By 1988 Tor and St Martin's together topped all US sf publishers in terms of number of titles published, 256 but Tor found this too much, and dropped from twelve sf/fantasy/horror titles per month to 9. The senior editor in charge of sf and fantasy then became Patrick Nielsen Hayden. Beth Meacham left in 1989, but continued (from Arizona) as an executive editor. In 1988, Tor introduced Tor Doubles, similar to the old Ace Doubles (see Dos). At the end of 1986 Doherty and his partners sold Tom Doherty Associates, Inc to St Martin's Press, a move perhaps connected to the bankruptcy of Pinnacle (Tor's paperback distributor on a contract basis), and to Tor's rapid expansion which had left Tor temporarily short of cash but Doherty stayed on to run Tor. Tor expanded rapidly, publishing only a few sf titles in 1981 but 137 in 1986, which made them one of the most important sf publishers. This put two of the most expert sf editors in the US in the same company.

Beth Meacham became sf/fantasy editor in 1984, soon becoming editor-in-chief David Hartwell became consulting sf editor the same year, remaining with the firm until his death in 2016. The first editor-in-chief was Harriet McDougal, and first head sf editor was Jim Baen, who left in 1983 to form his own company in 1984.

Doherty had previously been in control of Ace Books for five years. US publishing company – initially of paperbacks and later moving into hardcover also – founded by Tom Doherty, then aged 44, in 1980, in conjunction with Richard Gallen the first titles were published in 1981.

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