Rowman & Littlefield Explained

Founder:	Walter Rowman and Arthur W. Littlefield
Country:	United States
Headquarters:	Lanham, Maryland, U.S.
Distribution:	National Book Network (US) NBN International (UK)
Imprints:	Many

Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing company National Book Network based in Lanham, Maryland.

History

The current company took shape when the University Press of America acquired Rowman & Littlefield in 1988 and took the Rowman & Littlefield name for the parent company.^{[1] [2]}

Since 2013, there has also been an affiliated company based in London called Rowman & Littlefield International. It is editorially independent and publishes only academic books in Philosophy, Politics & International Relations and Cultural Studies.

The company sponsors the Rowman & Littlefield Award in Innovative Teaching, the only national teaching award in political science given in the United States. It is awarded annually by the American Political Science Association for people whose innovations have advanced political science pedagogy.^[3]

On May 29, 2024, Rowman & Littlefield sold its academic publishing business to Bloomsbury Publishing (with the exception of most of Globe Pequot, the Rowman & Littlefield trade publishing arm, Sundance-Newbridge, the National Book Network, or the company's trade distribution business).^{[4] [5]}

Imprints

Current imprints

• Alban (acquired 2014 from the Alban Institute)^[6]
• AltaMira Press (acquired 1999 from SAGE Publications)
• Amadeus Books (acquired 2018 from Hal Leonard)
• Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (acquired 2018 from Hal Leonard^[7])
• Ardsley House Publishers, Inc.
• Bernan Press (acquired 2008)
• Bonus Books
• Cowley Publications (acquired 2007 from the Society of St. John the Evangelist.^[8])
• General Hall (acquired 2000)^[9]
• Globe Pequot Press (acquired 2014 from Morris Communications)^[10]
• Down East Books (acquired by Rowman & Littlefield in 2013)^[11]
• Falcon Guides
• Gooseberry Patch (acquired 2015)^[12]
• Lyons Press
• Muddy Boots (launched 2016)^[13]
• Pineapple Press (acquired 2018)^[14]
• Stackpole Books (acquired 2015)^[15]
• Taylor Trade (acquired by Rowman & Littlefield in 2001)^{[16] [17]}
• Bridge Works (acquired 2000)
• Cooper Square Press (founded 1961 by Rowman & Littlefield, acquired 1988 by UPA)
• Northland Publishing backlist (acquired in 2007)^[18]
• including Rising Moon and Luna Rising imprints^[19]
• Northword Books for Young Readers (acquired 2007)
• Two-Can Publishing (acquired 2007)^[20]
• The Derrydale Press (acquired 1999)
• Madison Books (founded 1985 by UPA)
• M. Evans (acquired 2005)^[21]
• Roberts Rinehart (acquired 2000)^{[22] [23]}
• TwoDot Books
• Government Institutes (acquired 2004)
• Hal Leonard Books (acquired 2018 from Hal Leonard^[7])
• Hamilton Books (founded 2003)
• Ivan R. Dee (acquired 1998)
• Jason Aronson (acquired 2003)
• Limelight Editions (acquired 2018 from Hal Leonard^[7])
• Madison House Publishers (acquired 2000)^[9]
• Newbridge Educational Publishing (acquired 2008 from Haights Cross)
• Prometheus Books (acquired 2019)
• Rowman & Littlefield Education or R&L Education (formerly Technomic Books, acquired 1999)
• Rowman & Littlefield (acquired 1988 by UPA)
  • Philip Turner Books (founded 2009)
• Scarecrow Press (acquired 1995 by UPA from Grolier)
• Sheed & Ward (founded in the 1920s in London by Frank Sheed and his wife, Maisie Ward, both prominent in the Catholic Action movement; acquired 2002 from the Priests of the Sacred Heart)^[24]
• SR Books (acquired 2004 from Scholarly Resources, Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware)
• Sundance Publishing (acquired 2008 from Haights Cross)
• University Press of America (founded 1975)
• The World Today Series (acquired 2011 from Stryker-Post Publications)

Former imprints

Imprints formerly published by Rowman & Littlefield include:

• Lexington Books (Sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)^[4]
• Applause Books (Sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)^[4]
• Backbeat Books (Sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)^[4]

Distribution

• Bucknell University Press
• Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
• Lehigh University Press
• University of Delaware Press
• Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
• C&T Publishing

See also

• List of book distributors

Further reading

• A publishing phenomenon that begins and ends with Scarecrow Press. Anthony. Slide. Film History. 22. 3. September 2010. 298–308. . 10.2979/fil.2010.22.3.298. 192112592.

Notes and References

1. News: Streitfeld . David . Book Report . February 16, 2023 . . September 13, 1998 . subscription . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217005753/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1998/09/13/book-report/7d6a3446-a7a4-4391-bb78-57e6eeafed49/ . Feb 17, 2023 .
2. News: University Press, An Academic Publisher That Deals In Bulk. The New York Times. November 27, 1989. subscription . Edwin . McDowell . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224095855/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/27/business/the-media-business-university-press-becomes-big-distributor-for-small-publishers.html . Feb 24, 2024 .
3. Web site: Professor Van Vechten Named to Receive 2008 Roman [''sic''] & Littlefield Award ]. . 2008-07-12 . 2008-07-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080712014524/http://www.apsanet.org/content_53678.cfm . 2008-07-12 .
4. Web site: Milliot . Jim . Bloomsbury Buys Rowman & Littlefield Academic Division for $83 Million . 2024-05-29 . PublishersWeekly.com . en.
5. Web site: Spotlight . Rowman & Littlefield . https://archive.today/20240530132116/https://rowman.com/ . May 30, 2024 . May 29, 2024.
6. http://www.publishersweekly.com:8080/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/60578-rowman-littlefield-buys-alban-institute-book-program.html Rowman & Littlefield Buys Alban Institute Book Program
7. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Acquires Hal Leonard Trade Titles. Publishers Weekly. 2019-05-26. Jim . Milliot . Dec 17, 2018 .
8. Rowman & Littlefield Buys Cowley List . . Judith . Rosen . January 10, 2007.
9. Milliot . Jim . Rowman & Littlefield Makes Four Buys . 247. 50 . June 26, 2018 . December 11, 2000 . Publishers Weekly.
10. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Acquires Globe Pequot Press . PublishersWeekly.com . 2014-08-22 .
11. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Buys Down East Book Assets . PublishersWeekly.com . 2014-08-22 .
12. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Acquires Gooseberry Patch. PublishersWeekly.com. 2016-08-02.
13. Web site: Globe Pequot to Launch Children's Imprint. PublishersWeekly.com. 2018-10-15.
14. Web site: Rowman and Littlefield Acquires Pineapple Press. PublishersWeekly.com. 2018-10-15.
15. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Buys Stackpole Books. Jim. Milliot . Publishers Weekly.
16. Web site: Lanham company buys two publishing firms. Washington Business Journal. 2018-10-15.
17. Web site: Globe Pequot Launches Texas-Themed Imprint. PublishersWeekly.com. 2018-10-15.
18. Web site: Reporter. J. FERGUSONSun Staff. Flagstaff publisher ready to turn page. Arizona Daily Sun. September 8, 2007. 2018-04-20.
19. Web site: Rising Moon Launches Bilingual Imprint. PublishersWeekly.com. 2020-08-19.
20. Web site: News Briefs. Publishers Weekly.
21. Web site: News Briefs. PublishersWeekly.com. 2017-12-31.
22. Web site: PW: Roberts Rinehart Assets Sold To Court Wayne Press . PublishersWeekly.com . 2014-08-22 .
23. Web site: Rowman &Littlefield Makes Four Buys . PublishersWeekly.com . 2014-08-22 .
24. Web site: Rowman & Littlefield Buys Sheed & Ward . PublishersWeekly.com . 2014-08-22 .