Matalin to Do Right by S&S

by Sara Nelson, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 3/23/2005

The new conservative imprint that Republican strategist Mary Matalin is starting up with publisher Simon & Schuster was not the result of some ardent pitching or wooing among houses and publishers; rather, it was the result of a longtime relationship between Matalin and S&S executive v-p and publisher David Rosenthal, whose house has published Matalin's husband, Democratic strategist James Carville, and many other authors of many political stripes. In fact it was Rosenthal--then at Random House--who was the co-editor of All's Fair, the book Matalin wrote with Carville that was released in hardcover in fall 1994 by RH and in trade paper by S&S in 1995.

As if that publishing connection weren't enough, consider this, the man behind the curtain for this particular happening is none other than Robert Barnett, the Williams & Connolly lawyer who has brokered book deals for both Hillary and Bill Clinton and dozens of other political figures--including a few for Mary Matalin herself. Barnett is sure to pitch Matalin books from his many politically minded clients, but he is apparently unworried about any conflict of interest. While Matalin is working as a publisher, he will not be representing her interests, he says. "I will be trying to ply money from her and she will be trying to deny money to me," he says. "The same way it works with all the other publishers."

The imprint will do between six to 10 titles per year, and Matalin will work with both Rosenthal and Pocket publisher Louise Burke.