Jonathan Karp is an American editor, publisher, and writer who has built his career within the United States publishing industry. There is a noted discrepancy in the record regarding his birth year — one source places his birth on January 1, 1960, while the Library of Congress Name Authority File lists 1964 — but across either accounting, he has spent a substantial portion of his working life moving through some of the country's major publishing institutions.

Karp attended Brown University before making his way into the book world. He went on to serve as editor-in-chief at Random House, a role that placed him among the senior editorial figures in American trade publishing and reflected the combination of editorial skill and institutional leadership that has characterized his career. His work as an editor has run alongside his identity as a writer, giving him a perspective on publishing from more than one side of the desk.

He also founded Twelve, an imprint operating within the Hachette Book Group. That act of founding an imprint added another dimension to a career already spanning editorial work, writing, and publishing leadership, and it demonstrated a practical engagement with how books are produced and brought to readers beyond simply acquiring or editing individual titles.

Karp later served as president and publisher of Simon & Schuster, and he also held the occupation of chief executive officer during his time in the industry. Those roles together represent the breadth of his engagement with American publishing, from the close editorial work of shaping individual books to the executive responsibilities that come with leading a major house. His tenure across Random House, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster, along with his work as a writer, traces a career spent at the center of American trade publishing.