Richard Rhorer, deputy publisher of the Simon & Schuster trade imprint, will leave that position March 15 to become publisher of a new, yet-to-be-named lifestyle imprint.
In explaining the reasoning for the new imprint in a memo to employees, S&S CEO Jonathan Karp wrote: “If the pandemic has shown anything, it’s that the marketplace for bestselling and enduring works of practical nonfiction is as vibrant as it has ever been, if not more so.” The new imprint, Karp said, “will publish books that address topics foundational to how we live—from the meals we prepare, the relationships we nurture, and the households we manage, to the personal and professional goals we set and strive to achieve.”
In selecting Rhorer to head the imprint, Karp wrote that he has worked with him since Rhorer first joined S&S in 2011, and praised him for his “superb judgment, publishing and marketing expertise, and his multifaceted skill set.” Karp added that Rhorer “has been integral to the publication strategies and launch plans of the trade imprint’s most successful practical nonfiction titles,” such as Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Think Like a Monk, and the business bestseller Contagious.
With Rhorer’s new appointment, Dana Canedy named Irene Kheradi associate publisher of the S&S imprint, effective March 8. Kheradi is currently v-p and executive managing editor for production and copy editing. She will report to Canedy, who took over as head of the S&S imprint when Karp was named CEO of the company last summer. Kheradi started at S&S in 1989, was named executive managing editor for the trade publishing group in 1998, and was appointed to her current position in 2013.
In an unrelated promotion, Samantha Cohen was named v-p and director of production strategy and operations, reporting to S&S COO and CFO Dennis Eulau. Cohen has led the digital content development, adult interior design, and desktop publishing teams since 2013, and will now add responsibility for pre-press, adult managing editorial, copyediting, production management, and reprints.
