The Robertson clan of Duck Dynasty fame helped drive CBS Corporation’s fourth-quarter profits to record levels. In an interview with Publishers Marketplace, Carolyn Reidy, CEO Simon & Schuster, which is part of CBS Corp., pointed to the best-selling Duck Commander books—including Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson, Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson and The Duck Commander Family by Willie and Korie Robertson (all published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster)—as one of two key major properties that drove heavier than normal sales in print.

In CBS’ 2013 earnings release, Simon & Schuster reported fourth-quarter sales of $225 million, an increase of $10 million from the last quarter of 2012. The publisher’s 2013 total sales tally was $809 million, up $19 million versus the year before. The release said that the higher sales “reflect growth in print book sales.”

“We are really grateful for the support we receive from Simon & Schuster for our Christian publishing program,” said Jonathan Merkh, vice president and publisher of Howard Books. “2013 was a tremendous year for Howard Books with the Duck Commander brand and many other great authors, and a terrific reminder of the power of our publishing and editorial efforts in combination with the larger S&S sales and distribution infrastructure. We hope to build on this year's success.”

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