DAW Books

DAW Books
Company type	Private
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1971
Founder	Donald A. Wollheim and Elsie B. Wollheim
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Betsy Wollheim, Sheila E. Gilbert
Products	Science fiction and fantasy books
Parent	Astra Publishing House (since 2022)

DAW Books is a United States-based publisher specializing in science fiction and fantasy, established in 1971 by Donald A. Wollheim and his spouse, Elsie B. Wollheim, following Donald's exit from Ace Books. The company claims the distinction of being the first to focus solely on science fiction and fantasy genres. Its debut release was the 1972 anthology Spell of the Witch World authored by Andre Norton.

Overview

Guided by the Wollheims, DAW gained recognition for producing widely-read science fiction and fantasy titles, primarily emphasizing paperback originals. During the 1970s, it published works from acclaimed authors including Marion Zimmer Bradley, Fritz Leiber, Jerry Pournelle, and Roger Zelazny. In 1982, Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh earned DAW its first Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Up until June 1984, DAW editions were identified by their unique yellow spines and a yellow cover panel featuring the company logo alongside a sequential publication number; this numbering was subsequently relocated to the copyright page as the DAW Collectors' Book Number.

DAW operates with distribution support from Penguin Group and was based within Penguin USA’s New York offices. Although editorially autonomous, ownership remained closely held by publishers Betsy Wollheim (daughter of Donald) and Sheila E. Gilbert until the company's acquisition.

In July 2022, ownership changed hands when Astra Publishing House acquired DAW, marking an important shift while preserving its dedication to science fiction and fantasy literature.

Partial list of authors

External links