PAVE Studios and Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, have announced an exciting co-publishing deal where the two companies will collaborate closely to discover, develop, and publish new book and audiobook titles. This news comes on the heels of the media company launching its latest venture, PAVE Publishing House, which will deliver the best in print and audiobooks from both emerging creators, as well as established bestselling authors, featuring a lineup of compelling new titles from PAVE’s brands, including Crime House and OpenMind.
Under the co-publishing partnership, PAVE branded titles will be jointly published under the Simon & Schuster trade imprint. In addition, Simon & Schuster will be the worldwide distributor for all PAVE Publishing House print titles.
“Our co-publishing deal with Simon & Schuster combines our strong creator relationships and robust marketing engine with their deep expertise in all facets of publishing, providing authors with a best-in-class team and the tools they need to succeed throughout the publishing lifecycle from development to writing and editing support,” said Max Cutler, Founder of PAVE Studios.
Print sales still account for more than 70% of trade publishers’ revenues, according to the Assoc. of American Publishers. Partnering with a major publisher provides us with extensive production and distribution capabilities and valuable relationships with booksellers and retailers, while also enhancing our audiobook offerings.
“We’re happy to partner with PAVE Studios, a truly innovative content creation studio, as they look to attract new authors with their business model,” said Jonathan Karp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster. “Max Cutler and his team have consistently been on the cutting edge of new media, and in PAVE we see a dedication to creators that mirrors our focus on centering authors in all we do. Audiobooks continue to be the fastest-growing format in publishing, and PAVE’s roots in audio storytelling set us both up for continued growth and success as we work together to bring creators and their stories to the largest possible audience.”