Publishing is a tough industry, not just for authors but for publishing companies as well. There are hundreds of publishing companies in the USA. These include the so-called “Big 5” publishers as well independent and trade publishers. The “Big 5” include Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster.
This article will look at the top three of these publishers.
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House was formed in 2013 when Penguin Books and Random House merged. Penguin Random House is considered by some to be the biggest publishing company in the industry and basically the world. They have more than 200 divisions and imprints. It is estimated that they publish more than 15 000 books every year.
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a well-known name all over the world. Their annual revenue may not be quite as high as Penguin Random House, but they are in the Big 5. They have more than 120 individual imprints. They are based in the USA and often publish some of the best releases in a given year.
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster is not as well-known as some of the other Big 5 members, but they definitely deserve their spot. Simon & Schuster has been around since 1924 and published the works of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. More recently, they have published novels by Stephen King and Dan Brown.
Macmillan
Macmillan is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has been around longer than the other five – since 1843. It published the works of Rudyard Kipling and Yeats. Hachette Livre is a French-based company and the best known in Europe. They publish more books per year than Penguin Random House.
Clearly, all of these companies belong in the “Big 5”. These powerhouse publishers are what drives the industry and make book-lovers very happy. So, keep supporting them!