Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is making a play for Simon & Schuster. The powerhouse publisher was put up for sale by its owner, ViacomCBS, in March, and the company has since fielded more than half a dozen inquiries, according to three people familiar with the process who declined to be named because the matter remains confidential. In addition to News Corp, which already owns HarperCollins, the other leading bidder is Penguin Random House, according to the people. Penguin Random House, the largest book publisher in the United States, is owned by German media giant Bertelsmann.