• L.A. Times, Monday, April 4, 2011 5:15 PM

In case you've ever wondered -- yes, crossword puzzle aficionados definitely add to the New York Times' bottom line, paying for $39.95 digital subscriptions, the 900-number clue line, and puzzle books, according to puzzle editor Will Shortz.

"And all that money, all the reprints, flow to The Times, so the crossword is a very successful and profitable feature for the newspaper," he says.

Meanwhile, in a letter to L.A. Times readers about that paper's crossword puzzles, Merl Reagle, now sole creator of its Sunday puzzles (the other long-time creator recently passed away), said he would be developing more adventurous crosswords.

"Right now, the New York Times crossword is the puzzle that everyone talks about, and I just think that the L.A. Times crossword should get in on that conversation -- and even be a bit more fun in the process," he said.

Read the whole story at L.A. Times »