F+W

F+W

Company type	Private (formerly)
Industry	Media, Publishing, E-commerce
Founded	1913 (1913) in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Defunct	2019 (2019)
Fate	Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; assets sold off
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Products	Magazines, books, digital content (e-books, e-magazines), online video content, online educational courses, e-commerce stores, consumer and trade exhibitions

F+W—previously known as F+W Publications and F+W Media—was a media and e-commerce enterprise based in New York City. Established in 1913 in Cincinnati, the company specialized in publishing magazines, books, and digital content such as e-books and e-magazines. Additionally, F+W produced online video content, provided online educational courses, and managed e-commerce stores alongside consumer and trade exhibitions.

History

The name F+W originated from two of its earliest publications: Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest. The company grew through various acquisitions, including book publisher David & Charles, Krause Publications in 2002, Horticulture, and Adams Media in 2003. In 2005, private equity firm ABRY Partners took ownership of F+W. Later, in August 2012, F+W acquired Interweave, an arts and crafts media company headquartered in Loveland, Colorado. The acquisition of New Track Media followed in 2014; this entity was rebranded as F+W. That same year, private equity firm Tinicum became the majority stakeholder.

Beginning in 2008, F+W redirected its strategy toward e-commerce operations closely tied to its content offerings. E-commerce revenue surged from $6 million generated by a single store in 2008 to more than $65 million across 31 stores by 2015. In May 2017, creditors exchanged debt forgiveness and new credit facilities for a 97% ownership stake.

Demise

After the CEO and two senior executives departed in January 2018, F+W implemented a workforce reduction amounting to 40%. On March 10, 2019, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. During a bankruptcy auction held in June 2019, Penguin Random House acquired F+W’s book publishing assets—a transaction that attracted some controversy. Various other properties, including Sky & Telescope, were divested separately.

Overview

F+W Media functioned as a provider of specialized-interest content and marketed enthusiast magazines, books, conferences, trade shows, and interactive media platforms. Its core focus areas encompassed art, crafts, writing, genealogy, antiques and collectibles, graphic design, and hunting.

In 2011, the company ventured into fiction publishing by acquiring Tyrus Books. The following year saw the introduction of imprints dedicated to romance (Crimson Romance) and young adult fiction (Merit Press). Operating approximately 20 community-focused units targeting niche interests, F+W released around 600 new book titles annually while maintaining a backlist of roughly 4,000 titles.

Notable brands under its umbrella included David & Charles, Impact Books, Krause Publications, North Light Books, Writer's Digest, and Interweave Press.

Situation after dissolution

Following the bankruptcy proceedings in June 2019, F+W’s assets were auctioned off.

Post-dissolution ownership distribution

Asset	New proprietor
F+W Books	Integrated as an imprint within Penguin Random House’s Penguin Publishing Group
F&W Media International	Returned to the David & Charles brand through a management buyout
Crafts division including magazines such as Beadwork, Burda Style USA (50%), Creative Machine Embroidery, Easy Quilts, Interweave Crochet, Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Love of Quilting, McCall's Quilting, Quick Quilts, Quilting Arts, Quiltmaker, and Sew News	Acquired by Peak Media Properties
Magazines including Handwoven, PieceWork, and Spin Off	Purchased by Long Thread Media
Fine Arts division featuring titles like Artist's Magazine, Pastel Journal, Southwest Art, and Watercolor Artist	Taken over by Peak Media Properties
Construction Trade segment with publications such as Frame Building News, Metal Roofing, and Rural Builder	Acquired by Shield Wall Media
Family Tree	Bought by Yankee Publishing, Inc.
Magazines including Horticulture, Popular Woodworking, and Writer's Digest	Purchased by Active Interest Media
Collectibles division with titles like Antique Trader, Bank Note Reporter, Coins, Goldmine, Military Trader, Military Vehicles, Numismatic News, Old Cars Price Guide, Old Cars Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, and World Coin News	Acquired by Active Interest Media
Sky & Telescope	Transferred to American Astronomical Society
Outdoors segment featuring magazines such as Deer & Deer Hunting, Trapper & Predator Caller, and Turkey & Turkey Hunting	Purchased by Media 360
Print	Owned by Print Holdings LLC

Several assets were divested prior to the bankruptcy filing:

Date	Publication	New owner
October 2015	World Tea News	Penton
October 2016	Gun Digest	Caribou Media Group
June 2018	Blade	Caribou Media Group