Atria Publishing Group
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Judith Curr |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Libby McGuire (Publisher and Senior Vice President, 2021) |
| Products | Books, e-books, digital content |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Atria Publishing Group operates as a broad-interest publishing division under Simon & Schuster. Initially established in 2002 as Atria Books, it evolved into Atria Publishing Group to unify various imprints including Atria Books, Atria Trade Paperbacks, Atria Books Espanol, Atria Unbound, Washington Square Press, Emily Bestler Books, Atria/Beyond Words, Cash Money Content, Howard Books, Marble Arch Press, Strebor Books, 37 Ink, Keywords Press, and Enliven Books. The group is distinguished for its innovative imprint strategies, collaboration with African-American authors, and ventures into digital and unconventional publishing formats.
As of 2021, Libby McGuire holds the position of Publisher and Senior Vice President at Atria Publishing Group.
Early years
Judith Curr founded Atria Books in 2002. The term "Atria" was selected to symbolize a nurturing environment for growth and creativity. Curr’s vision was to establish a connection between authors and readers while building a fresh enterprise within the longstanding framework of Simon & Schuster. She opted for a name beginning with "A" to secure prominence in alphabetical listings.
In 2005, Simon & Schuster acquired Strebor Books International, notable for its popular fiction by African-American writers such as Zane’s Black Erotica series. Strebor continued operations under Zane’s leadership with an office based in Maryland. Established independently in 1999, Strebor encountered financial difficulties culminating in bankruptcy declared by publisher Kristina Laferne Roberts in 2013.
In 2009, Atria broke new ground by partnering with Vook to merge digital content with traditional publishing. Under Curr’s guidance, the first four Vooks were developed to combine print books with digital enhancements. This initiative resulted in the Atria Smartbook—a physical volume embedded with QR codes linking readers to supplementary material—opening new avenues for interactive marketing.
2010s
Atria Books offers a wide array of fiction and nonfiction titles, including programs dedicated to diverse voices, internet celebrities, and authors who initially self-published successfully. Some editors have personalized imprints named after them; for example, Emily Bestler launched her imprint in 2011.
In 2011, Atria collaborated with Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams—founders of Cash Money Records—to create the Cash Money Content imprint based in Miami. This initiative aimed to leverage music event platforms for book promotion.
By 2012, African-American literature represented 25% of Atria’s catalog of 98 titles under a program led by Vice President and Senior Editor Malaika Adero. Prominent writers associated include Walter Mosley, Farai Chideya, Blair Underwood, and Vickie Stringer. Strebor Books, founded by Zane in 1999, also operates within Atria. Additionally, Atria Books Espanol serves Hispanic audiences through publications in both English and Spanish.
That same year saw Simon & Schuster restructure its adult imprints into four groups; the Nashville-based religious imprint Howard was assigned to Atria Publishing. Furthermore, Atria joined forces with UK publisher Short Books to launch Marble Arch Press, introducing international authors to American readers.
In 2013, the group introduced 37 INK to spotlight diverse writers and amplify African-American voices. The following year brought Keywords Press into existence to publish works by internet influencers like Shay Butler (ShayCarl), Shane Dawson, Justine Ezarik (iJustine), Connor Franta, and Joey Graceffa through an agreement with United Talent Agency (UTA). Many titles were developed with fan participation via crowdsourcing. The New York Times highlighted this as a calculated effort by traditional media outlets to promote YouTube personalities to wider audiences.
Atria showcased strong reader engagement in 2014 when fans of romance author Colleen Hoover successfully campaigned through social media (#FindingCinderella) for the publisher to release a free e-novella in print format.
The company actively scouts successful self-published authors; in 2013 alone it acquired eighteen books from eight different writers. These works are carefully edited before being reissued as e-books and paperbacks with an emphasis on emotional resonance found through online reviews during talent identification.
In 2015, Atria debuted Crave (ThisIsCrave.com), a subscription platform delivering daily audio episodes of romance stories. That year also saw the launch of Enliven Books—a spirituality and wellness imprint headed by author and tea entrepreneur Zhena Muzyka from Ojai, California. The imprint’s name embodies Muzyka’s mission to inspire and enrich lives through its releases.
Imprints
- 37 INK, dedicated to publishing African-American and multicultural authors
- Atria Books, a general-interest publishing division
- Atria Español, producing Spanish-language titles for U.S. Hispanic audiences
- Atria Trade Paperbacks, specializing in general trade paperback releases
- Atria Unbound, offering digital editions of Atria's catalog
- Beyond Words, a collaborative effort with Atria Books focusing on mind-body-spirit genres, including The Secret
- Cash Money Content, a joint venture with Cash Money Records
- Emily Bestler Books, publishing both fiction and nonfiction works
- Enliven Books, concentrating on Spirituality and Wellness literature
- Howard Books, a publisher of Christian-themed books
- Keywords Press, featuring works by online influencers
- Marble Arch Press, a co-publishing partnership with UK-based Short Books
- One Signal Publishers, specializing in nonfiction titles
- Simon Element, dedicated to books on cooking, health and wellness, finance, and personal growth
- Skybound Books, a co-publishing collaboration with Skybound Entertainment
- Strebor Books, focusing on African-American narratives and Black Erotica
- Washington Square Press, founded in 1959 as part of Pocketbooks; publishes both classic and modern fiction paperbacks
Notable authors
Prominent writers associated with Atria Books include: