Arcadia Publishing facts for kids
 |
|
| Parent company | Lezen |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Distribution | Self-distributed |
| Key people | David Steinberger (CEO) |
| Publication types | Books |
| Imprints |
|
| No. of employees | 108 |
Arcadia Publishing is an American company that publishes books about local and regional history across the United States. Their books often include many pictures. Arcadia Publishing also owns The History Press, which publishes books mostly with words about American history and folklore.
Contents
How Arcadia Publishing Started
Arcadia Publishing began in Dover, New Hampshire, in 1993. It was first started by a company from the United Kingdom. In 2004, the company's CEO bought it, making Arcadia Publishing an independent company. Today, its main office is in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Arcadia Publishing has a huge collection of over 12,000 books. Along with its sister company, The History Press, they publish about 900 new books every year.
How They Make Their Books
Arcadia Publishing has a special way of creating their books. They work with local writers or historians who know a lot about their own communities. These writers create books that are usually 128 pages long. Each book includes 180 to 240 black-and-white photographs with descriptions. There are also short introduction paragraphs for each section.
The company has many popular book series. The Images of America series is their largest and most well-known. Other series include Images of Rail, Images of Sports, Images of Baseball, Black America, Postcard History, Campus History, Corporate History, Legendary Locals, Images of Modern America, and Then & Now.
Recent Changes and Growth
In May 2017, Arcadia Publishing bought Palmetto Publishing Group. This was a company based in Charleston, South Carolina, that helped authors publish their own books.
In 2018, a new company called Lezen, owned by Lili and Michael Lynton, acquired Arcadia Publishing. In March 2019, Walter Isaacson, a famous writer, joined Arcadia Publishing. He became an editor-at-large and senior adviser. His job involves promoting books, editing, and helping to develop new plans and partnerships for the company.
Since 2010, Arcadia Publishing has been a leader in using environmentally friendly paper. They were the first major publisher to print all their books on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. This means the paper comes from forests that are managed responsibly. All of Arcadia's books are also printed and made in South Carolina using American-made paper.
Companies Under Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing owns several other publishing companies, called imprints. Each imprint focuses on different types of books.
- Applewood Books: This company was purchased in 2023.
- Arcadia Children's Books: This imprint was started in 2019 and focuses on books for younger readers.
- Belt Publishing: This company joined Arcadia Publishing in 2024.
- Commonwealth Editions: This imprint was acquired in 2021 from Applewood Books.
- The History Press: This company was originally a part of a UK-based publisher. Arcadia Publishing bought its U.S. branch in 2014. The History Press specializes in books about local heroes, sad stories, old recipes, and historical mysteries. Some of their popular series are:
- American Legends: This series explores local myths, legends, and mysteries.
- Forgotten Tales: These books tell stories that have almost been forgotten over time.
- Haunted America: These books are about paranormal history and ghost stories from specific cities across the U.S., written by local authors.
- Pelican Publishing Company: This company was purchased in 2019. Pelican publishes books mainly about Louisiana and Southern culture, food, art, and history.
How Books Are Sold
All of Arcadia Publishing's books are printed in the United States. The company handles its own sales and distribution. Their sales are split into three main groups:
- Bookstore chains: Large bookstores with many locations.
- Independent bookstores, libraries, and museums: Smaller, local bookstores and public institutions.
- Nontraditional places: These include places like historical societies and even hardware stores, where people might find books about local history.
