Simon & Schuster has formed a nonfiction imprint that will publish books on wellness, self-expression, empathy, food and cooking, diet, parenting, home, workplace, play, creativity, travel, fan culture, and civic engagement. Tiller Press will release its first of 19 books set for publication this June.
To head the imprint, which is being overseen by Liz Perl, S&S executive v-p and chief marketing officer, the company has hired Theresa DiMasi as v-p and publisher. Most recently, she was v-p, head of content, and editor in chief at Weight Watchers International. She has also worked in various capacities at Condé Nast.
Also part of the Tiller team is Sam Ford, named director of cultural intelligence, who, S&S said, will oversee “the imprint’s cultural trends analysis and research efforts.” Ford is a research affiliate with MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing and a Knight News Innovation Fellow with Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism. The third team member is executive editor Anja Schmidt, who most recently served as editorial director at Oxmoor House.
In a prepared statement, Perl spoke to the role research will play in developing the Tiller list. “The time is right to turn to the latest in social listening, research and analytical capabilities to discover new readers and meet their needs with the right books at the right time,” said Perl. “The skills developed for Tiller Press will also serve our larger publishing effort as we develop a deeper understanding of our readers.”
