Publishing Companies

The book publishing industry is a notoriously complex beast to wrap your head around, especially if you’re an aspiring author looking to get your debut on the shelves through a traditional publishing deal.

The industry has seen a lot of change over the past 25 years. Major mergers and acquisitions have led to the establishment of the ‘Big Five’—Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan—who dominate the book publishing market.

The way we read and buy books has evolved too, with the rising demand for ebooks and audiobooks driving a digital publishing boom.

Amazon has not only become the leading book retailer, but has also played a huge part in the advent (and rapid expansion) of self-publishing.

Communities like BookTok and Goodreads have grown into major channels for readers to discover, review, and recommend new books.

Traditional publishing vs self-publishing

Traditional publishing remains the goal for many authors, and for good reason. A book deal can propel a writing career. Of course, that’s not to say that self-published authors can’t be successful; Andy Weir’s The Martian was originally serialized on Weir’s blog before he released a version for Amazon Kindle, the success of which caught the attention of traditional publishers and ultimately led to a blockbuster movie adaptation.

However, a traditional publishing company offers the key connections and resources to get a book to a wide audience, encompassing everything from high-quality editing, proofing, and design to publicity and distribution as part of the publishing process. 

Here at The Novelry, our writing coaches and in-house editorial team know firsthand what it’s like to work with—and at—publishing companies, so we’re well-placed to help you understand the world of traditional publishing.

In this blog, we take a closer look at what a traditional publisher does, who the Big Five are, and some notable independent publishing companies to have on your radar.

What is a publishing company?

The way publishing companies, particularly larger ones, are structured can be confusing. A publishing company might have a number of divisions.

Take Simon & Schuster, for example, which has adult publishing, children’s publishing, audio publishing, and various international divisions.

Within these divisions, there will be different ‘imprints’—the trade names under which novels are published.

An independent publishing company might only have a handful of imprints, and perhaps only one or two at a small press, while a Big Five publisher like Penguin Random House has well over 300!

Imprints at book publishing companies

Each imprint will have its own team looking to acquire books that align with its specialty, whether that’s focused on audience (e.g., children’s literature imprints like HarperCollins’s Clarion Books), format (e.g., paperback-specific imprints) or a particular genre focus (e.g., romance, fantasy or crime).

Before joining The Novelry’s editorial team, Sadé Omeje edited and acquired manuscripts at two imprints of HarperCollins simultaneously: 4th Estate and William Collins.

Working at 4th Estate was great because it was like working for an independent publisher with the backing of a Big Five. It was founded in 1984 and felt just as innovative, with their focus on ‘books for the independent reader,’ as I imagined it would have decades ago.

On the other hand, working across William Collins, who’d been publishing books for over 200 years, brought a breadth of perspective to my ideas surrounding books. Books that aimed to make sense of the world ‘because ideas matter.’ For me, though imprints can often be part of a much larger cog, it’s their promise to readers and culture as a whole that makes them distinct. The books that come through an imprint are only as good as the values of the imprint itself.
—Sadé Omeje

It’s worth noting that traditional publishing companies very rarely accept direct submissions, so getting your manuscript to the decision-makers usually requires a literary agent.

Literary agents know what their contacts at various publishing companies are looking for and how to pitch a book to maximize its chances of acquisition. They’ll also guide an author through the publishing process, facilitating conversations, negotiating deals, and protecting a writer’s interests throughout their career.

The Big Five publishing companies

A whopping 80 per cent of the U.S. trade market for books comes from the Big Five, making them the largest and most influential publishing companies in the world.

These mammoth publishing houses are made up of different publishing divisions, and among them operate hundreds of imprints.

Some imprints started as small presses that merged over time, becoming larger groups until they were brought under one of the Big Five. Other imprints might be independent publishers that have been acquired, or newly created to cater to a specific area of the book publishing market.

1. Penguin Random House

The Big Five used to be the Big Six until the merger of Penguin and Random House in 2013, combining a rich history dating back to the early twentieth century.

This global publishing titan is the largest of the Big Five and brings around 70,000 digital and 15,000 print titles to readers each year.

Imprints at Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House has a diverse publishing portfolio across more than 300 editorially distinct imprints, spanning the breadth of adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction. The Doubleday imprint, for example, is home to titles from Kate Atkinson, Percival Everett and John Grisham; Pamela Dorman Books focuses on fiction, particularly well-written and accessible debuts; and Del Rey is a leading publisher of sci-fi and fantasy from the likes of Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Saara El-Arifi and Cassandra Clare.

Penguin Random House also counts Puffin Books, one of the U.S.’s most prestigious children’s paperback publishers, among its imprints.

2. HarperCollins

Today, HarperCollins is the second largest book publisher in the world and a subsidiary of media mega-brand News Corporation, but its storied history has roots in a family-run print shop founded in 1817.

Formed by the merger of William Collins, Sons and Harper & Row in 1989, HarperCollins is now home to more than 120 imprints publishing 10,000 new books each year.

Imprints at HarperCollins

In 2014, the company made a notable acquisition when it bought international women’s fiction and narrative non-fiction publisher Harlequin.

HarperCollins imprints publish prize-winners and bestsellers across a range of genres—from Barbara Kingsolver, Heather Morris and Ann Patchett at Harper Books, to R.F. Kuang, Lucy Foley and Patricia Cornwell at William Morrow.

In 2010, HarperCollins acquired the Avon Books imprint, one of the leading publishers of romance in the U.S., which counts Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series among its titles.

3. Simon and Schuster

Founded in New York in 1942, Simon & Schuster releases some 2,000 titles each year across its 35 imprints.

It’s a publishing powerhouse, with its titles frequently making the New York Times bestseller list (more than 200 times, in fact, in 2021!) and winning major literary accolades, including National Book Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Caldecott Medal for children’s publishing.

Imprints at Simon and Schuster

Notable imprints include Atria Books, home to bestselling commercial and literary fiction titles from the likes of Fredrik Backman and Lisa Jewell; Scribner, which publishes Stephen King, Colm Tóibín and Anthony Doerr; Gallery Books, where you’ll find Ruth Ware; and the major children’s publishing imprints Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Atheneum, and Aladdin.

4. Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group is the U.S. division of Hachette Livre, the second largest trade and educational publisher in the world.

Imprints at Hachette

Hachette Book Group has 24 imprints, publishing around 2,100 adult books and 500 books for young readers each year. These range from market-leading science fiction and fantasy under the Orbit imprint to literary fiction and non-fiction at Algonquin, and commercial bestsellers from the likes of Patricia Cornwell and James Patterson at Grand Central Publishing.

It also produces some 750 audiobook titles each year.

5. Macmillan Publishers

Macmillan Publishers has been bringing books to readers since 1843.

Imprints at Macmillan

In the U.S. it has eight divisions that operate a range of notable imprints, including Farrar, Straus and Giroux (literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry), Picador (literary paperback fiction), Minotaur Books (a leading publisher of crime fiction), St. Martin’s Press (commercial and upmarket fiction and non-fiction), Tor Books (science fiction and fantasy), and a number of imprints under the Macmillan Children’s Book Group.

Macmillan’s authors include award-winners Richard Powers, Jonathan Franzen and Paul Beatty, and New York Times bestsellers V.E. Schwab, Tomi Adeyemi and T.J. Klune.

Independent publishing companies

An independent publishing company is one that doesn’t operate under the umbrella of the Big Five.

As our writing coach Gina Sorell discusses in this blog, some authors prefer an independent publishing company because they feel it’s a better fit for their book.

Indies are known for being more receptive to niche, literary, or experimental works. But many do also publish genre fiction—as you can see from the list below—so they can be a great choice for authors seeking a traditional book deal outside of the Big Five.

1. Europa Editions

Since 2005, Europa Editions has been an independent publisher of a varied catalog of fiction.

Authors at Europa Editions

Based in New York, Europa Editions publishes around 35 titles a year, counting New York Times bestsellers and Booker Prize winners among its authors.

This includes Elena Ferrante, whose literary fiction novel My Brilliant Friend was named the Best Book of the 21st Century by The New York Times.

Europa Editions also publishes international crime fiction and mystery under the World Noir imprint and non-fiction under Europa Compass.

2. Soho Press

Founded in 1986 and based in Manhattan, this independent publishing company brings around 80–100 titles to readers each year across its three distinct imprints.

Authors at Soho Press

The Soho Press imprint is dedicated to literary fiction and the occasional memoir, while Soho Crime has published the likes of Mick Herron and James Sallis.

Soho Teen, launched in 2013, is the publishing company’s YA imprint, bringing novels of adolescent identity and self-discovery to younger readers.

3. Kensington Publishing Corp.

This family-owned, New York-based publishing company was founded in 1974 and releases more than 300 titles each year.

Authors at Kensington Publishing Corp.

On the fiction side, Kensington runs the gamut of genres, publishing thrillers, romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, sci-fi and speculative fiction across its many imprints.

Kensington is home to numerous New York Times bestselling authors, including Fern Michaels, Mary Monroe and Lisa Jackson.

4. Grove Atlantic

Grove Atlantic was formed in 1993 by the merger of Grove Press and Atlantic Monthly Press and publishes literary fiction and non-fiction.

Authors at Grove Atlantic

Across its imprints, Grove Atlantic is home to an impressive roster of acclaimed authors, including Booker Prize winners Kiran Desai and Anne Enright, and has published bestselling novels such as Lily King’s Euphoria and Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sympathizer.

Although primarily based in New York, in 2010 it founded a London-based imprint, Grove Press UK.

5. Bloomsbury Publishing

Bloomsbury is a leading global independent publishing house, with offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney.

Authors at Bloomsbury

It’s best known for publishing J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

Across its many imprints, Bloomsbury is home to a host of authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and publishes fiction from the likes of Alan Moore, Sarah J. Maas, Natasha Pulley and Laura Purcell.

Vanity publishers: a word to the wise

You might have heard of ‘vanity publishers’ or ‘vanity presses’—but what are they?

Vanity publishers are companies that will publish a novel for a hefty contribution from the author, while promising the same service and experience as a traditional publishing company.

In reality, they operate very differently.

Costs of vanity publishing houses

Traditional publishing companies will never ask you to pay to be published. They cover the costs of getting your book into readers’ hands—from production to distribution and promotion—and recoup these costs from book sales.

Ensuring your novel does well is key, so traditional publishing companies will leverage their networks of booksellers, readers, and influencers to give a book the largest platform they can, and the best shot of success.

Vanity publishers, however, make their income from authors paying them to produce the physical book. They’re not particularly invested in ensuring a book sells well—or at all.

Vanity publishing tends to be of lower quality

The books a vanity publisher produces also tend to be lower in quality, and many booksellers won’t stock their titles.

So before you sign away the very precious rights to your story—and pay for the privilege—make sure you do your research!

Check out independent reviews from other authors who have worked with a company. If it seems like they’re a vanity publisher: avoid!

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