Publishers
Publishers are the individuals traditionally engaged in the business of publishing of books, periodicals, and engravings, while in the modern sense the term also refers to the ones who publish computer software. They are usually the owners or the business head of a newspaper organization or publishing house. Publishers work to release books, novels, magazines, newspapers, textbooks and other printed works to the public. Publishing has a long history—Babylonian clay tablet, the Egyptian papyrus roll, and the medieval vellum codex have all served as publishing media at some points in history. The Sumerians, the Egyptians, and the Chinese were also known to produce books on an extensive scale. In more recent history, William Collins, a 19th century Scottish publisher produced the first Collins English Dictionary and founded William Collins, Sons, now part of HarperCollins. American publisher Bennett Alfred Cerf co-founded the publishing firm Random house along with Donald Simon Klopfer. Also counted amongst the best known publishers of the 20th century, Richard Simon and Max Schuster were the ones to publish the first book of crossword puzzles. Browse on to learn more about the life and works of famous publishers from all over the world.
Vote for Your Favourite Publishers
Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
Birthdate: July 3, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Townsville, Australia
Julian Assange made headlines all over the world in 2010 when WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization founded by him, gained international attention after publishing leaks, such as the Afghanistan war logs and Iraq war logs. After dodging arrest for several years, he was finally arrested in 2019 and is currently imprisoned in HM Prison Belmarsh.
Birthdate: August 3, 1941
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
The founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Martha Stewart has found success with several business ventures. She is also the publisher of a magazine called Martha Stewart Living and has written many bestselling books. Although she was convicted of charges pertaining to the ImClone stock trading case, she made a comeback and became chairwoman of her company.
3
Mark Twain(Lauded as the 'Greatest Humorist' the United States Has Produced)
Birthdate: November 30, 1835
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Florida, Missouri, United States
Died: April 21, 1910
Mark Twain, “the father of American literature,” was one of the world’s greatest 19-th century humorists and authors. His novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were drawn from his childhood experiences in Missouri. In his later life, he sunk into bankruptcy and also recovered.
Birthdate: April 29, 1863
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: August 14, 1951
William Randolph Hearst was an American newspaper publisher, businessman, and politician. He is credited with developing America's largest newspaper chain, Hearst Communications. Today, Hearst Communications has grown into a multinational business information and mass media conglomerate. William Randolph Hearst’s life and work inspired the creation of Charles Foster Kane, the main character in the 1941 drama film, Citizen Kane.
Birthdate: April 9, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: September 27, 2017
As the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner changed the way people viewed nudity. Known for his enviable lifestyle, he resided in luxury mansions along with his Playboy Playmates. Also a well-known philanthropist, Hefner made significant donations to various causes. He also supported freedom of expression and sexual liberation.
6
Katharine Graham
(American Newspaper Publisher and Heiress Who Led 'The Washington Post' (1963 - 1991))
Birthdate: June 16, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: July 17, 2001
The daughter of American publisher and financier Eugene Meyer, Katharine Graham later carried forward her family’s newspaper, The Washington Post. While the newspaper was initially handed over to her husband, Philip Graham, by her father, she took over as the owner, following Philip’s suicide. She later penned a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir.
7
Steve Forbes
(Heir and Editor-in-Chief of Business Magazine 'Forbes')
Birthdate: July 18, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Morristown
The grandson of Forbes founder B.C. Forbes, Steve Forbes now heads the business publication as its editor-in-chief. A record 4-time Crystal Owl Award winner, he is known for his impeccable financial journalism and has also penned several books. He has unsuccessfully run for the Republican nomination for presidency, too.
Birthdate: April 10, 1847
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Makó
Died: October 29, 1911
Joseph Pulitzer was a newspaper publisher who became a national figure in the Democratic Party after crusading against corruption and big business. Pulitzer is also credited with founding the Columbia School of Journalism. The world-renowned Pulitzer Prizes, which are awarded annually to reward excellence in various fields, are named in his honor.
9
Rupert Murdoch(American Media Tycoon and Chairman & CEO of 'News Corp')
Birthdate: March 11, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Rupert Murdoch’s company News Corp owns hundreds of publishing outlets and TV channels around the world, including The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and Fox News. His media houses have been accused of hacking the phones of celebrities and public citizens. He has also had to face allegations of bribery and corruption in the UK and the US.
10
Jerry Siegel
(Co-Creator of the DC Comics Superhero 'Superman')
Birthdate: October 17, 1914
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cleveland
Died: January 28, 1996
Legendary American comic book writer Jerry Siegel whose best-known creation was the iconic comic superhero Superman, which he co-created with comic artist Joe Shuster. Known for his stint with DC Comics, he also created other characters such as Doctor Occult, Superboy, and The Spectre. He also worked for Marvel and Charlton Comics.
Birthdate: December 19, 1875
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Canton, Virginia, United States
Died: April 3, 1950
Historian Carter Woodson was is remembered for pioneering Black studies in schools and colleges. He began the Negro History Week, which is now celebrated as the Black History Month. Poverty had pushed him to work in the coal mines initially, and he couldn’t join high school before 20.
12
Bennett Cerf
(American Publisher and Co-Founder of Publishing Firm 'Random House')
Birthdate: May 25, 1898
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: August 27, 1971
Bennett Cerf was an American publisher and writer. He is credited with co-founding the popular publishing firm, Random House. Cerf was also a TV personality, appearing regularly on a panel game show titled What's My Line for over 17 years.
13
Larry Flynt(American Publisher and the President of 'Larry Flynt Publications')
Birthdate: November 1, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lakeville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died: February 10, 2021
Larry Flynt, owner of Larry Flynt Publications and editor of Hustler magazine, gained fame after publishing some photos of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sunbathing naked on a vacation. He was paralyzed from the waist down after an assassination attempt in 1978. He has also faced many legal battles related to obscenity.
14
Alison Tyler
(Author, Editor and Publisher of Contemporary Erotica)
Birthdate: 1969 AD
Birthplace: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Alison Tyler is the pen name of an American writer, editor, and publisher. The publisher of erotica, Tyler is credited with writing over 20 explicit novels. She has also edited over 60 erotic anthologies and is credited with founding her own publishing company called Pretty Things Press. Her work, which focuses on erotic themes, has been translated into many languages.
15
Jann Wenner
(Co-Founder and Publisher of the Popular Culture Magazine 'Rolling Stone')
Birthdate: January 7, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Jann Wenner is an American magazine mogul best known as the co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. He is also credited with co-founding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other popular publications like Outside. During the 1970s and 1980s, Wenner played a key role in popularizing several writers like Greil Marcus, Hunter S. Thompson, and Cameron Crowe.
16
Jim Lee
(Comic Book Artist, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of 'DC Comics')
Birthdate: August 11, 1964
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Korean-American comic-book artist Jim Lee began his career with Marvel and then soared to fame with his X-Men series. Though initially trained in psychology, he skipped medical school and became a comic writer instead. Apart from co-founding Image Comics, he also created WildStorm, which he sold to DC later.
17
Bob Guccione
(Founder the Popular Adult Magazine 'Penthouse')
Birthdate: December 17, 1930
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: October 20, 2010
Porn tycoon Bob Guccione was the founder of the iconic Penthouse adult magazine. While he initially managed a laundromat chain and then drew cartoons for various publications, he later soared to fame with Penthouse and even photographed his models. A string of bad investments, including a failed casino, brought about his downfall.
18
Randolph Apperson Hearst
(Business People)
Birthdate: December 2, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: December 18, 2000
19
Robert Bernard Sherman
(Songwriter)
Birthdate: December 19, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, US
Died: March 6, 2012
20
Malcolm Forbes
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: August 19, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: February 24, 1990
21
Porter Stansberry
(Writer)
Birthdate: February 2, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Not known
Birthdate: March 16, 1917
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: January 3, 2005
Birthdate: July 18, 1915
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Terry, South Dakota, United States
Died: August 3, 1963
24
William Lyon Mackenzie
(1st Mayor of Toronto, Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (1851–1858))
Birthdate: March 12, 1795
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dundee, Scotland
Died: August 28, 1861
Born in Scotland, William Lyon Mackenzie moved to Canada as a merchant but soon got involved in the country’s politics. He later stepped into journalism and launched his own newspaper, the Colonial Advocate. He spearheaded the Canadian Rebellion of 1837, a failed uprising against the Canadian government.
Birthdate: October 11, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Died: December 14, 2011
Birthdate: March 6, 1949
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Watts, California, United States
27
Robert Maxwell(British Politician and Member of Parliament for Buckingham from 1964 to 1970)
Birthdate: June 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Solotvyno, Ukraine
Died: November 5, 1991
Media magnate Robert Maxwell set up Pergamon Press, served as a Labour MP, and acquired media houses such as the Mirror Group and Macmillan. Apart from his lavish lifestyle, he is remembered for embezzling the Mirror Group pension funds. He died after falling off his yacht in the Atlantic Ocean.
28
Jared Taylor
(American White Supremacist and Editor of 'American Renaissance')
Birthdate: September 15, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kobe, Japan
Jared Taylor is a white supremacist who is credited with founding an online magazine named American Renaissance for which he serves as the editor. He also serves as the president of New Century Foundation, the magazine's parent organization, through which he has published many of his books. Over the years Jared Taylor has been accused of propagating racist ideologies.
29
P. B. S. Pinchback
(Politician)
Birthdate: May 10, 1837
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, United States
Died: December 21, 1921
Birthdate: August 16, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Died: August 19, 1967
31
John W. Henry
(American Businessman and Primary Owner of Sports Teams 'Liverpool FC', 'Boston Red Sox' and 'The Boston Globe')
Birthdate: September 13, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Quincy, Illinois, United States
Businessman John W. Henry initially acquired immense wealth from his trading firm J.W. Henry & Co. and later built a huge sports empire. He now owns several sports-related businesses, including the Liverpool Football Club and the baseball team Boston Red Sox. He also owns the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper The Boston Globe.
32
Stan Lee(Primary Creative Leader of Marvel Comics and Characters such as 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man')
Birthdate: December 28, 1922
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: November 12, 2018
Stan Lee was one of the most popular comic book writers, thanks to his appearances in several Marvel movies. He is well-known as the co-creator of many famous superheroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. He pioneered a naturalistic method to writing superhero comics and challenged the Comics Code Authority, which ultimately led to changes in its policies.
33
Milton Bradley
(Publisher, Writer)
Birthdate: November 8, 1836
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Maine, United States
Died: May 30, 1911
Birthdate: June 19, 1856
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bloomington, Illinois, United States
Died: May 7, 1915
35
George DiCaprio(American Writer, Editor, Publisher and Father of Actor Leonardo DiCaprio)
Birthdate: October 2, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: United States
Writer, editor, and publisher, George DiCaprio, is known for his work in the underground comix world. He was a popular figure in the 1970s and published comics like Greaser Comics and Forbidden Knowledge. His son, Leonardo DiCaprio, is a famous actor. George played a significant role in his son’s early career and used to screen scripts for him.
Birthdate: July 15, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cambridge ,England
37
Henry Luce
(Journalist, Publisher)
Birthdate: April 3, 1898
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dengzhou
Died: February 28, 1967
38
Michael Shermer
(Science Writer, Historian of Science and Founder of the 'Skeptic' Magazine)
Birthdate: September 8, 1954
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Michael Shermer is an American historian of science and science writer. He is credited with founding The Skeptics Society, a nonprofit organization that aims at promoting scientific skepticism. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the organization's magazine Skeptic. From 2001 to 2019, he was a major contributor to Scientific American magazine.
39
Chris Anderson
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: 1957 AD
Birthplace: Pakistan
40
Richard M. Sherman
(Songwriters)
Birthdate: June 12, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
41
Richard Desmond
(Publisher, Autobiographer, Businessperson)
Birthdate: December 8, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hampstead
42
Kevin Eastman
(Comics artist, Publisher, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: May 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Portland, Maine, United States
Birthdate: October 31, 1875
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: July 17, 1959
Birthdate: January 19, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arkansas City, Arkansas, United States
Died: August 8, 2005
45
Caresse Crosby
(Publisher, Writer, Socialite, Poet, Memoirist, Journalist)
Birthdate: April 20, 1891
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City
Died: January 26, 1970
46
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
(Officer, Poet, Writer, Publisher, Painter, Journalist)
Birthdate: March 24, 1919
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Yonkers
47
Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours
(French-American Writer, Economist, Publisher and Government Official)
Birthdate: December 14, 1739
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: August 7, 1817
Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours was a French-American writer and economist. An ambitious man, he served as French inspector general of commerce under Louis XVI. He moved to America during the French Revolution and was later elected a member of the American Philosophical Society. His son Éleuthère Irénée du Pont founded E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
48
Henry Jarvis Raymond
(Journalist)
Birthdate: January 24, 1820
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Livingston County, New York, United States
Died: June 18, 1869
49
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
(Newspaper publisher)
Birthdate: May 25, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Maple, Vaughan, Canada
Died: June 9, 1964
50
Jim Shooter
(Comics artist, Publisher, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: September 27, 1951
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pittsburgh