Trade visitor check-in at BookExpo in its usual physical rendition at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Image: ReedPop
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Jonathan Karp Named Simon & Schuster CEO
As we look at the final day (May 29) of BookExpo’s digital offerings in lieu of the physical trade show it had planned for this week, we note that a major pillar of the American industry, Simon & Schuster, now is to be helmed by Jonathan Karp.
Jonathan Karp
Karp succeeds the late Carolyn Reidy, whose death, reportedly of a heart attack, came as a shock to the industry on May 12. ViacomCBS, the parent company of Simon & Schuster, on Thursday (May 28) named Karp president and CEO of the publishing house, in charge of all domestic and international operations.
As such, he’s being promoted to lead one of the world’s Big Five houses at what may well become a tumultuous time in its history. Not only is the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic a continuing crisis for every publishing house and its workforce, of course, but as Publishing Perspectives readers will remember, Reidy had announced in early March that ViacomCBS’ Bob Bakish was “beginning the process by which ViacomCBS will potentially sell Simon & Schuster” and the industry awaits developments in the search for a buyer.
In announcing Karp’s new role, Bakish said, in part, “Jon embodies the values that Carolyn instilled at Simon & Schuster, and he is well-suited to guide the continued growth and evolution of this incredible global brand.
“Jon was a key member of the leadership team that consistently delivered strong results for Simon & Schuster, while expanding its readership across genres and formats. He is a highly skilled executive who is deeply committed to the collaborative process of publishing, and will no doubt build upon a storied legacy of success.”
In Karp’s statement to the media, he said, “For 96 years, Simon & Schuster has been the gold standard for publishing books that satisfy and illuminate readers, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to inherit this great legacy.
“We will continue to build on the strong foundation that Carolyn Reidy and the leadership team have in place to publish books we believe in and love.”
Karp has been with the company for just under 10 years, having joined in June of 2010 from his work as publisher and editor-in-chief with Hachette’s influential Twelve imprint. Karp began his career in the 1980s as a writer for the Washington Post and went on to work as a reporter with the Providence Journal and the Miami Herald prior to turning to publishing.
Friday May 29: BookExpo Online Schedule
A session at BookExpo in its usual physical rendition at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Image: ReedPop
And as we turn to today’s other key US industry event—the conclusion of the digital trade sessions from BookExpo in New York City—a reminder that the fan-driven BookCon event, renamed BookConline, takes over on Saturday and Sunday, mirroring its normal public-facing weekend iteration after the industry show plays through.
The United States’ coronavirus COVID-19 numbers continue to lead all other markets, of course. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center in its 2:32 a.m. ET update (0632 GMT), there are 1,721,750 confirmed cases of the infection in the States, and 101,617 deaths. The Worldometers metrics, a source used by Johns Hopkins, already reports 103,344 deaths and a caseload of 1,768,608 infections.
To view BookExpo’s events from ReedPop, see the company’s Facebook page here. The week’s schedule of events is here.
10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT): BookExpo Adult Editor’s Buzz
12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT): BookExpo Young Adult Editor’s Buzz
1 p.m. ET (1700 GMT): Book Club Titles for Fall/Winter 2020: Speed Dating For Booksellers, Librarians & Book Group Leaders
2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT): BookExpo Middle Grade Editor’s Buzz
4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT): New Picture Book Showcase
- Jorma Taccone
- Dan Santat
- T.L. McBeth
- Arthur Levine
- Nina Mata
- Matt Phelan
- Jessica Love
- Moderator: Sarah Enni, First Draft Podcast
5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT): New Graphic Novels Showcase
More from Publishing Perspectives on BookExpo is here, more from us on Simon & Schuster is here, and more from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here and at the CORONAVIRUS tab at the top of each page of our site.