Simon and Schuster edit
Large traditional publishers still rule the market. This can be either good or bad depending on how you look at it.
On the upside: Think of the publisher as a team of persons pushing you uphill as you sit in a cart. Larger publishing enterprises means more people behind your cart pushing and thus getting to the top of the hill more quickly. A smaller traditional publisher means that fewer persons are pushing your cart making the climb much slower.
On the downside: When you finally get to the top of the hill it is much harder to get back control of your cart from the larger publisher (which had many persons pushing it) than it is from the smaller publisher (with fewer persons pushing it).
At any rate, of the larger publishers none outshines the quality, credibility, and scope of Simon and Schuster.
Simon & Schuster was founded in April 1924 when Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster pooled their resources and published Simon & Schuster's first book, The Cross Word Puzzle Book, capitalizing on the crossword craze of the time and packaged with a pencil to aid readers in solving the puzzles. What was a revolutionary idea at the time went on to become a runaway bestseller and by October, S&S had published four additional crossword puzzle collections, and a modern publishing company was launched.
In its early years, S&S achieved commercial success from such groundbreaking mega-sellers as Will and Ariel Duran's The Story of Philosophy and Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Over the years, the name Simon & Schuster has also grown to signify the much larger publishing enterprise of Simon & Schuster, Inc, but the Simon & Schuster trade imprint has remained as a cornerstone to the business and one of the most venerated brand names in the world.
I have directed many authors to Simon and Schuster. Some have become great authors. If you have a good manuscript, consider the best. You deserve no less.
The other side of the coin - Thoughts on the future of publishing edit
Clockel of IBT believes current publishing trends toward greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness will, of course, accelerate. At present, he says, "IBT-manufactured books can be less expensive at quantities up to 750 copies than conventional offset printing. And, in the years to come, bigger and faster digital webs will allow digital printers to be competitive in quantities up to 2,000 units. "On the back end," he continues, "computerized binding lines that allow for quick, automatic makereadies will further the competitiveness of this process." Responding for LSI, Hall adds that overseas publishers are poised to jump in with POD services soon. "There's a clear readiness and willingness internationally, particularly in the U.K. Companies like LSI need to make the most of this burgeoning marketplace by establishing a clear and dynamic presence abroad and examining customer needs."
As summarized by Susan Frost of Replica Books, "Print-on-demand is making publishers and authors rethink their printing/publishing strategies. From rights management to production, from inventory to shipping, POD is making a major impact in the publishing world." Of all the new technologies that promise to revolutionize publishing, POD offers publishers the best bridge between the production methods of tomorrow and the markets of today. POD books combine many of the economic advantages of e-books, CD-ROMs, etc. while producing "real" books that hold appeal for millions of readers worldwide, using established distribution channels. Just keep one thing in mind - if you are not savvy, you may end up pushing your own cart uphill (See Simon and Schuster above).