Glenn Beck has signed a new co-publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. The conservative talk show personality, through his company Mercury Radio Arts, intends to keep releasing titles in a variety of genres, following up on the string of hits he has had in, among other categories, nonfiction, fiction and children's books. Beck, who has been at S&S's Threshold Editions, will also be launching his own imprint, Mercury Ink, which will release a mix of titles that interest him.
Kevin Balfe, who has worked as Beck's co-author on several books and is senior v-p at Mercury, will be acquiring for Beck's imprint and titles released through it will be co-published by S&S. The first title Mercury Ink has lined up is the young adult novel Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, by Richard Paul Evans. Beck's first book under his contract will be the trade paperback, The Original Argument: The Federalists' Case for the Constitution, Adapted for the 21st Century, scheduled for June 14. Beck is also slated to release a new novel, The Snow Angel, in October.
George Hiltzik of N.S. Bienstock brokered the deal for Beck, and Liz Perl, S&S senior v-p of marketing, will continue to coordinate Beck's publishing program at the house.
