Pros
The pros relate to the golden years (prior to 2008): a wonderful variety of books to be involved with; supportive management who encouraged risk-taking and boldness; exposure and access to a variety of worlds through the authors we published; the sense you were helping to better the world with important work (and paying the bills with mindless commercial books). Sigh. Now it's 50 Shades of Heaven or, whatever.... On the practical side, I can't think of many areas where S&S is an industry leader any more. Well, their network and computer systems are actually quite advanced thanks to corporate owner CBS. Digital team has made more impressive efforts than any other house with the exception of Random House. Their art department is very talented. Um... That's about it
Cons
A craven and small-minded senior management team whose true colors presented themselves when sales slowed down (i.e., when the chips were down, they effectively stopped being leaders, burying their noses in spreadsheets). Bonuses for execs have been and will always be prioritized over jobs with the current senior management in place. Some business strategies: reducing xeroxing and making price points for books end in .99 cents vs .95. You can see where the Big Thinking is. Layoffs are a reality in this biz now (no getting around that, its everywhere) but S&S's inept, bloodless and insensitive handling of firings is so demoralizing it has corroded morale in the worst way. Are the people that work there motivated? No. They are scared for their jobs.