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 |
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]
