G. P. Putnam's Sons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
G. P. Putnam's Sons

Parent company	Penguin Group
Founded	1838; 187 years ago (1838)
Founder	George Palmer Putnam John Wiley
Country of origin	United States
Headquarters location	New York City
Publication types	Books
Imprints	Amy Einhorn, Marian Wood, Coward-McCann

G. P. Putnam's Sons is a well-known American company that publishes books. It's located in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been part of the Penguin Group, which means it's a special brand or division within that larger company.

History of G. P. Putnam's Sons

Early Beginnings (1838-1872)

The company started in 1838. It was first called Wiley & Putnam. This was a partnership between George Palmer Putnam and John Wiley. John Wiley's father had started his own publishing company even earlier, in 1807.

In 1841, George Palmer Putnam traveled to London. There, he opened a branch office in Covent Garden. This was a big deal because it was the first time an American company had done that.

George Palmer Putnam, pictured, partnered with John Wiley in 1838 to form Wiley & Putnam.

Putnam returned to New York in 1848. He ended his partnership with John Wiley. Then, he started his own company called G. Putnam Broadway. This new company published many different kinds of books, including beautiful illustrated ones. John Wiley went on to create his own company, John Wiley and Sons, which is still publishing books today.

In 1853, G. P. Putnam & Co. launched Putnam's Magazine. Charles Frederick Briggs was the editor of this magazine.

The Sons Take Over (1872-1930)

George Palmer Putnam passed away in 1872. His sons, George H., John, and Irving, took over the family business. They changed the company's name to G. P. Putnam's Sons. George H. Putnam became the president of the company. He held this important job for 52 years!

In 1874, the company started its own book printing and manufacturing office. John Putnam set this up. It first operated from a new location at 182 Fifth Avenue. This printing part of the business later became a separate division called the Knickerbocker Press. In 1889, it moved to the Knickerbocker Press Building. This building was built just for the press in New Rochelle, New York.

This image shows the publisher's imprint, which is like a special logo or mark.

Changes and Growth (1930-1996)

After George H. Putnam died in 1930, the Putnam family decided to merge their company with Minton, Balch & Co.. Minton, Balch & Co. became the main owners. George Palmer Putnam's grandson, George P. Putnam (1887–1950), left the company at this time.

Melville Minton, a partner from Minton Balch & Co., became the acting president. He was also the main owner until he passed away in 1956. In 1936, Putnam bought another publisher called Coward-McCann. This company later became Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Putnam ran it as one of its special brands until the 1980s. After Melville Minton's death, his son Walter J. Minton took charge of the company.

In 1965, G. P. Putnam's Sons bought Berkley Books. This company published many paperback books for a wide audience.

In 1975, a large company called MCA bought both Putnam Publishing Group and Berkley Publishing Group. Phyllis E. Grann joined Putnam in 1976 as the editor-in-chief. She had been working at Pocket Books for Simon & Schuster. Phyllis Grann worked with MCA executive Stanley Newman to make Putnam very profitable. They focused on publishing books by key authors every year. This strategy helped Putnam's earnings grow from $10 million to over $100 million by 1983.

Putnam kept its list to about 75 titles a year. They focused on successful authors like Tom Clancy. His book Red Storm Rising sold almost a million copies in 1986. In the 1980s, Putnam and other publishers started offering big discounts on hardcover books. This helped them keep up with demand and sales in bookstores and price clubs.

Phyllis Grann became the CEO of Putnam in 1987. She was the first woman to be a CEO of a major publishing house. By 1993, the publisher was earning $200 million.

In 1982, Putnam also bought Grosset & Dunlap. This was a respected company that published children's books.

Modern Mergers (1990s-Present)

In the 1990s, Putnam changed owners several times. Matsushita Electric bought MCA in 1990. Then, the Seagram Company bought 80% of MCA from Matsushita. Soon after, Seagram changed the company's name to Universal Studios, Inc.

The new owners were not interested in publishing books. However, Phyllis E. Grann stepped in. She helped arrange a deal for Putnam to merge with the Penguin Group in 1996. The Penguin Group was part of a British publishing company called Pearson PLC. Putnam and the Penguin Group then formed Penguin Putnam Inc. In 2001, Phyllis Grann left the company.

In 2013, Penguin merged with Bertelsmann's Random House. This created a new, very large publishing company called Penguin Random House.

Notable Authors Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons

G. P. Putnam's Sons has published many famous authors over the years, including:

Past Book Series

Here are some of the book series that G. P. Putnam's Sons used to publish:

Former Imprints

• Capricorn Books, G.P. Putnam's Sons

See also

In Spanish: G. P. Putnam's Sons para niños

• Books in the United States