MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
May 16 – May 22, 2011 Edition Simon & Schuster to Launch India Publisher
NEW YORK, LONDON and NEW DELHI/AUTHORLINK NEWS/May 19, 2011As part of its strategic focus on bringing the works of its authors to the widest possible global audience, Simon & Schuster, Inc. today announced the establishment of Simon & Schuster India (S&SI), a New Delhi-based sales, marketing and publishing company. The announcement was made by Carolyn Reidy, President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and Ian Chapman, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Simon & Schuster U.K., with Mr. Chapman assuming overall responsibility for Simon & Schuster Indias operations.
This new business makes clear our commitment to both the Indian marketplace and global publishing said Carolyn Reidy. India is a rapidly developing market for English language books, with a growing retail bookstore presence, and a deep-seated culture that prizes books and literacy, and we are very excited to bring more of our authors books to Indias expanding audience of English readers.
Simon & Schuster Indias New Delhi office and team of regional sales managers will be under the supervision of Rahul Srivastava, Director of Sales and Marketing, and who had previously served as the companys exclusive sales agent on the subcontinent. Management oversight and infrastructure support for S&SI will be provided by Simon & Schuster UK, with Mr. Srivastava reporting to Executive Director Kerr MacRae for day-to-day business operations. HarperCollins India will handle fulfillment and distribution, with operations expected to commence August 1.
We are delighted to be part of this important expansion of Simon & Schusters worldwide publishing efforts, said Ian Chapman, Managing Director of Simon & Schuster U.K. Our lists match up well with many of the strongest categories in the Indian marketplace, and we look forward to working with Rahul, his team, HarperCollins, and most importantly our new customers in the Indian bookselling community to grow both sales and awareness for our authors and distribution clients.
As part of its localized publishing and marketing strategy, S&SI will offer titles from Simon & Schusters many worldwide imprints and divisions, including distribution client titles. Books will be rupee-priced and selected and formatted specifically for the Indian marketplace. Inventory for titles published and distributed in India will come primarily via Simon & Schuster U.K., with reprints handled locally.
HarperCollins India is delighted to welcome Simon & Schuster India. We look forward to working closely with them to expand their business and providing them with high-quality distribution to our customers in the Indian Sub-Continent, said P.M. Sukumar, Chief Executive Officer, HarperCollins Publishers India Ltd.
Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com