Stephen Rubin, Publisher Of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ And Other Blockbusters, Dies At 81

NEW YORK — The late Stephen Rubin, a publishing executive of extensive tenure who published blockbusters including “The Da Vinci Code” and “Fire and Fury” and had a keen eye for bestsellers and a deep interest in music and public life, has passed away. Rubin, among others, helped initiate the career of John Grisham. At age 81, he died.

After “a brief and sudden illness,” Rubin passed away on Friday at a hospital in Manhattan, according to his nephew, David Rotter.

It is difficult to conceive of a book publishing industry without the influential and colorful presence of the raspy-voiced Rubin, who adorned himself for decades in suits and fashionable spectacles and whose extensive circle of acquaintances and colleagues included Jacqueline Kennedy and Beverly Sills. His expansive apartment on the West Side served as the venue for memorable gatherings, and he was a frequent source of rumors and eloquent, irreverent, and affectionate evaluations of colleagues, friends, and the greater world.

The Associated Press received an email from close friend and former CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Jane Friedman, who stated, “He would enter a room and immediately fill it.” “He had intense preferences and aversions, and he never changed his mind.”

In the 1980s, Rubin, a former journalist for The New York Times, entered the publishing industry and rose to prominence at Doubleday, where Kennedy once served as editor-in-chief, and Henry Holt and Company. His most recent position was with Simon & Schuster as a publishing consultant.

Stephen Rubin, Publisher Of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ And Other Blockbusters, Dies At 81.

The million-selling “Killing” history series by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom, “Bring Up the Bodies” by Hilary Mantel, and “Decision Points” by former President George W. Bush—a million-selling book that Rubin assisted in signing—were among Rubin’s many notable accomplishments.

Executives of books aspire to supervise even a single phenomenon: At a minimum, Rubin scored three times.

Early in the 1990s, he was beginning his career at Doubleday when the publisher prepared to publish “The Firm,” a thriller by obscure author John Grisham. The novel helped make Grisham synonymous with courtroom drama and marked the beginning of a long friendship between him and Rubin, who would admit to using the author’s good looks in promotional ads (Grisham would rebel for a time by appearing in photo shoots unshaven).

Ruskin was an outstanding publisher, according to a statement by Grisham. “With the ability to place books on bestseller lists, which he particularly cherished, he was an avid reader.” Loyal, benevolent, and unabashed in his viewpoints, he embodied the ideal qualities of a writer. “He was almost never mistaken, but never uncertain.”

A decade later, Doubleday signed an unknown author who had sold few copies for Simon & Schuster but had a promising manuscript for a religious/art mystery set in Europe. “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown became an instant and enduring sensation due to its unremitting promotional campaign, which included distributing thousands of advance copies to booksellers and others in the industry. Despite disapproval from certain religious authorities and criticism from fellow authors and critics, sales of the book surpassed 70 million copies.

The book’s phenomenal success propelled Brown’s previous works, “Angels & Demons” and “Digital Fortress,” to the status of bestsellers as well.

Executives of books aspire to supervise even a single phenomenon: At a minimum, Rubin scored three times.

Brown stated, “Steve’s contagious enthusiasm for my work was the stuff of every author’s dreams.” “Steve, an accomplished oenophile of international caliber, used to envoy cases of opulent Italian wines to me. He even joked that it was a secret scheme to endow me with a refined palate so I could never afford to cease writing. His confidence, support, and, most importantly, his friendship have made me eternally appreciative.

Rubin, in his mid-seventies, experienced one more extraordinary journey in 2018. He oversaw a signature book of the Trump presidency, Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury,” for which Rubin consented to serve as its publisher and overseer. Rubin and Wolff met for cocktails two years prior, during which he became acquainted with the veteran and frequently controversial journalist.

As the first book to vividly depict the administration’s ongoing chaos, “Fire and Fury” was so unfavorable that Trump dismissed a top aide, Steve Bannon, for having spoken with Wolff and threatened to obstruct its publication. The book would be “the most extraordinary experience” of Rubin’s career.

Rubin wrote in his memoir “Words and Music,” which was published earlier this year, “For over a month, it was humanly impossible to miss ‘Fire and Fury.'” “The outcome was favourable for both Michael and Holt.” “It was thrilling and enjoyable as well.”

Rubin, a native of New York City, had music, particularly opera, as his initial and enduring passion. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University after he graduated from New York University. (A waste of money, he later wrote). He began his career at UPI and Vanity Fair before contributing to The New York Times Magazine with biographies of Luciano Pavarotti and Sills, among others.

Rubin began his career at Bantam Books, a renowned paperback publisher, in the mid-1980s. He remained at Bantam Books for six years before his departure to Doubleday. During his lifetime, he maintained a deep affection for opera and classical music. In addition, he collaborated with his late wife, Cynthia, in managing the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, an endeavor that brought him immense satisfaction.

He understood, however, that books, particularly the ones that sold the most copies, would characterize his legacy. Within his memoir, he provided a concise yet unfinished prognosis: “I presume that the title of my obituary will read, ‘The publisher of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ passes away.'”

SOURCE – (AP)