Simon & Schuster climbs into the publishing ring with the WWF

Simon & Schuster has signed a multi-year publishing agreement with the WWF for the exclusive global rights to produce books based on the entertainment property. The deal covers all major publishing categories, including autobiographies, calendars, illustrated books, fiction and books for young adults and kids. All WWF titles will be published under a new World Wrestling Federation Books imprint and will also be available in eBook and audio (cassette and CD) formats.

Simon & Schuster has yet to decide which kids books it will release this year, but the first general-audience title to come out of the deal will be another autobiography of a yet-to-be determined WWF wrestler. They may never receive Oprah’s Book Club imprimatur, yet World Wrestling Federation titles have become a force to be reckoned with in the publishing world over the last few years. In 2000, autobios of wrestlers Mankind and The Rock each spent more than 20 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, moving more than 700,000 units each.