Ben Raeburn: Publisher for the Aspiring Writer

Ben Raeburn was an American publisher known to publish the complete works of Frank Lloyd Wright. He owned the Horizon Press, which published authors’ works even before they found their niche of audience or writings no one was willing to buy. Oftentimes, Raeburn’s published books come in exquisite designs. Among the writings Raeburn edited and published were essays by Albert Einstein, Gunnar Myrdal, Darryl F. Zanuck, William O. Douglas, and Bertrand and Patricia Russell.

Being a good storyteller, Raeburn has told many stories and published them but his own story about being arrested in 1935 was known to no one. Raeburn was indicted for sending materials considered obscene through the mails for the Falstaff Press where he was working as the manager. He was sentenced to two years in penitentiary in 1939.

In 1984, Raeburn sold Horizon Press. But its influence has been widespread such that the Publishers Weekly, the trade magazine of the book industry, honored it with the Carey-Thomas Award for its distinguished publication: “An Autobiography” written by Wright.