Cynthia Black—In Memoriam

The Beyond Words family was saddened by the loss of Cynthia M. Black, our president and editor in chief. She passed away in her beloved Hawaii at the age of 61.

As a long-time friend put it, “She was a woman on a mission and that mission was to help enlighten the world through books and film.” Cynthia had perseverance, hope, imagination, humor, and a vision of the future that helped Beyond Words, in partnership with Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, become one of the greatest publishing houses in the self-discovery genre.

Cynthia is best known for her work as the editor of The Secret, a book that has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Although she may be best known for that title, she worked on more than three hundred books in her lifetime and was always there for any author who needed help in developing ideas and concepts. She was so grateful to all of you as our partners in publishing, so grateful to collaborate over the years to produce cutting edge content that will help change the mindset of the world. She was a great mentor to many, and her presence will be greatly missed.

Over the past few years, Cynthia embarked on a healing journey. We are all blessed to have been part of that journey, and she wanted us to hold a memory of her spirit soaring. As we mourn the loss of this dynamic woman, we aim to take what we learned from Cynthia and move forward with the Beyond Words brand that she helped cocreate—just as she would wish. Our shared vision will continue to drive our decisions, customer interactions, and our passion for the possible in both life and work.

Beyond Words and the Black family wish to express our gratefulness for the love and support of so many who were touched by Cynthia’s life.

Sincerely,
Richard Cohn
Publisher