Poisoned Pen Press
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Book publishing |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Barbara G. Peters, Robert Rosenwald, Susan Malling |
| Headquarters | Scottsdale, Arizona , United States |
| Products | Mystery fiction books, including hardcover titles, large print editions, and trade paperback reprints |
| Parent | Sourcebooks (since 2018) |
Poisoned Pen Press operates out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and is dedicated to publishing mystery fiction. Each year, it issues around thirty-six new hardcover mystery titles, complemented by large print versions and between thirty to forty trade paperback reprints of earlier publications.
History
Established in 1997 by Barbara G. Peters, Robert Rosenwald, and Susan Malling, Poisoned Pen Press was born from Peters' involvement with Scottsdale's 'The Poisoned Pen, A Mystery Bookstore.' The founders sought to maintain cultural diversity in the face of industry consolidation that posed challenges to independent booksellers.
The company initially concentrated on reissuing out-of-print works but soon transitioned to producing original content. This shift led to two nominations for the Edgar Award (in 1998 and 2000) and garnered favorable critiques in both trade journals and mainstream media.
In 2018, Poisoned Pen Press was purchased by Sourcebooks, becoming its specialized imprint for mystery titles.
The Poisoned Pencil
In 2012, Poisoned Pen Press introduced The Poisoned Pencil imprint aimed at young adult mystery novels, with Ellen Larson appointed as editor. The imprint’s inaugural book, Death Spiral by Janie Chodosh, was released in April 2014. After the acquisition by Sourcebooks in 2018, The Poisoned Pencil was merged into Sourcebooks’ young adult division, Sourcebooks Fire.
Awards and recognition
At the 2008 Bouchercon Crime and Mystery convention, Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for their significant influence on publishing. Subsequently, on April 29, 2010, they received the Ellery Queen Award at the Mystery Writers of America's 64th Edgar Awards ceremony, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to the mystery publishing field.
Notable authors
Poisoned Pen Press has published distinguished writers such as:
- James Anderson
- Robert Barnard
- Claudia Bishop
- Kate Charles
- Ruth Dudley Edwards
- Martin Edwards
- Sulari Gentill
- Kerry Greenwood
- Steven F. Havill
- Libby Fischer Hellmann
- H.R.F. Keating
- Laurie R. King
- Ken Kuhlken
- Edward Marston
- Peter May
- Val McDermid
- Keith Miles
- Susan Moody
- Paul Moorcraft
- Michael Norman
- Barbara G. Peters
- Frederick Ramsay
- James Sallis
- Rick Shefchik
- David Waltner-Toews
- Betty Webb
- Joseph Jefferson Farjeon
- Freida McFadden