Random House: Difference between revisions

| founders = [[Bennett Cerf]], [[Donald Klopfer]]

| location = [[Random House Tower]], 1745 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]]

| hq_location_country = U.S.

| num_locations =

| area_served = Worldwide

| products = Books

| industry =

| divisions =

| revenue = {{profit}}€2.142 [[1,000,000,000 (number)|billion]] (2012)

| num_employees = 97,104 {{small|({{As of|2020|Sep|30|df=US|lc=y}})}}

| traded_as =

| website = {{URL|https://www.randomhousebooks.com}}

}}

 

 

==History==

In 1934, they published the first authorized edition of [[James Joyce]]'s novel ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'' in the Anglophone world.<ref>{{cite book|title=The most dangerous book: the battle for James Joyce's Ulysses|first=Kevin|last=Birmingham|location=London|publisher=Head of Zeus|year=2014|isbn=9781784080723}}</ref> ''Ulysses'' transformed Random House into a formidable publisher over the next two decades. In 1936, it acquired Smith and Haas, and Robert Haas became the third partner until retiring and selling his share back to Cerf and Klopfer in 1956. The acquisition of Smith and Haas added authors, including [[William Faulkner]], [[Isak Dinesen]], [[André Malraux]], [[Robert Graves]], and [[Jean de Brunhoff]], who wrote the [[Babar the Elephant|Babar]] children's books.

 

 

In October 1959, Random House went public at $11.25 a share. This was a factor in decisions by other publishing companies, including [[Simon & Schuster]], to later go public.<ref name="Another">{{cite book|last1=Korda|first1=Michael|title=Another Life : a memoir of other people|url=https://archive.org/details/anotherlifememoi00kord|url-access=registration|date=1999|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=0-679-45659-7|edition=1st}}</ref> American publishers [[Alfred A. Knopf]], Inc. and [[Beginner Books]] were acquired by Random House in 1960, followed by [[Pantheon Books]] in 1961; works continue to be published under these imprints with editorial independence, such as [[Everyman's Library]], a series of classical literature reprints.

In 1988, Random House acquired [[Crown Publishing Group]].<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Mitgang| first = Herbert| title = Random House Buys Crown| work = The New York Times| access-date = November 27, 2018| date = August 16, 1988| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/16/business/random-house-buys-crown.html| archive-date = September 1, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200901163256/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/16/business/random-house-buys-crown.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Also in 1988, [[McGraw-Hill Education|McGraw-Hill]] acquired Random House's Schools and Colleges division.<ref name="mcgraw-hillannounce2">{{cite news|title=McGraw-Hill Is Buying 2 Random House Units|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/business/the-media-business-mcgraw-hill-is-buying-2-random-house-units.html |first=Edwin|last=McDowell|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 29, 1988|access-date=February 12, 2017|archive-date=July 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708105901/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/business/the-media-business-mcgraw-hill-is-buying-2-random-house-units.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1998, [[Bertelsmann AG]] bought Random House and merged it with [[Bantam Books|Bantam]] [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] [[Dell Books|Dell]] and it soon went global.<ref>"[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Random-House-Inc-Company-History.html History of Random House Inc.]", from Funding Universe. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304174822/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Random-House-Inc-Company-History.html |date=March 4, 2012 }}. Retrieved April 13, 2008.</ref> In 1999, Random House acquired the children's audiobook publisher Listening Library.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Random House Acquires Listening Library| work = Publishers Weekly| first = Shannon| last = Maughan| date = July 12, 1999| access-date = April 2, 2019| url = https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990712/34516-random-house-acquires-listening-library.html| archive-date = November 8, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201108185211/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990712/34516-random-house-acquires-listening-library.html| url-status = live}}</ref>

 

 

===21st century===

In 2001, [[Phyllis E. Grann]] joined Random House as vice chairman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/5618/|title=Now for the Grann Finale|last=Maneker|first=Marion|date=January 1, 2002|website=New York|access-date=May 23, 2018|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806061904/https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/5618/|url-status=live}}</ref> Grann was the CEO for Putnam and had grown that house from $10&nbsp;million in revenue in 1976, to more than $200&nbsp;million by 1993 and without increasing their title output.<ref name=":2" /> A publishing insider commented that then CEO Peter Olson was, "I think maybe instead of buying a company he bought a person."<ref name=":2" />

 

 

 

 

 

 

On July 1, 2013, the merger was completed , and the new company emerged as [[Penguin Random House]].<ref>{{Cite news|title =Penguin and Random House in deal talks|date=October 26, 2012|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/eaf8eaaa-1eac-11e2-be82-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/eaf8eaaa-1eac-11e2-be82-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription|last1=Edgecliffe-Johnson|first1=Andrew|last2=Wiesmann|first2=Gerrit|access-date=August 12, 2013|work=[[Financial Times]]|department=Media}}{{Registration required}}</ref> When founded, Bertelsmann owned 53% of the joint venture while Pearson owned 47%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/business/media/merger-of-penguin-and-random-house-is-completed.html |title=Penguin and Random House Merge, Saying Change Will Come Slowly |last=Bosman |first=Julie |date=July 1, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=April 4, 2016 |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714165934/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/business/media/merger-of-penguin-and-random-house-is-completed.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

McIntosh explained of the merger, saying, "We will need to do two things simultaneously. First, we must expand and strengthen the expert publishing teams who are specialized in and dedicated to each category. Second, we must invest even more aggressively in title-level and scaled marketing programs, capabilities, and partnerships. This will ensure that we not only maximize the sales for each individual book but also keep pace with consumer trends."<ref>{{Cite news |first=John |last=Maher |date=October 18, 2018 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/78369-random-house-crown-merge.html |title=The Random House and Crown Publishing Groups Merge |work=Publishers Weekly |access-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116020118/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/78369-random-house-crown-merge.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

 

== Organization ==

=== Headquarters ===

 

=== International branches ===

Random House, Inc. maintains several independently managed subsidiaries around the world.

 

 

 

The Random House archive and library is located in [[Rushden]] in Northamptonshire.

 

 

 

 

 

'''[[Random House of Canada]]'''<ref>[http://www.randomhouse.ca/about-corporate Random House of Canada] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126214622/http://www.randomhouse.ca/about-corporate |date=November 26, 2012 }}</ref> was established in 1944 as the Canadian distributor of Random House Books. In 1986, Random House of Canada established its own indigenous Canadian publishing program that has become one of the most successful in Canadian history. Until January 2012, it used to hold a 25% stake in [[McClelland & Stewart]], with the remaining 75% being controlled by the [[University of Toronto]]. It is now the sole owner of McClelland & Stewart.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

 

 

In 2006, Random House invested in '''Random House Korea'''. In 2010, Random House divested their ownership.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

 

 

== Random House Home Video: The home video division ==

Random House Home Video was a home video unit established by Random House in 1983 as '''Random House Video''' until 1988, the publisher of [[Dr. Seuss]]'s books. It was renamed in 1984. Random House's home video division was currently the distributor of some shows, such as ''[[Sesame Street]]'' (1986–1994), ''[[The Busy World of Richard Scarry]]'' (1993–2005), ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' (1996–2006), and ''[[The Berenstain Bears (1985 TV series)|The Berenstain Bears]]'', the original 1985–1987 animated television series (1989–2005, 2008–2009), and [[Golden Books]] (2001–2005). In 1994, they began distributing through [[Sony Wonder]]. Random House Home Video became dormant around 2005, but Sony Wonder still continued to use Random House Home Video's logo on Arthur [[VHS]] tapes and [[DVD]]s until 2006.

 

 

== External links ==

* {{Cite web |title = Bertelsmann Timeline |url = https://www.ulib.niu.edu/publishers/index.htm |work = The Academic Publishing Industry: A Story of Merger and Acquisition |author = Mary H. Munroe |year = 2004 |via = Northern Illinois University |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100607024433/http://www.ulib.niu.edu/publishers/JohnWiley.htm |archive-date = 2010-06-07}}

* [https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4079581 Finding aid to Random House records at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]