Random House Logo

Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. It was founded in 1927 by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, two years after they had acquired the Modern Library imprint. Cerf is quoted as saying, "We just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random," which suggested the name Random House. Bertelsmann acquired it amid controversy in 1998. ^[1]. With many publishing divisions, dozens of imprints, it is "the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher", according to the company web site. It publishes books in hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, and as audio books, as well as in electronic and digital forms.^[2] Image File history File links Random_house. ... Image File history File links Random_house. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Bertelsmann AG is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Bennett Cerf on Whats My Line?, 1962 Bennett Alfred Cerf (May 25, 1898 - August 27, 1971) was a publisher and co-founder of Random House, also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In the publishing industry, an imprint is a brand name under which a work is published. ... A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ... A trade paperback can refer to any book that is bound with a heavy paper cover that is generally cheaper than the hardcover but more expensive than the regular paperback version. ... Categories: Stub | Books ... Cassette recording of Patrick OBrians The Mauritius Command An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. ...

The publisher's main U.S. office is located at 1745 Broadway in Manhattan, in a 684-foot tower completed in 2003 and spanning the entire west side of the block between West 55th Street and west 56th. Its lobby showcases floor-to-ceiling glassed-in bookcases filled with books published by the company's many imprints. A view of Broadway in 1909 Broadway, as the name implies, is a wide avenue in New York City, and is the oldest north-south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to the first New Amsterdam settlement. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ...

Divisions and imprints

Bantam Dell

The Bantam Dell group includes Bantam Books, founded in 1945, and Dell Publishing, of similar vintage. Bantam and Dell each publish both fiction and nonfiction for the adult market, primarily in paperback form. Notable novelists published by Bantam include Dean Koontz, Tom Robbins, Elizabeth George, George R.R. Martin and many others. Authors whose works are issued by Dell include Danielle Steel and John Grisham. Imprints in this group include the following: See also: 1944 in literature, other events of 1945, 1946 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945 in Everett, Pennsylvania), also known under a number of pseudonyms, including Leigh Nichols, is an American writer. ... Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1936 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina) is an American author. ... Susan Elizabeth George (born February 26, 1949) is the American author of a number of mystery novels set in Great Britain. ... George R. R. Martin, circa 1986 George Raymond Richard Martin (born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, and also a screenwriter and producer. ... Danielle Steel (born Danielle Fernande Schuelein-Steel on August 14, 1947 in New York City, New York) is one of the best-selling authors in the United States. ... John Ray Grisham Jr. ...

• Bantam Dell Hardcover
• Bantam Dell Mass Market
• Bantam Dell Trade Paperback
• Crimeline
• Delacorte
• Dell
• Delta
• Domain
• DTP
• Fanfare
• Island
• Spectra
• The Dial Press

The January 1920 issue of the Dial. ...

Crown Publishing Group

The Crown Publishing Group traces its history to Crown Publishers, Inc., founded in 1933. Its imprints include: The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Random House, the worlds largest English-language general trade book publisher. ...

• Bell Tower
• Clarkson Potter
• Crown Business
• Crown Publishers, Inc.
• Harmony Books
• Potter Style
• Potter Craft
• Prima Health
• Shaye Areheart Books
• Three Rivers Press

Doubleday Broadway

The Doubleday Broadway Group began as the publisher Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897, founded by Frank Nelson Doubleday and magazine publisher Samuel McClure. Before Doubleday and McClure parted company three years later, they issued the bestselling book The Day's Work by Rudyard Kipling, who nicknamed Doubleday "effendi" as a play on Doubleday's initials F.N.D. Modern-day imprints in this group include the following: Doubleday is one of the largest book publishing companies in the world. ... Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India, and best known today for his childrens books, including The Jungle Book (1894), The Second Jungle Book (1895), Just So Stories (1902), and Puck of Pooks Hill (1906); his novel...

• Broadway Books
• Harlem Moon
• Currency
• Doubleday
• Doubleday Image
• Doubleday Religious Publishing
• Main Street Books
• Morgan Road Books
• Nan A. Talese
• Spiegel & Grau

Knopf Publishing Group

The Knopf Publishing Group takes its name from the American publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., founded in 1915. Random House acquired Knopf in 1960 and Pantheon Books 1961; works continue to be published under these imprints with editorial independence. A longtime producer of hardcover fiction and nonfiction, Knopf has published classic works by Thomas Mann, Willa Cather and John Cheever, and currently features such authors as Toni Morrison, John Updike, Cormac McCarthy, Alice Munro, Anne Rice, and Anne Tyler. Its imprints include: Colophon of the publisher Alfred A. Knopf. ... Pantheon Books was an American publishing company that was acquired by Random House in 1961. ... For other persons named Thomas Mann, see Thomas Mann (disambiguation). ... Willa Cather photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1936 Wilella Sibert Cather (December 7, 1873[1] – April 24, 1947) is among the most eminent American authors. ... John Cheever (May 27, 1912–June 18, 1982) was an American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called the Chekhov of the suburbs. ... For the Louisiana politician, see deLesseps Morrison, Jr. ... John Updike John Hoyer Updike (born March 18, 1932) is an American writer born in Shillington, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he was 13. ... For the musician Cormac McCarthy, see Cormac McCarthy (musician). ... Alice Ann Munro, née Laidlaw (born 10 July 1931) is an award-winning Canadian short story writer who is widely considered an important writer in that form. ... Anne Rice. ... Anne Tyler (born on October 25, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. ...

• Alfred A. Knopf
• Anchor Books
• Everyman's Library
• Pantheon Books
• Schocken Books
• Vintage

Random House Publishing Group

Considered the "flagship imprint" of Random House, Inc., the Random House Publishing Group traces its history to 1925 when Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer purchased the Modern Library line of classics and contemporary American titles from publisher Horace Liveright. The company assumed the name Random House in 1927. The Random House group also includes Ballantine Books, founded in 1952. A major publisher of hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market paperbacks, Ballantine was acquired by Random House in 1973. Ballantine has a backlist of over 3,000 titles. Del Rey Manga publishes English manga in North America. Ballantine's imprints include Ballantine Books, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine, is a major book publisher and is currently owned by Random House. ... Del Rey Manga, is a company that publishes manga in North America. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

• Ballantine Books
• Ballantine Reader's Circle
• Del Rey
• Del Rey/LucasBooks
• Fawcett
• Ivy
• One World
• Wellspring.

Other imprints in the Random House Publishing Group are as follows:

• Random House Trade Group
• Villard Books
• The Modern Library
• Random House Trade Paperbacks
• Strivers Row Books

Random House Audio Publishing Group

The Random House Audio Publishing Group is the leading American publisher of audio books for adults and children, offering titles on compact disc, audio cassette and by digital download in both abridged and unabridged editions. Audio titles are issued in conjunction with their respective printed editions. In addition, the group acquires selected titles from other publishers to be issued in audio form. Imprints include: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

• Listening Library
• Random House Audio
• Random House Audio Assets
• Random House Audio Dimensions
• Random House Audio Roads
• Random House Audio Voices
• Random House Audio Price-less

Random House Direct, Inc.

Random House Direct, Inc. publishes specialty titles, mostly food-related, marketed and delivered directly to the home. Its imprints include:

• Bon Appétit
• Gourmet Books
• Pillsbury

Random House Information Group

Random House Information Group is the reference book division. Random House entered reference publishing in 1947 with the American College Dictionary, which was followed in 1966 by its first unabridged dictionary. It publishes today the Random House Webster's Unabridged and Random House Webster's College dictionaries, probably the main competitors for Merriam-Webster reference titles. The group also includes Fodor's Travel Publications, the world's largest publisher of English-language travel information. Its imprints are as follows: A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. ... The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged was the original name of a large American dictionary, first published in 1966, and recently renamed the Random House Websters Unabridged Dictionary. ... Merriam-Webster, originally known as the G. & C. Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, is a United States company that publishes reference books, especially dictionaries that are descendants of Noah Websters An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). ...

• Fodor's Travel Publications
• Living Language
• Prima Games
• Princeton Review
• Random House Español
• Random House Puzzles & Games
• Random House Reference Publishing

Waterbrook Press

WaterBrook Press is the religious publishing division of Random House. Founded in September 1996, the group issued its first books in February 1998 Its authors include Jane Kirkpatrick and Charlie Peacock. Its imprints include Charlie Peacock (born Charles William Ashworth, August 10, 1956, also goes by Charlie Peacock-Ashworth) is a songwriter, record producer, musician, and writer, best known for his work in the field of Christian Contemporary Music. ...

• Fisherman Bible Study Guides
• Shaw Books (formerly Harold Shaw Publishers)
• Waterbrook Press

Other groups

Random House Large Print Publishing issues large print hardcover editions of fiction and non-fiction titles from Random House and other publishers, at the same price as the regular hardcover editions. Its only imprint is called Random House Large Print. The Random House Value Publishing group offers bargain and promotional editions of books from Random House and other publishers. Its imprint is Random House Value Publishing.

Random House has been the distributor for Shambhala Publications since 1974. Within the last year, they have begun distributing Rizzoli Books, National Geographic Books, Steerforth Press, Wizards of the Coast, Vertical Books, Welcome Books, Taunton Press, New York Review of Books and Rugged Land. Shambhala Publications is a publishing company based in Boulder, Colorado. ...

Random House Children's Books

The Random House Children's Books division publishes a wide range of board books, picture books, activity books and novels for a variety of age groups, from pre-school children to young adult readers. It publishes the Dr. Seuss books (a line that began in 1957 with the publication of The Cat in the Hat) as well as titles by Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Carl Hiaasen, Madeleine L'Engle, Christopher Paolini, Gary Paulsen, Tamora Pierce, Philip Pullman, Louis Sachar and many other major authors. In August 2001, Random House, Inc., acquired the properties of Golden Books line of children's books in August, 2001. The children's books division has two publishing groups, with many imprints that parallel the adult ones. They include: A picture book is a popular form of illustrated literature—more precisely, a book with pictures in it—popularized in the 20th century Western world. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Day care. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... See also: 1956 in literature, other events of 1957, 1958 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Cat in the Hat is a fictional cat created by Dr. Seuss. ... Judy Blume (born February 12, 1938) is an American author. ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (September 13, 1916 – November 23, 1990) was a Welsh novelist and short story author of Norwegian descent, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Photo of Carl Hiaasen by Robert Birnbaum Carl Hiaasen (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist and novelist. ... Madeleine LEngle (born November 29, 1918) is an American writer best known for her childrens books, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. ... Christopher Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American writer of fantasy fiction, best known as being the author of the Inheritance trilogy, which consists of the books Eragon, Eldest, and an as-yet-unreleased third book whose title has not been revealed. ... Gary Paulsen Gary Paulsen (born May 17, 1939) is a prolific American writer, who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. ... Tamora Pierce (born December 13, 1954) is a fantasy author who writes books for young adults. ... Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is an English writer. ... Louis Sachar (IPA: ), born March 20, 1954, is an American author of childrens books. ... Little Red Hen cover Little Golden Books is a very popular series of childrens books begun in 1942. ...

Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group

• Alfred A. Knopf
• Bantam
• Crown
• David Fickling Books
• Delacorte Press
• Doubleday
• Dragonfly Books
• Laurel-Leaf Books
• Schwartz & Wade Books
• Wendy Lamb Books
• Yearling Books

Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group

• Beginner Books
• Disney Books for Young Readers
• First Time Books
• Landmark Books
• Picturebacks
• Sesame Workshop
• Step into Reading
• Stepping Stone Books

Random House in the UK

In the United Kingdom, the Random House Group Limited comprises four divisions with different publishing remits: Random House, Transworld, Ebury and Random House Children's Books. Its imprints include Jonathan Cape, Harvill Secker, Chatto and Windus, Vintage, Pimlico, Yellow Jersey, Century, Willian Heinemann, Hutchinson, Arrow, Random House Audio Books, Random House Business Books, Ebury Press, Vermilion, Rider, Bantam Press, Doubleday, Corgi, Black Swan, Fodor, Time Out, WaterBrook Press and Mainstream. Tanoshimi publishes English manga in United Kingdom and Ireland. Jonathan Cape has been since 1987 an imprint of Random House. ... Chatto and Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, the publishers. ... Vintage Books was founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf as a trade paperback home for its authors. ... Time-out can mean: sport time-out, a break in play that may be called by a side to formulate strategy or respond to an players injury. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ...

Random House International

The company's international group includes over 100 publishers in 13 countries. Among its imprints are the following:

• Ebury and Transworld (Great Britain)
• Plaza & Janés (Spain))
• Sudamericana (Argentina)
• Goldmann (Germany)
• Areté
• McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
• Random House Australia
• Random House of Canada Limited
• Random House Mondadori
• Random House South Africa
• Random House South America
• Random House United Kingdom
• Transworld UK
• Verlagsgruppe Random House

See also

• Media of New York City

The media of New York City is internationally influential, with some of the most important newspapers, largest publishing houses, most prolific television studios, and biggest record companies in the world. ...

References

1. ^ "Business: Bertelsmann admits Nazi past", BBC News World Edition, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2002-10-08. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
2. ^ Business Solutions: publishers. Random House web site. Random House. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.

This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Random House official website in Australia
• Random House official website in Canada
• Random House official website in the U.S.
• Random House official website in the UK
• Random House official website for the Transworld division in the UK
• Random House Readers' Group site in the UK
• Randomhouse.com's history page
• Biography of Bennett Cerf with the quote on the origin of the Random House name