G. P. Putnam's Sons
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Book publishing |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Founder | George Palmer Putnam, John Wiley |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Parent | Penguin Random House |
G. P. Putnam's Sons is a United States-based book publisher with its main office located in New York City. Since 1996, it has functioned as an imprint under the Penguin Group umbrella.
History
The firm traces its beginnings back to 1838 when it was established as Wiley & Putnam by George Palmer Putnam and John Wiley. In 1841, Putnam pioneered the establishment of an American publisher’s branch in London, marking a first in the industry. Following the dissolution of their partnership in 1848, Putnam launched G. Putnam Broadway, which specialized in a variety of publications including illustrated works. Meanwhile, Wiley continued independently under the name John Wiley & Sons.
Upon George Palmer Putnam’s passing in 1872, his sons George, John, and Irving took over operations and rebranded the company as G. P. Putnam's Sons. George H. Putnam served as president for more than five decades. The firm inaugurated its own printing facility in 1874, later known as the Knickerbocker Press, which was relocated to New Rochelle, New York, in 1889.
After the death of George H. Putnam in 1930, the company merged with its principal shareholder Minton, Balch & Co., appointing Melville Minton as president until 1956. The company expanded through acquisitions such as Coward-McCann in 1936 and Berkley Books in 1965.
In 1975, MCA purchased both Putnam and Berkley. Phyllis E. Grann joined as editor-in-chief in 1976 and implemented a strategic focus on prominent authors that increased annual revenue from $10 million to more than $100 million by 1983. As CEO starting in 1987—the first woman to helm a major publishing firm—Grann oversaw revenue growth to $200 million by 1993. The company embraced a discounted hardcover sales approach to broaden its presence within bookstore chains.
Putnam also broadened its portfolio by acquiring children’s publisher Grosset & Dunlap and Playboy Enterprises’ book division in 1982.
The ownership landscape changed during the 1990s: MCA was acquired by Matsushita Electric in 1990; subsequently, Seagram took over MCA and rebranded it as Universal Studios. With new management lacking interest in publishing ventures, Grann orchestrated a merger between Putnam and Penguin Group (a Pearson PLC subsidiary) in 1996, resulting in Penguin Putnam Inc. Grann departed the company in 2001 amid internal leadership conflicts.
In 2013, Penguin combined forces with Bertelsmann's Random House to create Penguin Random House, within which G. P. Putnam's Sons remains an important imprint.
Authors
- Ace Atkins
- A. Scott Berg
- C. J. Box
- Eleanor Brown
- Tom Clancy
- Robin Cook
- James Fenimore Cooper
- Patricia Cornwell
- Clive Cussler
- Frederick Forsyth
- Sue Grafton
- Robert A. Heinlein
- Frank Herbert
- Jack Higgins
- Washington Irving
- David Joy
- Charles Lindbergh
- Herman Melville
- Vladimir Nabokov
- Delia Owens
- Frederick Law Olmsted
- Robert B. Parker
- Francis Parkman
- Neil Pasricha
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Mario Puzo
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Christine Sadler
- John Sandford
- Renée Ahdieh
Former book series
- Arabesque Series
- Ariel Booklets
- Capricorn Giants
- English Life Series
- Everyday Life Series
- Golden Hind Series
- Here is Your Hobby
- Heroes of the Nations
- Lives to Remember
- New Perspectives on Black America
- Putnam Documentary History Series
Previous imprints
- Capricorn Books, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Related topics
External resources
- Articles with short description
- Book publishing firms headquartered in New York (state)
- G. P. Putnam's Sons publications
- History of New Rochelle, New York
- American enterprises founded in 1838
- Publishing houses founded in 1838
- 1838 establishments in New York (state)
- American companies established in 1838
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment