McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its current Editor-in-Chief is Steve Wilson. Its former president and current President Emeritus is Robert Franklin, who founded the company in 1979.[2][3] McFarland employs a staff of about 50, and as of 2019[update] had published 7,800 titles.[3][4] McFarland's initial print runs average 600 copies per book.[5]
 | |
| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Robert Franklin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Jefferson, North Carolina |
| Distribution | |
| Key people |
|
| Publication types | academic and adult nonfiction, monographs, reference material, scholarly journals |
| Nonfiction topics | pop culture, sports, military history, transportation, chess, medieval studies, literary criticism, librarianship |
| No. of employees | About 50 |
| Official website | mcfarlandbooks |
Subject matter
editMcFarland & Company focuses mainly on selling to libraries. It also utilizes direct mailing to connect with enthusiasts in niche categories.[6] The company is known for its sports literature, especially baseball history, as well as books about chess, military history, and film.[7][8] In 2007, the Mountain Times wrote that McFarland publishes about 275 scholarly monographs and reference book titles a year;[4][9] Robert Lee Brewer reported in 2015 that the number is about 350.[10]
Publications
editNotable book series
editThe following book series are among those published by McFarland & Company:
- "Contributions to Zombie Studies" (edited by Kyle William Bishop)[11]
- "Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy" (edited by C. W. Sullivan III and Donald Palumbo)[12]
Scholarly journals
editThe following academic journals are published by McFarland & Company:
- Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game – focuses on "baseball's early history, from its protoball roots to 1920"[13]
- Black Ball: A Journal of the Negro Leagues – focuses on "all subjects related to black baseball, including the Negro major and minor leagues, and pre–Negro league play"[13]
- Clues: A Journal of Detection – focuses on "all aspects of mystery and detective material in print, television and movies"[13]
- Journal of Information Ethics – focuses on information ethics and information science[10]
- Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies – focuses on "global territorial and maritime issues"[14][13]
- North Korean Review – focuses on an understanding of North Korea's "complexities and the threat it presents to global stability"[13]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "For International Customers". McFarlandBooks.com. December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018.
- ^ Roark, Fawn (September 30, 2004). "McFarland President to Speak at Entrepreneurial Conference". Mountain Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012.
- ^ a b "Company History". McFarlandBooks.com. McFarland & Company. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b "McFarland & Company Announces Promotion". Mountain Times. March 31, 2005. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013.
- ^ Slide, Anthony (2010). "A Publishing Phenomenon that Begins and Ends with Scarecrow Press". Film History. 22 (3): 300–301. doi:10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. JSTOR 10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. S2CID 192112592.
The initial print run for a book in the Filmmakers series, and, for that matter, most if not all Scarecrow titles, was six hundred copies. A similar print run has been the norm at McFarland and Greenwood Press.
- ^ Slide, Anthony (2010). "A Publishing Phenomenon that Begins and Ends with Scarecrow Press". Film History. 22 (3): 304. doi:10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. JSTOR 10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. S2CID 192112592.
McFarland [...] books were primarily aimed at the library market. It was a mail order publisher with no interest in bookstore sales, but unlike its major competitor, virtually from the start all of its books were typeset.
- ^ Martinez, Amy (April 1, 2012). "Amazon.com Trying to Wring Deep Discounts from Publishers". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013.
- ^ Slide, Anthony (2010). "A Publishing Phenomenon That Begins and Ends with Scarecrow Press". Film History. 22 (3): 305. doi:10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. JSTOR 10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. S2CID 192112592.
Most film scholars, students and buffs would assume that McFarland's main thrust has been towards film book Publishing [but] it is the largest publisher of military memoirs and baseball-oriented titles. It is also rich in books on women's, African-American, and gender studies, on U.S. history, and is proud of its automotive line. It also boasts of being the most prestigious publisher of historical and reference books on chess.
- ^ "VP Celebrates 25 Years at McFarland". Mountain Times. December 13, 2007. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013.
- ^ a b Brewer, Robert Lee (August 5, 2014). 2015 Writer's Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books. ISBN 978-1-59963-860-7.
- ^ Guynes-Vishniac, Sean (2018). "The Zombie and Its Metaphors". American Quarterly. 70 (4): 903–912. doi:10.1353/aq.2018.0072.
- ^ Schlobin, Roger C. (2011). "Review of A Short History of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. 22 (2): 292–298. JSTOR 24353191. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Journals". McFarlandBooks.com. McFarland & Company. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015.
- ^ "JTMS Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies". JTMS Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018.