Despite a 5.5% decline in sales, adjusted operating income at Simon & Schuster rose 10.9% in the third quarter, to $29.5 million. Revenue in the period fell to $217.7 million. S&S attributed the earnings improvement to the impact of cost containment measures, lower royalty expenses and lower production costs from a change in the mix of titles.

For the first nine months of 2010, sales were down 2.4%, to $559.1 million, but adjusted operating earnings jumped 42.4%, to $46.7 million.