Posted on 03/22/2005 2:45:13 PM PST by COUNTrecount
Mary Matalin to head publishing imprint
NEW YORK - Mary Matalin, the Republican pundit and strategist also known as the wife/sparring partner of Democratic consultant James Carville, will run a new conservative publishing imprint at Simon & Schuster.
"It's the absolute nexus of what I love to do," Matalin told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I think we're on the threshold of a whole new way of looking at politics and policy and there's something vital about getting those ideas down in book form."
The imprint, currently unnamed, is expected to release six to 10 books a year, beginning in 2006.
"There have been sentiments throughout the company for creating a conservative imprint," said David Rosenthal, executive vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster's adult trade division. "Mary is a distinctive voice in politics ... and we thought she might be interested in doing this. It seemed liked a cool idea."
The market for conservative books has become increasingly competitive. Penguin Group USA and Random House, Inc., have formed special imprints in recent years and Regnery Publishing, based in Washington, D.C., has released a wave of best sellers, including the influential "Unfit for Command," which accused Democratic presidential contender John Kerry of lying about his war record.
Simon & Schuster had a previous conservative imprint, the Free Press, which now publishes a wide range of titles.
Matalin, who served as an assistant to President Bush during his first term and will continue to work out of Washington, joins a publisher that has worked with political friends and foes. Simon & Schuster published the memoirs of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and two leading anti-Bush books, Ron Suskind's "The Price of Loyalty" and Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies."
It also released "A Is for Abigail," a children's book by Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney; and Matalin's own "Letters to My Daughters." One Simon & Schuster author can be counted as both friend and foe: The publisher last year released a children's book by James Carville.
Matalin said she is already working on acquisitions for the new imprint and expects to announce some titles "within weeks." She will not be editing books "line by line," but will provide "conceptual editing" - suggestions on how to express ideas and broader concepts.
She does not expect to end her political involvement, saying she will "continue to help whenever she is needed to help."
Great! Still don't understand why she married Corporal Cue Ball! I mean ... can you really love a liberal?
I had always wondered what happened to the Free Press. But that's good news to hear SImon&Schuster is taking on a conservative imprint. They really have no choice. It's all about money.
Head publishing? Ouch, that's got to hurt.
bump
!
I knew they would get around to it. Money money money. They are losing out to Random House, Penguin, and Regnery. Levin's book pretty much a bestseller now too.
My my, they had to swallow quite a bit to hire a token pubbie and I hope Mary can take the slings and arrows.
The only problem with Mary is that she doesn't know anything about the book business. She will be able to open doors and get her calls returned, though. The book-industry lifers can help her with the rest. She'll be sort of the Jackie Onassis type of editor.
Hopefully one of them will be the DUmmie FUnnies book (with CD-ROM insert for related comix stories).
Oh, and Mary and I are BOTH from Cleveland originally.
Good enough for me!
A DUmmie FUnnies book (with CD-ROM insert for the related comix stories) would put them WAY out front again.
Does Matalin have a blog? I heard her on Rush's show today and she said she blogs, but I can't find any evidence of a blog with her name.
I think that maybe James Carville is not really a liberal but sold his soul to the highest bidder - in his case it was the democrats. Maybe she can love him b/c he doesn't really believe all the junk he spews? At least, that's the only way I can resolve their relationship.
No - as hateful as that pukeface is, he's a true believer. I lost any respect for Matalin when she hooked up with him.
Excellent !!!!
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