The Dial Press

The Dial Press is an American publishing house founded in 1923. It has published many important literary works and is now an imprint of Penguin Random House. The press is known for literary fiction and non-fiction.

The Dial Press was founded in 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh in association with the literary environment surrounding The Dial magazine. The two organizations shared a building, and Scofield Thayer was connected with both. Although the press was founded in 1923, its first imprint appeared in 1924. From its early years, Dial developed a catalog that crossed boundaries between literary publishing and the wider trade-book market. The press became known for publishing a substantial range of authors and subjects. Its literary list included Elizabeth Bowen, Glenway Wescott, James Baldwin, Herbert Gold, Thomas Berger, Vance Bourjaily, Judith Rossner, and Norman Mailer, while its broader program included writers such as W. R. Burnett, Frank Yerby, Roy Campbell, and Susan Berman. Dial also issued translations and editions of classic works, including a collection of Dostoevsky’s short novels with an introduction by Thomas Mann and a translation by Constance Garnett. Other parts of the catalog included political writing, memoir, popular fiction, and illustrated books. In 1963, Dell Publishing Company purchased 60 percent of Dial Press stock. The press remained an independent subsidiary for a time and was jointly owned by Dell and Richard Baron. During this period, E. L. Doctorow served as editor-in-chief. Dell completed its acquisition in 1969, making Dial a wholly owned Dell operation. The ownership change connected the literary imprint to a larger commercial publishing company while preserving its separate publishing identity. Doubleday acquired Dell Publishing in 1976. The transaction was followed by changes to Dial’s structure and lists. Dial Books for Young Readers, the children’s division, was sold to E. P. Dutton. That division published books under the Pied Piper imprint. Dutton later became part of New American Library, which subsequently joined the Penguin Group. After Penguin acquired the relevant children’s rights, some books appeared in paperback under the Puffin Pied Piper name, reflecting the relationship between the catalog and Penguin’s established Puffin children’s publishing operation. Doubleday dissolved the Dial Press in 1985. The adult name did not disappear permanently: Carole Baron later revived it while serving as a Dell publisher within Bantam Doubleday Dell, with Susan Kamil directing its editorial work. The revived adult imprint achieved awards and bestsellers, showing that the Dial name retained value as an editorial and commercial identity even after the original company had ended. The corporate history continued through the sale of Bantam Doubleday Dell to Random House. In 2013, Penguin and Random House merged to form Penguin Random House. The adult Dial operation became associated with the Random House side of the combined company, while the young-readers strand was associated with the Penguin side. The history of The Dial Press consequently consists of several distinct phases: an independent literary publisher founded in the 1920s, a Dell subsidiary from the 1960s, a dissolved imprint in the 1980s, and a later revived name operating within large publishing groups. Its catalog demonstrates the press’s long-standing interest in both literary prestige and accessible trade publishing.

• 2013

  Penguin Random House is formed

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The merger of Penguin and Random House creates the group associated with the later Dial adult and young-readers publishing activities.

• 1985

  The original Dial Press operation is dissolved

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Doubleday dissolves the Dial Press, ending its then-current corporate operation.

• 1976

  Doubleday acquires Dell and the children’s division changes ownership

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Doubleday buys Dell Publishing, while Dial Books for Young Readers is sold to E. P. Dutton.

• 1969

  Dial becomes wholly owned by Dell

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Dell Publishing Company completes its acquisition of The Dial Press.

• 1963

  Dell acquires 60 percent of the stock

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Dell Publishing becomes the majority shareholder while Dial continues as an independent subsidiary.

• 1924

  First imprint issued

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The press publishes its first imprint after its establishment the previous year.

• 1923

  The Dial Press is founded

  [1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Lincoln MacVeagh establishes The Dial Press in the literary milieu connected with The Dial magazine.

A literary and trade publishing imprint with a historically broad list spanning serious fiction, popular fiction, nonfiction, classics, and children’s books.

• Literary and trade publishing · 1924

  Adult literary and trade books

  The adult list included literary fiction, commercial fiction, memoir, political writing, biography, and other general-interest books. Authors and titles associated with the list included James Baldwin, Norman Mailer, Elizabeth Bowen, Thomas Berger, Judith Rossner, Richard Condon, Roderick Thorp, and Hannah Tinti. The adult imprint was later revived within the Bantam Doubleday Dell and Random House corporate structures.

• Children's publishing

  Dial Books for Young Readers

  Dial’s children’s division published illustrated books, middle-grade fiction, and other young-readers titles. It was associated with the Pied Piper imprint before being sold to E. P. Dutton in 1976. After later corporate changes and Penguin’s acquisition of relevant rights, some titles appeared in paperback under the Puffin Pied Piper name.

• Series

  The Dial Detective Library

  A Dial Press series devoted to detective and mystery-related books. The available reference material identifies the series as part of the press’s historical book-series program but does not provide a complete publication list.

• Series

  The Bourbon Classics

  One of the named historical series associated with Dial Press. The reference material does not specify its full editorial scope or individual volumes.

• Series

  Permanent Library

  A historical Dial Press library series. The available material identifies the series but does not supply enough detail to describe its complete publishing program.

• Series

  The Dial Standard Library

  A named Dial Press series that formed part of the publisher’s library and classics-oriented offerings. Further series-level detail is not specified in the reference material.

• Series

  Fireside Library

  A historical Dial Press series listed among the publisher’s book programs. The available source does not define its full subject coverage.

• Series

  Library of Living Classics

  A Dial Press series focused on works treated as living or continuing classics. The source material does not provide a complete list of editions.

• 1985

  Dissolve the original Dial Press operationStrategy

  Background

  Following its acquisition of Dell, Doubleday ended the existing Dial Press structure.

  Action taken

  Doubleday dissolved the Dial Press in 1985.

  Aftermath

  The adult name was subsequently revived under Bantam Doubleday Dell and later became associated with Random House.

  Source

• 1976

  Sell the children’s division to E. P. DuttonM&A

  Background

  Doubleday acquired Dell Publishing and the Dial business was reorganized within the new ownership structure.

  Action taken

  Dial Books for Young Readers was sold to E. P. Dutton, while children’s titles continued through related imprints.

  Aftermath

  The children’s catalog later became connected with New American Library and the Penguin Group; some books appeared as Puffin Pied Piper paperbacks.

  Source

• 1969

  Complete Dell acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Dell had held a majority position in Dial Press since 1963.

  Action taken

  Dell Publishing Company made The Dial Press wholly owned.

  Aftermath

  Dial operated as part of Dell until Dell was acquired by Doubleday in 1976.

  Source

• 1963

  Accept a majority investment from Dell PublishingM&A

  Background

  Dial Press was operating as an independent publishing house when Dell Publishing acquired 60 percent of its stock.

  Action taken

  The press continued as an independent subsidiary after Dell became the majority shareholder.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement ended with Dell taking full ownership six years later.

  Source

• Revive the adult Dial imprintStrategy

  Background

  The Dial name retained editorial and market recognition after the original operation had been dissolved.

  Action taken

  Carole Baron revived the adult imprint within the Dell and Bantam Doubleday Dell environment, with Susan Kamil leading its editorial work.

  Aftermath

  The revived imprint published award-recognized and bestselling books before entering the Random House corporate structure.

  Source

• 2013

  Penguin and Random House merge[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The merger formed Penguin Random House and placed the relevant adult and young-readers publishing operations within the combined corporate group.

• 1985

  Doubleday dissolves The Dial Press[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Doubleday ended the then-existing Dial Press operation, although the adult publishing name was later revived.

• 1976

  Doubleday acquires Dell Publishing[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Doubleday bought Dell Publishing, changing the corporate setting of the Dial Press business and its associated lists.

• 1976

  Dial Books for Young Readers is sold to E. P. Dutton[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The children’s division of Dial Press was sold to E. P. Dutton and continued to be associated with the Pied Piper imprint.

• 1969

  Dell Publishing takes full ownership of The Dial Press[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The Dial Press became wholly owned by Dell Publishing Company.

• 1963

  Dell Publishing acquires a majority stake in The Dial Press[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Dell Publishing acquired 60 percent of Dial Press stock, while the press continued for a time as an independent subsidiary.

• The Dial Press adult imprint is revived[1]The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Leadership change

  Carole Baron revived the adult imprint while associated with Dell within Bantam Doubleday Dell, with Susan Kamil in editorial leadership.

1. 1The Dial Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Dial Press official websitedial-press.atrandom.com
3. 3The Dial Press Records, Yale Collection of American Literaturearchives.yale.edu