Ann Godoff, who became one of publishing’s most accomplished editors over her 40-year career, died February 24 from complications of bone cancer. She was 76.

At the time of her death, Godoff was president and editor-in-chief of Penguin Press, the imprint she founded in 2003. The offer to form Penguin Press came from Penguin executive Susan Petersen Kennedy less than two weeks after Godoff was dismissed as publisher of the Random House Trade Group as part of a reorganization that created the Random House Ballantine Publishing Group.

Godoff’s first hire at Penguin Press was Scott Moyers, who is now publisher. In a memo to staff, Moyers called Godoff’s impact on American book culture “incalculable,” noting that her ability to find authors across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry resulted in not only “innumerable” bestsellers but “multiple winners of every major award.”

Her reputation and relationships with agents and authors were strong enough that 40 writers, many from Random House, signed with Penguin Press in its first year, Moyers wrote. Among the 12 books on the press’s inaugural spring 2004 list were Steve Coll’s Ghost Wars, which won the Pulitzer Prize, and Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton and Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind, which have both sold well over a million copies.

“Ann built Penguin Press on the foundation of her core beliefs as a publisher,” Moyers wrote. “She leaned against the constraints of trends and chose authors and books with an eye toward building careers. She was confident in her taste, but eager to learn from her colleagues. The long game was always clear: to shepherd into the world the next generation of classics.”

Godoff got her start in publishing working for Alice Mayhew at Simon & Schuster before moving to Atlantic Monthly Press, where she was editor-in-chief and worked alongside Morgan Entrekin and Gary Fisketjon. In 1991, she joined Random House as executive editor and eventually succeeded Harry Evans in 1997 as president, publisher, and editor-in chief of RHTG.

During her time at RHTG, Godoff cemented her reputation as an editor and publisher of quality works that proved to be commercial successes as well. Among early examples are John Berendt’s multi-million-copy bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, Caleb Carr’s The Alienist, Ron Chernow’s Titan, and Zadie Smith’s White Teeth.

Across her career, one of Godoff’s most loyal authors was Michael Pollan. She edited all 10 of his books, including his latest, A World Appears, which published last week. Two other books Godoff edited that have just hit bookstores are the memoirs A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot and Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom

“Ann lived the credo of her beloved author Mary Oliver: ‘to pay attention, this is our endless and proper work,’” Moyers wrote. “She made us all braver and better, and everything we do is on the foundation she built.”

Godoff is survived by her partner, Annik LaFarge, her brother Peter, his wife Heidi, and their children Lara and Nicky.