Major Publishing Companies
Most of the world's major publishing companies started off independent and either collected other publishing houses as they went along or were themselves collected. Some of the absorbed companies live on as subsidiaries and imprints; others are completely absorbed. London and New York are the major hearts of a publishing industry that is dominated by a handful of huge enterprises.
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Random House
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The largest English-language trade book publisher in the world is Random House, Inc., owned since 1998 by German media company Bertelsmann. Christopher Coombes, Donald Klopfer and Bennett Cerf founded the company in 1927. On a biography on Colombia University website, Cerf is quoted as saying Random House aimed "to "publish a few books on the side at random---hence the name."
Over the years, Random House has merged with or absorbed Ballantine, Doubleday and Bantam. Its imprints include Del Ray Manga and Crown Publishing Group. Random House has publishing companies spread over 19 different countries. According to its 2008 annual report, it did EUR 1,721 million in sales, approximately $2.5 billion.
Penguin Group
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Allen Lane established London-based Penguin Books in 1935 in London. Lane wanted cheap paperback books to be readily available to readers, and to that end he started selling quality books at sixpence apiece. Puffin Books for children launched in 1940, followed by Penguin Classics in 1946.
After Lane died in 1970, Pearson Longman acquired Penguin, which is now the world's second largest trade book publisher. In 1996, Penguin merged with Putnam Berkley to form Penguin Putnam Inc., renamed in 2003 to Penguin Group.
Penguin Group's imprints and acquisitions include Rough Guides, Viking and Ladybird books (a series of mostly education hardback books for children). According to its 2008 annual report, it did GBP 983 million in sales, or $1.6 billion.
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HarperCollins
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HarperCollins Publishers is a New York publisher and subsidiary of News Corporation. James and John Harper, brothers, founded J&J Harper in 1817, later changing to Harper & Brothers. William Collins & Sons was founded in 1819.
News Corporation acquired the Harper side 1987 and the Collins side three years later. According to HarperCollins' 2008 annual report, its book publishing revenues were $1.347 billion. Imprints include Avon, HarperTeen and Voyager.
Simon & Schuster
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Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster founded Simon & Schuster in 1924. The company is now owned by CBS after a series of acquisitions and splits that began with Gulf+Western's acquisition of the publishing company in 1975.
Among its imprints are Scribner, Touchstone and Pocket Books. Simon & Schuster releases around 2,000 books each year into 100 different countries. In 2008, its sales were $858 million.
Others
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The Hachette Book Group, subsidiary of Lagadère, is the second largest publisher in the world. It acquired Time Warner Book Group in 2006 to form Hachette Book Group, which includes Little, Brown and Company, founded in 1837.
Other major publishing companies include Scottish-founded Macmillan; academic publishers John Wiley & Sons and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; Thomas Nelson, Inc.; and the rare independent firm, W.W. Norton & Company.
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