Having recently launched a science fiction & fantasy imprint out of its children’s division, Simon &
Schuster will now do the same through their adult trade imprint, starting in October 2014. The new imprint, Simon451 (a reference to Ray Bradbury’s iconic novel, published by S&S) is devoted to ‘publishing literary and commercial speculative fiction across categories such as science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, apocalyptic and the supernatural.’ Simon451 will focus primarily on digital-first editions and ebook originals but also experiment with publishing serialized novels and original short stories, while reissuing classic backlist titles in digital format.
Titles on the Simon451 launch list include the first volume of the EarthEnd Saga series by actress Gillian Anderson (with Jeff Rovin) and The Undying by Ethan Reid, with events and promotions tied to the upcoming New York Comic-Con this fall. The imprint also appears to be open to unagented submissions, and is sponsoring a contest for current undergraduate and graduate students open between February 3 and March 31, with the winner to be published (with a $3,000 advance) and flown to New York for the imprint launch party in October.
‘Within the science fiction and fantasy genre, e-books and online communities are becoming the primary means of reading and discovery,’ senior editor Sarah Knight, who will oversee the imprint, said in a release. ‘With Simon451 we aim to give those readers what they want, when and how they want it.’