6 September 2021
What was it like seeing book sales explode during the coronavirus pandemic? Jonathan Karp, Simon & Schuster's president and CEO, couldn't help quoting Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
"A lot of people had extra time at home and they turned to books," Karp said. Virtual sales and appearances, meanwhile, "made it easier to reach readers directly."
Still, it's been a rocky 18 months for U.S. publishers, whose jobs are defined by predictability: They work on monthslong publishing schedules, orchestrate book tours and promotional plans and calibrate printings based on expectations.
