The Big Five Publishers

In publishing, "The Big Five" refers to five large presses that dominate the publishing industry in the United States of America and beyond. They are Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Hachette.

Simon and Schuster (History)

Simon and Schuster was third in size as of 2023, and publish about 2,000 titles annually. Founded in 1924, Simon and Schuster originally published puzzle books like crosswords, and the company is credited with publishing the first ever ebook- Stephen King's Riding the Bullet. As of 2023, the company is no longer a part of any other group and stands as an independent publishing group.

Notable Imprints:

• Howard Books
• Scribner
• Emily Bestler Books
• Folger Shakespeare Library
• Aladdin
• Touchstone

Macmillan (History)

Founded in 1843, Macmillan is a UK company that places a heavy importance on education and publishes nearly any kind of book there is, including works of poetry. In the early years of the company, they published works by Lewis Carroll, Christina Rossetti, and Lord Alfred Tennyson. It's a smaller press, but it has over ten imprints and many offices worldwide.

Notable Imprints:

• Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
• Picador
• St. Martin's Press
• Minotaur Books
• Tor/Forge

References

“Corporate History | Simon & Schuster.” Simon & Schuster, 2023, www.simonandschuster.biz/p/corporate-history/.

Grace. “The Big Five Publishers and Their Imprints.” 9th Street Books, 23 Nov. 2022, www.9thstreetbooks.com/big-five-publishers-and-imprints/#2-macmillan.