• Meet the Imprint

Schwartz & Wade | March 24, 2017

by Stevie Durocher (Random House Children's Books)

Their Origin Story

Anne Schwartz and Lee Wade had worked together for many years before they decided to start their own imprint.  In 2005, they founded Schwartz & Wade Books; Anne started in February, and Lee followed shortly, in April.  2006 brought the publication of their first books.

The Transition to Publishers

Before Schwartz & Wade Books, Anne was the Editorial Director of Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint under Atheneum at Simon & Schuster.  Lee was the head of a large art department.  When they teamed up, their plan was for each of them to learn the how to do everything, with Lee learning the ins and outs of editing and Anne learning aspects of design.  Today, Lee says the balance of her position is 1/3 Publisher, 1/3 Art Director, and 1/3 Editor. 

Together, they would tackle the business of running an imprint, which was a new aspect of publishing to both Anne and Lee.  Fortunately, they had each other.  Their partnership and longtime friendship gave them the support they needed to tackle their new roles as Publishers.

Their Team

Anne and Lee started with a team of four; joining them in their new venture were Rachael Cole and Annie Kelly, who can still be found at Schwartz & Wade Books today!  Rachael is now an Art Director, and Annie is a Senior Editor.  Not long after founding their imprint, they realized their team needed the support of an Editorial Assistant as well. William Vogan can be found in that position today.

The Books

When asked how their books have changed overtime, Anne replied, “We publish what we love.  That’s how we make our decisions.”  It’s been the foundation of their publishing since day one, and it’s clear in everything they do.