Simon & Schuster to Launch Self-Publishing Venture

USA Today reports that Simon and Schuster has announced the launch of Archway Publishing, a new venture which will focus on "self-published fiction, nonfiction, business and children's books."

Carolyn Reidy,  Simon & Schuster's president and CEO said in a statement, "Self-publishing has become a viable and popular route to publication for many authors, and increasingly a source of content for traditional publishers, including Simon & Schuster."

She continued, "We're excited that we'll be able to help more authors find their own path to publication and at the same time create a more direct connection to those self-published authors ready to make the leap to traditional publishing."

According to the report, the new venture will offer services ranging from a basic $1,599 package that includes assessment of the work by an editor as well as a review of the cover copy, to a $24,999 "Outreach" program designed for business books that features an "author profile video" along with a reception at BookExpo America, the industry's annual national convention.

Peter Osnos, who founded traditional publisher PublicAffairs, believes that authors who chose to take the self-publishing route are, "no longer consigned just to the margins of the marketplace." However, he still believes that these authors will come up against the same obstacles as those who are published in the more traditional sense. "With so many books pouring forth," says Osnos, "gaining any attention is a formidable challenge."