Threshold Editions
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Book publishing |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Mary Matalin |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster (subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) |
Threshold Editions operates as a specialized imprint under the book publishing company Simon & Schuster, itself a subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, focusing primarily on conservative-themed non-fiction. The imprint was established by Mary Matalin, who served as its inaugural editor-in-chief, alongside Louise Burke, who held the position of publisher until 2017.
History
The creation of Threshold Editions aimed to "offer a platform for the visionary individuals, foundational principles, and groundbreaking concepts within modern conservatism." This imprint emerged following the introduction of comparable conservative imprints at Penguin and Random House. Within just four years, utilizing Matalin's extensive connections, Threshold Editions published bestselling works from prominent figures such as Glenn Beck, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove.
Publisher Louise Burke highlighted that a profound comprehension of the conservative readership was instrumental to Threshold’s achievements. Both Burke and Matalin were united by a dedication to the imprint’s ideological stance, which they considered vital for thriving in this market segment.
In 2007, Glenn Beck’s An Inconvenient Book attained the No.1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. That same year, Karl Rove secured a lucrative seven-figure contract for his memoirs, Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight, following a competitive bidding process that included other divisions within Simon & Schuster.
Although Simon & Schuster experienced a general downturn in hardcover sales during 2009–2010, Threshold Editions continued to perform robustly with several major successes. By 2014, the imprint had broadened its offerings beyond political memoirs and commentary to encompass young adult and fiction works, including titles like Rush Limbaugh's Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims.
In 2015, Threshold Editions finalized an agreement with Donald Trump for his book Great Again: How to Fix Crippled America, which debuted at number five on Publishers Weekly’’'s Frontlist Hardcover Nonfiction chart.
Towards the end of 2016, Threshold negotiated a $250,000 advance for controversial author Milo Yiannopoulos’s book Dangerous. The announcement swiftly propelled the title to the top position on Amazon’s bestseller rankings amid widespread media coverage. However, due to backlash concerning Yiannopoulos's previous statements, Simon & Schuster withdrew publication plans in early 2017. Subsequently, Yiannopoulos abandoned his breach-of-contract lawsuit against the publisher.
Authors
Prominent writers released through this imprint include:
- Broadcasters
- Political leaders
- Political commentators
- Dinesh D'Souza
- Tom Fitton
- Pete Hegseth
- David Limbaugh
- Michelle Malkin
- Jason Mattera
- Oliver North
- James O'Keefe
- Katie Pavlich
- Ben Shapiro
- Michael Knowles
See also
- Regnery, influential in shaping conservative non-fiction imprints at major publishing houses
- Broadside Books, a rival imprint under HarperCollins
- Center Street, competitor imprint within the Hachette Book Group
- Crown Forum, competing imprint from Crown Publishing Group, part of Random House
- Sentinel, another competing imprint owned by Penguin Group