Peter Mayer

For those of a similar name, see Peter Meyer (disambiguation).

Peter Mayer
Born
Peter Michael Mayer

March 28, 1936
London, England
DiedMay 11, 2018(2018-05-11) (aged 82)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
OccupationPublisher
Known forFounder of The Overlook Press

Peter Michael Mayer (28 March 1936 – 11 May 2018) was a British-born American independent publisher who was president of The Overlook Press/Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc., a Woodstock, New York–based publishing company he founded with his father in 1971.[1] At the time of Overlook's founding, Mayer was head of Avon Books, a large New York–based paperback publisher.[2] From 1978 to 1996, Mayer was CEO of Penguin Books, where he introduced a flexible style in editorial, marketing, and production.[2][3] During his tenure, he was credited with reviving the company into "the most formidable and admired publisher in the English language".[4] Recently, Mayer financially revived both Ardis, a publisher of Russian literature in English, and Duckworth, an independent publishing house in the UK.[1]

  1. ^ a b New York Center for Independent Publishing (9 November 2007). "Peter Mayer to be Honored at 2007 NYCIP Benefit". Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  2. ^ a b Forbes.com. "Profile: Peter Mayer". Forbes. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. ^ Penguin Books, Ltd. "About Penguin: Company History". Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  4. ^ ""Giant of trade publishing" Peter Mayer dies". The Bookseller. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.