CRP publishes a wide range of general nonfiction, including music, film, popular science, history, biography, and travel. It also produces children's books under its Lawrence Hill Books imprint.
Founded in 1973, Chicago Review Press has grown to become a midsize publisher with more than 1,000 titles in print. The list includes both contemporary and classic titles, and it is distributed through Independent Publishers Group (IPG). It continues to seek smart and quirky books that have something to say or uncover a neglected facet of history.
Founded in 1973
Founded in 1973, Chicago Review Press started out as a regional small press that published books in the fields of general nonfiction and children's activity publishing. It has since grown into a dynamic midsize company with a list of national interest. Under its five imprints, Chicago Review Press publishes about 50 new titles yearly.
The Press is a division of Independent Publishers Group (IPG), one of the largest book distributors in the country. IPG markets a wide variety of independent publishers from well-established academic and university presses to obscure press authors with only a single title.
In addition to publishing books, Chicago Review Press also provides a variety of business services to its authors and publishers. These include editing, proofreading, and copyediting. It also offers a range of e-book publishing options.
IPG’s distribution and warehousing services provide a cost-effective way for smaller presses to get their work into the hands of readers, especially those in the trade market. For this reason, many of the best-selling books that IPG distributes come from independent publishers.
As a result, IPG works closely with Chicago Review Press and its authors to ensure that their books reach the best possible audience. This includes offering advice on copyright and author royalty issues.
The Press also has an in-house copyediting department and an extensive archival and preservation program. As a result, its backlist of books is now over 5,750 titles strong.
For the past four decades, Chicago Review Press has been at the forefront of scholarly publishing in the humanities and social sciences. Its authors have produced groundbreaking work that drives scholarly and public discourse.
During that period, the Press grew in size and prestige as it developed innovative projects. It was the first press to manage a cooperative program of exhibits at professional and learned societies.
The Press also pioneered the use of e-Books to bring its journals to an expanded audience of scholars and scientists. It also created an advanced accessibility program to make its journal content accessible to people with print disabilities.
Imprints
Chicago Review Press has a number of imprints that focus on specific genres or topics. For instance, Lawrence Hill Books focuses on nonfiction centered on African American experience and voices. Amberjack Publishing specializes in commercial and literary fiction written by and for women. Academy Chicago Publishers offers memoirs and mysteries, among other well-crafted titles.
Another imprint is Interlude Press, a boutique publisher of LGBTQ+ general and romantic fiction. Its list includes bestsellers by authors Julian Winters, C.B Lee, and Julia Ember, as well as one-sitting reads by other contemporary writers.
In addition to its own imprints, Chicago Review Press also publishes titles through its subsidiary Independent Publishers Group (IPG). IPG is a national distributor that represents about 1,600 books a year from more than 300 small, independent publishers.
IPG distributes primarily through wholesalers, bookstores, and online channels. Its distribution network is extensive and serves a wide range of book buyers.
The company has been a steady growth force since it was founded in 1973 by Joe Matthews, a former professor of literature at the University of Chicago. The company’s name, which reflects its resolute independence from the University of Chicago Press, was derived from the Japanese title of a translation of Miyazawa Kenji’s poem “The Home Invaders.”
From its inception, Chicago Review Press has been a strong proponent of social justice and political activism. The company is particularly interested in nonfiction about social and socialist issues.
It also publishes books by women of color, notably those who are members of the LGBT community. The company has also a special focus on biographies, cultural criticism, and current affairs and politics.
In the past decade, the company has made a number of acquisitions. Most recently, it bought Tulsa-based Council Oak Books, a book publisher that aims to advocate for women’s issues.
As the company grows and develops, it continues to look for new opportunities to expand its list. Besides purchasing Council Oak Books, Chicago Review Press also purchased Fulcrum Publishing and Ripple Grove Press in the last two years. It also owns a minority interest in Triumph Sports, a leading supplier of books for athletes and their coaches. Its list also includes a growing amount of Spanish-language titles.
Submissions
Founded in 1973, Chicago Review Press is an independent publisher of literary fiction, non-fiction, and memoir. The company publishes about 50 titles a year under a number of imprints including Amberjack Publishing, Zephyr Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Academy Chicago, and Parenting Press.
They are interested in acquiring works that reflect the uniqueness of the City of Chicago and explore its history, culture, people, and lore. They are particularly seeking local authors with a passion for the area. They will work with you to help your book achieve the greatest possible visibility through publicity and marketing.
In addition to literary fiction, they also accept nonfiction for adults and children. They are especially interested in work that encourages an interest in reading, fostering critical thinking, and developing character development.
Some of the themes they accept include music, science, and film. They also prefer manuscripts that engage young readers. They look for titles that appeal to a variety of readers and are written with engaging language.
If you want to get your work published in Chicago, you should consider submitting it to one of these reputable publishing companies. These companies are known for their excellent services and have been in the business for decades. Besides, they offer top-notch editing services that ensure your content is polished and ready for publication.
For instance, University of Illinois Press is a great place to submit your work, as they accept manuscripts on a wide range of subjects, spanning literature, music, art, and media studies. They are also open to scholarly works in sociology, biology, and life sciences.
They are also a good choice for submissions on cultural and social issues, as well as anthropology and archaeology. They are also interested in books that examine issues related to women and African American studies.
Another good option for scholarly or nonfiction work is the University of Chicago Press. They are one of the oldest and largest publishers in the country, and they have a reputation for excellence in their publishing. They are also open to a wide range of genres, such as sociology, literature, and philosophy.
Distribution
CRP has an excellent distribution system, thanks to its wholly owned subsidiary Independent Publishers Group (IPG). Founded in 1987 and acquired by IPG in 2006, IPG now represents about 1,600 books a year from some 300 publishers. It includes large, well-established academic and university presses, as well as small, obscure ones.
A growing list of Spanish-language titles is also part of IPG's repertoire. The company also has a growing collection of children's books and professional development titles for teachers.
The IPG website is a good place to find out more about the company's books and services. It is well organized, easy to navigate and informative.
IPG is one of the largest distributors of independent and small-press titles in the U.S. It handles the warehousing, marketing, and shipping of some 15,000 titles a year.
As a company, IPG is very apolitical and above all commercial. Its list of clients includes some serious fiction and journalism, but salability is more important than literary awards to the company's executive director, Mark Suchomel.
During its 35-year history, IPG has grown at a steady rate of about 35 percent per year. Its current roster of titles encompasses many different genres, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, memoir, nonfiction about music and film, popular science, and children's books.
While most book distribution companies have a relatively low profit margin-generally less than 10 percent-IPG's profits have historically been higher than average for the industry. IPG's growth has been driven largely by the increasing number of consumers seeking out more diverse and interesting books to read.
A lot of this growth came in the 1990s, when books were marketed more directly to readers by bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. The larger superstores were able to offer more variety of books because they could order them in bulk. These retailers, which accounted for only a few percent of the market in the early 1990s, now make up more than half the marketplace today.
Despite these changes, IPG remains committed to serving the needs of its customers and the books they publish. It continues to work on e-books, metadata feeds and EDI, point-of-sale data, and other technologies that will help it serve its customers better. It also is preparing to offer more customized course materials to help educators meet their specific needs.