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 former president and current editor-in-chief 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]
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| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Robert Franklin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Jefferson, North Carolina |
| Distribution |
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| Key people |
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| 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 |
McFarland & 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]
The following book series are among those published by McFarland & Company:
The following academic journals are published by McFarland & Company:
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.
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.
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.
