Chelsea Green Publishing
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1984 in Vermont, United States |
| Founder | Ian Baldwin, Margo Baldwin |
| Headquarters | Vermont , United States |
Key people | Margo Baldwin (CEO) |
| Products | Books (non-fiction, progressive politics, sustainable lifestyles, children's literature) |
Chelsea Green Publishing is a United States-based publishing house that focuses on non-fiction works related to progressive political topics and sustainable lifestyles. Established in 1984 by Ian and Margo Baldwin in Vermont, the company has produced more than 400 titles and typically issues between 25 and 30 new releases each year.
History
After moving from New York City to Chelsea, Vermont, Ian and Margo Baldwin founded Chelsea Green Publishing, initially producing a diverse range of books spanning fiction, nature, travel, and art. Among their early publications were Karl Schwenke's In a Pig's Eye and Jean Giono's The Man Who Planted Trees. Despite this variety, the company encountered financial challenges by 1991.
To overcome these difficulties, business consultant Stephen Morris recommended concentrating on the expanding market of sustainable living and developing a robust catalog of backlist titles. He facilitated a distribution partnership with Real Goods Trading Company, which broadened Chelsea Green’s reach among environmentally minded consumers. Important titles in sustainable living from this period include Alan Scott's The Bread Builders, Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation, and The Straw Bale House, the latter achieving sales of 100,000 copies within five years despite a niche audience. Morris took over as CEO in 1998, with Margo Baldwin assuming the role in 2002.
During Baldwin’s tenure, the publisher extended its focus to encompass progressive politics and environmental subjects, releasing notable bestsellers such as George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant, Naomi Wolf's The End of America, and Robert Kuttner's Obama's Challenge. The latter stirred controversy in 2008 when it was exclusively released through Amazon’s print-on-demand service prior to the Democratic National Convention, resulting in diminished orders from Barnes & Noble. This title’s initial print run of 75,000 copies represented Chelsea Green’s largest at that time.
Starting in 2012, Chelsea Green initiated an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to gradually transfer company ownership to its staff. By 2015, employees owned 78% of the shares while the Baldwins retained the remaining 22%. That same year saw the publication of Jonathan Tasini’s The Essential Bernie Sanders, recognized as the first comprehensive volume outlining Sanders’ political platform.
Chelsea Green also produces children’s literature centered on environmental awareness and nature themes, including the Gaia Girls series by Lee Welles as well as Joel and Rachel Salatin’s Patrick's Great Grass Adventure published in 2017.
Further reading
External links
- Nemethy, Andrew (19 October 2014). "Progressive publisher Chelsea Green has found a novel way to success" (interview with CEO Margo Baldwin on VTDigger.org)
- Book publishing companies based in Vermont
- Publishing companies established in 1984
- Book publishing companies of the United States
- 1984 establishments in Vermont
- American companies established in 1984
- Environmental publishers
- Political book publishing companies
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment