Ann Godoff, a distinguished editor and publisher who guided dozens of best-selling and critically acclaimed authors, died on Tuesday in Albany, New York, at 76 from complications of bone cancer. Widely regarded as an 'author's publisher,' she spent more than three decades shaping the careers of prominent novelists and nonfiction writers at Random House and later at Penguin Press, which she founded.

During her tenure, she worked with celebrated writers including Ron Chernow, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and Alice Waters. She oversaw numerous blockbuster titles such as 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' and 'The Alienist,' and later edited major works by Gisèle Pelicot, Gavin Newsom, and Michael Pollan. Known for her editorial instincts and commercial savvy, she also made bold financial bets on high-profile memoirs that became best sellers.

Her abrupt dismissal from Random House in 2003 during a corporate restructuring stunned the publishing world and prompted many loyal authors to follow her to Penguin. Colleagues praised her rare ability to champion culturally significant books while achieving commercial success, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential publishers of her generation.