Charleston-based publisher thriving with niche market
Local historians' passion keeps business alive
A Charleston-based company that specializes in small-run books on local histories is thriving during difficult economic times.
The History Press works out of a former grocery store in downtown Charleston and sells its books in local stores and visitor centers in South Carolina and 19 other states.
The State newspaper reported Friday that the company published 20 titles in 2004 and now has a list of 500 books. Sales exceeded 200,000 this year.
Operations such as History Press "are something the publishing industry needs to talk about more often," said Michael Norris, editor of Simba's Book Publishing Report newsletter.
"It's not all about blockbuster novels put out by the major publishing houses. There are so many opportunities with niche publishing."
History Press founder Kirsty Sutton started the company at her dining room table and now has a satellite office in Salem, Mass.
"We definitely have hit a niche in the market," said Julie Foster, managing editor of History Press. "There are so many towns and communities that haven't had their history told in print."
Most of the company's authors come from county historical societies or local museums.
"There are outstanding local historians who have been working for decades keeping a town's or a county's or a region's history just because they're passionate about it," said Brittain Phillips, History Press' chief operating officer.
Most, like Eric Williams, already have done the research.
Williams researched local histories for 27 years to improve the tours he guided as a park ranger at Ninety Six National Historic Site. Two years ago, he and fellow park ranger Robert Dunkerly saw their "Old Ninety Six: A History and Guide" published. The book is sold at the park's visitor center in Greenwood County.
"It was one of my personal goals," Williams said. "I wanted to be published as a historian before I retired." He just made it; he will retire next month.
The History Press hopes to make a profit selling small quantities of lots of books. The typical title might have a press run of 1,000 to 1,800.
"For each one, we try to determine how many we're confident we can sell in a year or a couple of years," Phillips said.
Often the books are sold in shops in the towns the books are about.
"There's an inherent appeal in local products," Phillips said, "because people care about their communities."
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gdwyer (anonymous) says...
This is very cool.
I have a book on Francis Marion by History Press and it is well made and well written. I am sure there is not a copy-editing staff but the author either had enough pride in her work to pay a copy editor or was a better editor of her own writing than I am.
For so long, it was too expensive for most people to publish a book on local history. Now they personally may not make anything on it, but the publisher can earn a living. There's a book called "The Long Tail" that explains why this works due to the technology today.
December 27, 2008 at 6:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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