Northwest Publishers

by Kristine Ekman

Summary

Northwesterners are independent people. We often defy the stereotypes that plague other parts of the country. Our diction is so clear no one can place it. Our habits and interests range from the provincial to the cosmopolitan. No one can escape the inspiring majesty of the Cascade Mountains, the sweetness of fresh picked berries or the speculative spirit that has produced unimaginable material wealth.

One thing is not up for debate. Those who call the Pacific Northwest home like to read. A study by the University of Wisconsin placed Seattle as the second most literate city in the nation ( Portland fared well at ninth). You see it all over the place. Newspapers spread over tables at local cafes, bus riders with noses deep in novels and diners--forks in hand--flipping through the latest account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Around every corner someone is breaking the spine of a new purchase, taking in the first lines of an adventure that will lead them into uncharted territory.

We are curious about our own history, the world beyond our borders and the possibility of the unknown. Long, overcast winters and shortened daylight hours make for perfect reading conditions. Snuggled up beside a crackling fire with a latte', a typical Northwesterner will hibernate for months emerging only to visit the library or local bookstore.

It is no mystery then that the Northwest has more active publishers than any area outside New York City. With the list below, we seek to acquaint you with the range and valuable contributions offered by these unique publishers.

For like Northwesterners themselves, these companies can not be defined in any traditional way. There are academic publishers who add to thoughtful intellectual discourse. There are publishers who focus solely on hobby instruction and those who promote historically underrepresented communities. Some are genre specific and others publish a little bit of everything. Only four produce more than 100 books a year. The others put out any number, from as few as 4 titles on up to 90. Many encourage local writers to submit. So sharpen those pencils and warm up your computers. With a little luck this list will help all you aspiring wordsmiths out there to join the rosters of Pulitzer winners and National Book Award nominees.

University of Washington Press

Seattle, WA

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 history, Asian American 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.

Washington State University Press

Pullman , WA

Since a mid 1980s revitalization, the Washington State University Press, has released 153 titles, both scholarly and trade, and publishes 6 - 8 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.

Oregon State University Press

Corvallis , OR

The 15 books published each year by the OSU 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.

Caxton Press

Caldwell , ID

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.

Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company

Portland , OR

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.

Martingale & Company

Woodinville , WA

Martingale & Co. has published over 400 titles and sold 12 million books worldwide. Martingale has been instrumental in launching the careers of many of today's most renowned quilt making, knitting, and crafts artists.

Mountain Press Publishing Company

Missoula , MT

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.

The Mountaineers Books

Seattle , WA

The Mountaineers Books began when the leaders of the club's climbing course published their course notes as the book, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills , the standard text for climbing courses around the world. The Mountaineers Books is the largest publisher of outdoor books in the country, with more than 500 titles in print. Its titles range from outdoor instruction and guides for hikers, climbers, cyclists, paddlers, and skiers, to adventure travel, mountaineering history, natural history, and conservation.

Sasquatch Books

Seattle , WA

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.

Story Line Press

Ashland , OR

Story Line celebrates the art of story through poetry, novels, short stories, criticism, writers' guides, memoirs, essays, and translation. Story Line sponsors one of the largest first book competitions in the country, the Frederick Morgan Poetry Prize.

Timber Press

Portland , OR

Timber Press was founded in 1978 by legendary bookman Richard Abel and was sold to Portland lawyer Robert Conklin in 1989. Specializing in gardening and horticulture, Timber Press subjects run the gamut from irises, tropicals, and tulips to classic houses, science for gardeners, and garden lighting.

Ooligan Press

Portland , OR

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.

Copper Canyon Press

Port Townsend , WA

In 1974, Copper Canyon Press established a permanent residency with Centrum, a nonprofit arts agency, at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. 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 240 books and CDs, including works by Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners.

Beach Holme Press

Vancouver , B.C.

Now celebrating over thirty years of Canadian publishing, Beach Holme Press remains true to its literary roots and to promoting indigenous creative writing to the wider Canadian public. Novels, plays and short fiction are published under the Porcepic Books imprint. Beach Holme also publishes black-and-white illustrated children's books and a young adult fiction line.

Chronicle Books

San Francisco , CA

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.

University of Hawaii Press

Honolulu , HI

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.

University of British Columbia Press

Vancouver , B.C.

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.

Stanford University Press

Palo Alto , CA

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.

Seal Press

Seattle , WA

Seal Press was founded to provide a forum for women writers and feminist issues. It has published novels, books on women's health and on the role of women in colonial African society. Seal Press is an imprint of Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.

University of California Press

Berkeley , CA

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.

University of Alaska Press

Anchorage , AK

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.

Ananse Press

Seattle , WA

Seattle-based Ananse publishes books by and about African Americans. Their books include histories of African Americans in the Pacific Northwest , a memoir of a breast cancer survivor and children's books that address topics important to the African American experience.

Collector's Press

Portland , Ore.

Collector's Press publishes poster books, gift book sets, large format art books, and limited editions. The Retro series contains focused topics and cookbooks based upon nostalgic themes.