William Targ

Author

1907 – 1999

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Who was William Targ?

William Targ was an American book editor, well respected in the field of commercial publishing. He is known for publishing Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather while editor in chief of G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Targ was born in Chicago to Russian immigrants. His name was originally William Torgownik. A high-school dropout with a passion for books and letterpress printing, Targ took a job as an office boy at Macmillan Publishers when he was 18. He opened his own bookstore at 22 in North Clark Street, Chicago. From 1942 to 1964 Targ worked as an editor for the World Publishing Company, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. He then moved to G.P. Putnam's Sons where, in 1968, he bought Puzo's novel for a $5000 advance. According to the New York Times, "'The Godfather' turned out to be the most profitable single novel ever published by Putnam's and the paperback rights were sold for more than $400,000."

Outside of the commercial realm, Targ was committed to the art of bookmanship and the ideals of the private press. After retiring from Putnam in 1978, he founded Targ Editions, a one-man operation he ran from his home in Greenwich Village.

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Born
1907
Chicago
Also known as
  • William Torgownik
Spouses
Children
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Died
Jul 22, 1999
Manhattan

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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