The Authors Guild joins the publishing community in mourning the loss of Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon & Schuster, who passed away this morning after suffering a heart attack. Reidy, 71, was a highly admired and respected leader of one of the great publishing houses.

“We deeply mourn Carolyn’s passing. She was a friend to authors, always willing to work with us and to listen to authors’ concerns. Without fail, we could count on Carolyn to be thoughtful, candid, and direct. She will be sorely missed,” said Authors Guild Executive Director Mary Rasenberger.

Reidy started her career in publishing in 1974 at Random House, and joined Simon & Schuster as president of its trade division in 1992. In 2008, she became Simon & Schuster’s first woman CEO. Her 12 years at the helm coincided with some of the most dramatic changes in the publishing industry, not least of which was the rise of e-books and Amazon’s control of the book market. Reidy faced these challenges with grit and intelligence.

“As a former Simon & Schuster author, I’m deeply saddened by the death of Carolyn Reidy, a wise, effective, and humane publisher. This is a great loss for the world of books,” said Authors Guild President Doug Preston.

Keen to bring important voices to readers, Carolyn published books by some of the most renowned writers and public figures in the world during her tenure as CEO, including Stephen King, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, Bob Woodward, and Bruce Springsteen. She joined us at the 2018 Authors Guild Gala in honoring Mary Higgins Clark, a long-time Simon & Schuster author.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Simon & Schuster community and to Carolyn Reidy’s friends and family for this tragic and untimely loss.

Photo credit: Beowulf Sheehan