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| Steve Rubin | |
Steve Rubin, longtime publisher at Bantam, Doubleday, and Holt, died on Friday, October 13. He was 81.
During his career, Rubin had some notable blockbuster successes, including The Firm by John Grisham and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown--both of which essentially launched those authors' careers--and more recently, Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff. Other Rubin bestsellers included the Killing series by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and Decision Points by George W. Bush. His memoir, Words and Music: Confessions of an Optimist, was published by Applause in January.
The AP commented: "Book publishing is hard to imagine without the raspy-voiced Rubin, a powerful and colorful presence for decades with his tortoiseshell glasses, stylish suits and wide range of friends and colleagues, from Jacqueline Kennedy to Beverly Sills. He hosted memorable parties at his spacious West Side apartment and was a prime source of gossip and alternately profane and loving assessments of friends, colleagues and the greater world."
And PRH, where he worked for several decades, wrote that Rubin "published some of the most widely read and commercially successful books in modern publishing history, championed prize-winning fiction and nonfiction authors, guided the careers of numerous publishing talents--and was the source and subject of countless anecdotes about the life he led and loved."
Rubin began his career as a freelance journalist, covering culture in general and his loves of classical music and opera. In 1984, he joined Bantam Books. After six years in senior editorial positions, he moved to Doubleday, where he was president and publisher for 15 years, a tenure that was interrupted for three years for a stint in London as chairman of sister company Transworld UK and head of Bantam Doubleday Dell International.
In 2009, Rubin moved to Holt, where he was president and publisher until retiring in 2018. Most recently he was a publishing consultant for S&S.
John Grisham said, "Steve Rubin was a great publisher. He loved books, especially those on the bestseller lists, and he knew how to get them there. He was a writer's dream--loyal, generous, and never shy with his opinions. He was seldom wrong, but never in doubt."
Dan Brown commented: "Steve's infectious enthusiasm for my work was every author's dream. A world class oenophile, Steve used to send me cases of lavish Italian wines--a secret plot, he joked, to saddle me with a refined palate so I could never afford to stop writing. I am eternally grateful for his belief, his encouragement, and, above all, his friendship."
Bill Thomas, executive v-p, publisher & editor-in-chief, Doubleday, said, "I had the privilege and pleasure of working with Steve for 13 years. It struck me that it made perfect sense he began his career a journalist covering opera, an art form he loved. He approached publishing like an impresario, bringing together all the players on-stage and off, cajoling, encouraging, and nudging to make sure that when the curtain rose the stars--the authors he published--shone brightly in the spotlight. Steve approached his job with brio and style, and a sense of joy. He had fun, and working for him was fun. And like a great opera singer, he was oversized, brash, and dramatic, sartorially resplendent, and given to big gestures. He was, in a word, 'grand.' "
Jane Friedman, former CEO of HarperCollins, told the AP that Rubin "would enter a room and immediately fill it. He had very strong likes and dislikes and he NEVER changed his mind."
PRH added, "We are fortunate to work at a company with colleagues whose contributions to our success are as distinctive as their personas. Steve Rubin is such a shining, everlasting example."
Contributions in his memory can be made to the Stephen and Cynthia Rubin Institute for Music Criticism at the San Francisco Conservatory.