We humans populating the Pacific Northwest are known to be one of the
nation's most dedicated reading groups. Reasons provided to explain this
phenomenon are varied, from the long gray winters west of the Cascades that
promote warm and dry indoor activities to the isolation of the ranching
territories east of the mountains. And perhaps more recently the richness
and diversity of the crops produced by the wealth of regional publishers
could be playing a significant role.
The West Coast has more active publishers than any area outside New York
City, the traditional core of publishing in the United States. Our
Northwest region abounds in publishing houses not of the size of those New
York mega-conglomerates, but homegrown presses more attuned to local trends and interests and more human in scope. A stroll through Literary Market Place demonstrates that Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana play host to upwards of thirty general trade publishers of substantial size, along with multitudes of smaller one-to-few book companies and some really esoteric specialist presses.
These are general trade publishers, meaning they distribute their titles
significantly through bookstores. And they annually produce hundreds of
books on topics ranging from regional books in predictably popular
categories such as natural history, travel and recreation, western
Americana, local history and biography to books in quite narrow specialty
subjects. These subjects include horticulture, classical music and opera,
translations of European literature, law, business management, legal
self-help, literary fiction, fiction and non-fiction from women writers,
gay and lesbian literature, needlework crafts, poetry, writer's reference,
illustrated graphic novels, children's books, coffee table books on art and
photography. All these subjects and more are published often--and very
well--here in the Northwest. Profiles of many of the key players follow
this introduction.
How do books get published? What happens behind the doors of a regional
publisher? As a veteran of eight years in the business, I can thoroughly
recommend it as a never-dull lifestyle. The publishing year is patterned by
the cycles shaping two (sometimes three) seasonal lists of new titles. The
spring list comprises books that are published from January through June,
and the fall list books are published from July through December. Our
press typically publishes fifteen to twenty new books per season, hoping
that each list will yield at least one with potential for above average
profitability, along with a number of other titles with solid interest for
our niche markets. Sometimes our expectations are exceeded, and sometimes
we crash and burn when the numbers get tallied, but always there is the
delight of working with words and with authors of every shape, size, and
temperament.
Our six in-house editors apply themselves to as many as six manuscripts per
year, and they all must deliver their polished gems to our production
manager by a set deadline to be appropriately presented within the two
marketing seasons. Once the season’s books are catalogued, information begins to
flow at a rapid pace to the media and distribution channels of wholesale
suppliers and bookstores, and a little later to the general reading public.
At our press each year is additionally punctuated by a series of
conferences inviting us out into the world and connecting us with our
colleagues in the realms of publishing, horticulture, and music. We meet
book industry peers as well as many readers who use and value our books. We
are relieved of our sense of self-centeredness and isolation by renewed
contact with these communities pivotal to our future. The open spaces of
mind and geography in the Pacific Northwest make a rich and generous home
for us and for many other unique and unusual publishers.
The University of Washington Press is the nonprofit book publishing arm of the University of Washington . Since the first book published in 1920 it has published approximately 3,000 books, of which more than 1,200 are currently in print. The University of Washington Press publishes books in a wide variety of subject areas, with special emphasis on the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest , Native American art and culture, environmental studies, American ethnic studies, and international studies. In recent years, the Press has established co-publishing and distribution relationships with a growing list of international publishers from around the world.
Since a mid 1980s revitalization, the Washington State University Press, has released 173 titles, both scholarly and trade, and publishes 4 - 6 new titles each year. Their current books focus on the history, prehistory, natural history, culture, and politics of the greater Pacific Northwest, with a goal of increasing the knowledge and understanding of the region's vast resources and its society, both past and present.
The 15 books published each year by the Oregon State University Press provide Northwest readers with a better understanding of their region. A typical OSU Press catalog features new books on Native American history, on animal life in the region, on natural resource issues, and on the Northwest's rich literary heritage.
The teaching press at Portland State University , Ooligan is directed by faculty and staff and run by students enrolled in classes. The press is open to book proposals from inside and outside the university and publishes a variety of titles from explorative fiction to cookbooks with a narrative theme. They are very supportive of local authors.
In 1974, Copper Canyon Press established a permanent residency with Centrum, a nonprofit arts agency, at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. Since 1972, the press has published poetry exclusively. Copper Canyon publishes new collections of poetry by both revered and emerging American poets, anthologies, prose books about poetry, translations of classical and contemporary work from many of the world's cultures, and re-issues of out-of-print poetry classics. Copper Canyon has published more than 350 titles, including works by Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners.
Caxton Press has been publishing fine books since 1925, making it one of the West's oldest publishing houses. The Press now focuses its publishing efforts on western oriented non-fiction. Caxton also distributes titles for University of Idaho Press , Black Canyon Publications, Snake Country Publishing, Alpha Omega Publishing and the Historic Idaho Series.
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company began in 1968 with the publication of its first coffee-table book, Oregon , featuring the photography of Ray Atkeson. GACPC's list continues to grow and includes the imprints Graphic Arts Center Publishing, Alaska Northwest Books, and WestWinds Press. Their 300 titles appeal to such varied interests as photography, travel, cooking, children's, history, native heritage, gardening, and humor.
Celebrating more than three decades in the magnificent Pacific Northwest, Martingale & Company takes pride in enriching lives through inspiration, imagination, and innovation by creating distinctive books on a wide variety of arts and crafts. With more than ten million books sold to crafters around the world, Martingale & Company titles are renowned for their stunning photography, in-depth instruction, and cutting-edge content.
Martingale & Company produces more than fifty titles per year, including well-known and highly praised quilting books from the company's imprint, That Patchwork Place. Martingale & Company also publishes books on knitting, crochet, sewing, beading, and other crafts. Altogether, the company offers an extraordinary mix of books to inspire anyone with a passion for creativity.
Mountain Press is an independent publisher devoted to bringing high-quality non-fiction to both adults and children. The press currently focuses on geology, science, natural history, and western American history.
Born from the hand-scribbled trail maps and wilderness passion of its members, Washington 's more than 100-year-old Mountaineers Club established the nonprofit Mountaineers Books in 1960 to express and share its love of the natural outdoors.
Today, with more than 500 titles in print, Mountaineers Books -- along with its two imprints, Skipstone and Braided River -- is a leading publisher of quality outdoor recreation, lifestyle, and conservation advocacy books, including many award winners. Whether you're into outdoor activities, living a healthy lifestyle, or concerned about being a good steward of the environment, Mountaineers Books has the information you need to guide you on your next journey in confidence and safety. Look for the 8 th edition of our most prolific title, Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills in fall 2010.
Seattle-based Sasquatch Books publishes titles that represent the unique culture and lifestyle of the West. Subjects include cooking, gardening, children's literature, travel, and nonfiction. Sasquatch defines its region as the area that stretches from the Brooks Range to the Gulf of California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean . There are more than 200 books in their catalog.
Timber Press was founded in 1978 by legendary bookman Richard Abel . It is now an imprint of Workman Publishing . After initially publishing a variety of regional titles, and finding particular success with solid references in gardening and horticulture such as J.D. Vertrees's Japanese Maples, the press began to specialize in this area . It is now the world's leading publisher of plant references and books on gardening.
Timber continues to seek out the occasional regional title of merit. Recently published titles include The Oregon Companion by Richard Engeman, The Northwest Nature Guide by James Luther Davis, The Northwest Green Home Primer by Kathleen O'Brien and Kathleen Smith, and Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Steve Trudell and Joe Ammirati.
The mission of Tin House Books remains constant: To publish compelling and authentic narratives of our time. Tin House salutes the artistic edge but remains rooted in the tenets of the classic storytelling tradition. We publish 10-12 titles annually, literature, poetry, and non-fiction.
Chronicle Books continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, setting trends in both subject and format, maintaining a list that includes titles in design, art, architecture, cooking and photography as well as novels and children's books.
The University of Alaska Press publishes and distributes nonfiction works about Alaska, the north Pacific Rim, and circumpolar regions. Their expanding range of subject areas includes politics and history, Native languages and cultures, science and natural history, biography and memoir, and original translations.
UBC Press is the publishing branch of the University of British Columbia . They publish more than forty new books annually and have a backlist of 700 titles. UBC Press is a foremost publisher of political science, Native studies, and forestry books. Other areas of particular strength are Asian studies, Canadian history, environmental studies, planning, and urban studies.
University of California Press Berkeley, California www.ucpress.edu
One of the five largest university publishers in the nation, the University of California Press is especially well known for pioneering books on critical social issues, the collected writings of great authors, special editions of classics, beautifully crafted art books, major historical studies, and monumental works of research. The Press's mandate remains as strong as ever: it is to serve the University and the people of California , as well as scholars and university communities around the world, by giving voice to great ideas.
Within the worldwide scholarly community, University of Hawai`i Press is a leading publisher of books and journals on Asia, Asian Americans, Hawai`i , and the Pacific. Disciplines covered include the arts, history, language, literature, natural science, philosophy, religion, and the social sciences.
Stanford University Press Palo Alto, California www.sup.org
Stanford University Press publishes about 130 books per year. About two thirds of these books are scholarly monographs and textbooks in the Humanities and the Social Sciences, with a strong concentration in History, Literature, Philosophy, and Asian Studies, and growing lists in Politics, Sociology, Anthropology, and Religion. The remaining third are textbooks, professional reference works, and monographs in Law, Business, Economics, Public Policy, and Education.
