Charles Scribner's Sons

Last updated

Charles Scribner's Sons
Scribner-building.jpg
Parent company Simon & Schuster (trade), Gale (reference)
Founded1846;178 years ago (1846)
Founder
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters location153–157 Fifth Avenue, New York City, U.S.
DistributionWorldwide
Publication typesBooks
Fiction genres American literature
Imprints Marysue Rucci
Owner(s)
Official website scribnerbooks.com

Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon Holmes, Don DeLillo, and Edith Wharton.

Contents

The firm published Scribner's Magazine for many years. More recently, several Scribner titles and authors have garnered Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards and other merits. In 1978, the company merged with Atheneum and became The Scribner Book Companies. In turn, it merged into Macmillan in 1984. [1]

Simon & Schuster bought Macmillan in 1994. [2] By this point, only the trade book and reference book operations still bore the original family name. After the merger, the Macmillan and Atheneum adult lists were merged into Scribner's and the Scribner's children list was merged into Atheneum. [3] [4] The former imprint, now simply "Scribner", was retained by Simon & Schuster, while the reference division has been owned by Gale since 1999. As of 2012, Scribner is a division of Simon & Schuster under the title Scribner Publishing Group which also includes the Touchstone Books imprint. [5]

The president of Scribner as of 2017 is Susan Moldow (who also held the position of publisher from 1994 to 2012), and the current publisher is Nan Graham. [6]

History

The firm was founded in 1846 by Charles Scribner I and Isaac D. Baker as "Baker & Scribner." After Baker's death, Scribner bought the remainder of the company and renamed it the "Charles Scribner Company." In 1865, the company made its first venture into magazine publishing with Hours at Home.

In 1870, the Scribners[ clarification needed ] organized a new firm, Scribner and Company, to publish a magazine entitled Scribner's Monthly . After the death of Charles Scribner I in 1871, his son John Blair Scribner took over as president of the company. His other sons Charles Scribner II and Arthur Hawley Scribner would also join the firm, in 1875 and 1884. They each later served as presidents. When the other partners in the venture sold their stake to the family, the company was renamed Charles Scribner's Sons.

The company launched St. Nicholas Magazine in 1873 with Mary Mapes Dodge as editor and Frank R. Stockton as assistant editor; it became well known as a children's magazine. When the Scribner family sold the magazine company to outside investors in 1881, Scribner's Monthly was renamed the Century Magazine. The Scribners brothers were enjoined from publishing any magazine for a period of five years.

In 1886, at the expiration of this term, they launched Scribner's Magazine. The firm's headquarters were in the Scribner Building, built in 1893, on lower Fifth Avenue at 21st Street, and later in the Charles Scribner's Sons Building, on Fifth Avenue in midtown. Both buildings were designed by Ernest Flagg in a Beaux Arts style.

The children's book division was established in 1934 under the leadership of Alice Dalgliesh. It published works by distinguished authors and illustrators including N.C. Wyeth, Robert A. Heinlein, Marcia Brown, Will James, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Leo Politi.

Scribner merged with Atheneum in 1978, and then merged into Macmillan in 1984. In 1994, Macmillan was bought by Simon & Schuster. The reference division along with Charles Scribner's Sons name (including the lamp logo) were sold as part of Simon & Schuster's Macmillan Library Reference (MLR) to Pearson in 1998, Pearson resold MLR to Thomson Corporation a year later. Thomson Corporation placed the acquired MLR divisions into Gale. [7] [8]

Simon & Schuster reorganized their adult imprints into four divisions in 2012. [5] Scribner became the Scribner Publishing Group and would expand to include Touchstone Books which had previously been part of Free Press. [9] The other divisions are Atria Publishing Group, Simon & Schuster Publishing Group, and the Gallery Publishing Group. The new Scribner division would be led by Susan Moldow as president. [5]

As of 2023, the reference division is owned by Cengage Group and the trade division is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. [10]

Presidents

Notable authors

Notable authors under Charles Scribner II

Notable authors under Charles Scribner's Sons

Notable authors under Maxwell Perkins and John Hall Wheelock

Notable authors under Simon and Schuster

Simon & Schuster has published thousands of books from thousands of authors. This list represents some of the more notable authors (those who are culturally significant or have had several bestsellers) from Scribner since becoming part of Simon & Schuster. For a more extensive list see List of Simon & Schuster authors.

Names

Bookstores

The Scribner Bookstores are now owned by Barnes & Noble.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Old Man and the Sea</i> 1952 novella by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea is a 1952 novella written by the American author Ernest Hemingway. Written between December 1950 and February 1951, it was the last major fictional work Hemingway published during his lifetime. It tells the story of Santiago, an aging fisherman, and his long struggle to catch a giant marlin. The novella was highly anticipated and was released to record sales; the initial critical reception was equally positive, but attitudes have varied significantly since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell Perkins</span> Book editor

William Maxwell Evarts "Max" Perkins was an American book editor, best remembered for discovering authors Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Thomas Wolfe.

<i>The Dangerous Summer</i> Book by Ernest Hemingway

The Dangerous Summer is a nonfiction book by Ernest Hemingway published posthumously in 1985 and written in 1959 and 1960. The book describes the rivalry between bullfighters Luis Miguel Dominguín and his brother-in-law, Antonio Ordóñez, during the "dangerous summer" of 1959. It has been cited as Hemingway's last book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon & Schuster</span> American publishing company

Simon & Schuster LLC is an American publishing company owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins and Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster is considered one of the 'Big Five' English language publishers. As of 2017 Simon & Schuster was the third largest publisher in the United States, publishing 2,000 titles annually under 35 different imprints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. P. Putnam's Sons</span> US book publisher

G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.

Pearson Education, known since 2011 as simply Pearson, is the educational publishing and services subsidiary of the international corporation Pearson plc. The subsidiary was formed in 1998, when Pearson plc acquired Simon & Schuster's educational business and combined it with Pearson's existing education company Addison-Wesley Longman. Pearson Education was restyled as simply Pearson in 2011. In 2016, the diversified parent corporation Pearson plc rebranded to focus entirely on education publishing and services, and as of 2023 Pearson Education is Pearson plc's main subsidiary.

Gale is a global provider of research and digital learning resources. The company is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States, west of Detroit. It has been a division of Cengage since 2007.

<i>Scribners Magazine</i> American periodical magazine

Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the Scribner's firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly. Charles Scribner's Sons spent over $500,000 setting up the magazine, to compete with the already successful Harper's Monthly and The Atlantic Monthly. Scribner's Magazine was launched in 1887, and was the first of any magazine to introduce color illustrations. The magazine ceased publication in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prentice Hall</span> Former publishing company (1913–2020)

Prentice Hall was a major American educational publisher. It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of the twentieth century. In its last few years it was owned by, then absorbed into, Savvas Learning Company. In the Web era, it distributed its technical titles through the Safari Books Online e-reference service for some years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinemann (publisher)</span> British book publisher

William Heinemann Ltd., with the imprint Heinemann, was a London-based publisher founded in 1890 by William Heinemann. Their first published book, 1890's The Bondman, was a huge success in the United Kingdom and launched the company. He was joined in 1893 by Sydney Pawling. Heinemann died in 1920 and Pawling sold the company to Doubleday, having worked with them in the past to publish their works in the United States. Pawling died in 1922 and new management took over. Doubleday sold his interest in 1933.

Aladdin 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 (1961). Atheneum merged with or was acquired by Scribner's in 1978, then Macmillan in 1984, before the acquisition by Simon & Schuster in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atheneum Books</span> New York City publishing house

Atheneum Books was a New York City publishing house established in 1959 by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr., Simon Michael Bessie and Hiram Haydn. Simon & Schuster has owned Atheneum properties since its acquisition of Macmillan in 1994 and it created Atheneum Books for Young Readers as an imprint for children's books in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Century Company</span> American publishing company

The Century Company was an American publishing company, founded in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Dalgliesh</span> American writer

Alice Dalgliesh was a naturalized American writer and publisher who wrote more than 40 fiction and non-fiction books, mainly for children. She has been called "a pioneer in the field of children's historical fiction". Three of her books were runners-up for the annual Newbery Medal, the partly autobiographical The Silver Pencil, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, and The Courage of Sarah Noble, which was also named to the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list.

Macmillan Inc. was an American book publishing company originally established as the American division of the British Macmillan Publishers. The two were later separated and acquired by other companies, with the remnants of the original American division of Macmillan present in McGraw-Hill Education's Macmillan/McGraw-Hill textbooks, Gale's Macmillan Reference USA division, and some trade imprints of Simon & Schuster that were transferred when both companies were owned by Paramount Communications.

Charles Scribner IV, also known as Charles Scribner Jr., was the head of the Charles Scribner's Sons publishing company. He was a resident of Manhattan for most of his adult life, establishing a residence in the Upper East Side after 1945, when he was twenty-four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Scribner I</span> American publisher (1821–1871)

Charles Scribner I was an American publisher who, with Isaac D. Baker (1819–1850), founded a publishing company that would eventually become Charles Scribner's Sons.

Jean Edna Karl was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books, where she oversaw or edited books that won two Caldecott Medals and five Newbery Medals. One of the Newberys went to the new writer E. L. Konigsburg in 1968 for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

<i>The Secret River</i> (Rawlings book) 1955 childrens book by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

The Secret River is a children's fantasy novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling. Published in 1955, The Secret River received a Newbery Honor Award. The first edition, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Leonard Weisgard, was issued after Rawlings' death. The book was revised and reissued in 2009 with illustrations by Caldecott Medalists Leo and Diane Dillon. The new edition received an international children's book design award in 2012. The Secret River is the only book Rawlings wrote specifically for children. The story of young Calpurnia, who goes on a quest to find a magical river and catch fish for her starving family and friends, it has two themes common in Rawlings' writing, the magic of childhood and the struggle of people to survive in a harsh environment.

References

  1. Mitgang, Herbert (April 26, 1984). "MACMILLAN ACQUIRES SCRIBNER". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  2. Fabrikant, Geraldine (November 11, 1993). "Paramount To Acquire Macmillan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  3. Lyall, Sarah (January 24, 1994). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Paramount Publishing to Cut Jobs and Books". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. Dunleavey, M. P. (June 13, 1994). "Anatomy of a merger". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "S&S Reorganizes Adult Group; Levin to Leave Free Press". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  6. "Scribner | Meet the Team | From Simon & Schuster". www.simonandschusterpublishing.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  7. "Charles Scribner's Sons Lamp Logo - Trademark of GALE GROUP, INC., THE - Registration Number 1212411 - Serial Number 73335981 :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  8. "Macmillan Library Units to Join Gale". PublishersWeekly.com. June 28, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  9. Sisario, Ben (October 23, 2012). "After Consolidation at Simon & Schuster, Top Two at Free Press Are Leaving". Media Decoder Blog. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  10. Harris, Elizabeth (October 30, 2023). "KKR Closes Deal to Buy Simon & Schuster". The New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  11. "Charles Scribner" (PDF). The New York Times . August 28, 1871. Retrieved July 24, 2008. The sad news was received on Saturday evening of the death from fever on that day at Lucerne, Switzerland, of Mr. Charles Scribner, head of the eminent publishing house Charles Scribner & Company...
  12. "Charles Scribner Dies suddenly at 76. Publisher Succumbs to Heart Disease at Home Here. Was at Desk Thursday. Entered Firm as Youth. Directed Business His Father Founded. Fostered Work of American Authors. Firm Founded in 1846. Received Honorary Degree". The New York Times . April 20, 1930. Retrieved July 24, 2008. Charles Scribner, chairman of the Board of Directors of the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons, 597 Fifth Avenue, which was founded by his father, died suddenly at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon of heart ...
  13. Pace, Eric (November 13, 1995). "Charles Scribner Jr., Who Headed Publishing Company, Dies at 74". The New York Times . Retrieved July 24, 2008. Charles Scribner Jr., the longtime head of the Charles Scribner's Sons book publishing company, died on Saturday at the Mary Manning Walsh nursing home on York Avenue in Manhattan. He was 74 and lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for half a century. The cause was pneumonia, and he had suffered for a decade from a degenerative neurological disorder, said his son Charles Scribner 3d.
  14. Bailey, Herbert S. Jr. (1997). "Charles Scribner, Jr. (13 July 1921 – 11 November 1995)". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society . 141 (2). Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 141, No. 2: 233–237. JSTOR   987306.
  15. "Scribner/Simon & Schuster Acquires Majority of Stephen King's Body of Work".

Further reading