Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge:
Simon & Schuster International is dedicated to publishing a broad and diverse range of books for everyone, representative of the world around us. We are committed to working with and supporting writers, illustrators, and other creative partners from all walks of life, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, nationality, religion or belief, age, social or economic circumstance.
“Simon & Schuster is committed to creating and sustaining a workplace whose staff is representative of the multi-faceted audiences we serve. We look to foster and nurture a vibrant and stimulating culture of awareness and inclusion, in order that we may better identify and champion a diverse range of authors and viewpoints.”—Jonathan Karp, President & CEO
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is expressed through increased focus on recruiting and staffing, retention and career development, mentoring, diversity and inclusion training for employees, and a continued emphasis on broadening our publishing lists and marketing efforts to serve underrepresented groups. In addition, Simon & Schuster awards various scholarships, and is involved in various community outreach programs that help to create awareness of publishing and help broaden the candidate pool among underrepresented groups.
“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is much more than an 'HR issue.' It is an essential ingredient in the design and implementation of our business and must necessarily be embedded in the day-to-day activities of our company. True innovation requires that we reflect the world’s full diversity of individuals, opinions, and viewpoints. But it is not enough to simply include people at the table, but to amplify everyone’s voices, clear barriers, and appreciate each other for our unique backgrounds.”
—Amanda Armstrong-Frank, Director, Workplace Culture & Diversity Initiatives
Some of our initiatives to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our business and in our culture have been long-standing, while others are new. These include:
BLACK PRIVILEGE PUBLISHING led by Charlamagne tha God, to amplify Black and Brown narratives, engaging connected, culturally aware, cutting- edge audiences.
13A focuses on publishing renowned, relevant, and diverse voices in culture and politics. Its name refers to the amendment that abolished slavery.
Denene Millner Books celebrates the everyday joy of Black children and families.
Salaam Reads aims to introduce readers of all faiths and backgrounds to a wide variety of Muslim children and families and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves reflected positively in published works.
US Specific Multicultural Marketing
The Multicultural Marketing department works on developing and sharing best practices for publishing multicultural works, strategizing marketing tactics and campaigns for individual titles and publishing programs, developing targeted marketing and merchandising programs, establishing relationships with key media, influencers, booksellers, and librarians, and serving as the liaison with internal and external partners to promote Simon & Schuster adult and children’s diverse publishing.
Employee-Led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Councils
Simon & Schuster has three employee-led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Councils, comprised of employees from all divisions and levels of the company–one led by the UK Office, which includes employees from our offices in London, Australia, India, one in Canada, and one in the United States.
The focus of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Councils are to foster a positive and inclusive work environment, identify diversity, equity, and inclusion related issues and develop recommendations and initiatives that embrace the differences of current and potential employees. It is our goal that Simon & Schuster become an employer of choice, so that both prospective employees and authors of varied backgrounds will be attracted to Simon & Schuster and view the company as a superior publisher of quality books. We strive to maintain our exceptional reputation and competitive advantage in the publishing industry.
Fostering An Inclusive Culture
Our American Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council hosts authors for employees which feature inspiring voices who help us to see beyond our own known spaces and challenge how we think. Past authors have included Zulema Arroyo Farley, Ilia Calderon, Common, Erica Dunbar, Arun Gandhi, Tim Gunn, Marc Lamont Hill, T.D. Jakes, Rachael Lippincott, Robbie Couch, Kiese Laymon, Marlee Matlin, Janet Mock, Rebecca Roanhorse, Ilyasah Shabazz, Sister Souljah, and Paula Stone Williams.
