On Wednesday, the New York Times reported on a new relationship now emerging between publishing leadership and their staffs.
The front page story fixed on the recent uproar by Simon & Schuster employees who objected to the publisher signing former Vice President Mike Pence to a two-book deal as well as agreeing to distribute a title by John Mattingly, a police officer involved in shooting Breonna Taylor in Louisville during a botched raid last March.
“Publishing staff are insisting on change and pursuing change at a pace that may be more aggressive than leadership would like,” observes Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
https://beyondthebookcast.com/publisher-staff-press-for-change/
“A new, more diverse generation is asserting its power,” Albanese tells CCC. “In an industry that has resisted change for so long, this is an important moment.”
Although S&S did decline to carry the Mattingly book, CEO Jonathan Karp has defended his decision to publish Pence. This week, S&S also announced plans for a book by Kellyanne Conway, a former White House advisor.