The Globe Pequot Publishing Group
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Book publishing |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Fate | Rebranded from Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group after sale of academic and professional publishing segment to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024 |
| Headquarters | Lanham , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Regional and specialized trade books; book distribution (National Book Network) |
The Globe Pequot Publishing Group—previously known as Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group—is an independent American book publisher established in 1949. The company operates various imprints to produce regional and specialized trade books and owns the book distribution firm National Book Network, headquartered in Lanham, Maryland.
History
The origins of the company trace back to 1988 when University Press of America purchased Rowman & Littlefield, subsequently adopting the Rowman & Littlefield name for the parent organization.
Since 2013, a related London-based branch, Rowman & Littlefield International, has functioned autonomously with a concentration on scholarly publications in Philosophy, Politics, International Relations, and Cultural Studies.
In 2014, the acquisition of Globe Pequot Press broadened Rowman & Littlefield’s trade publishing offerings.
The organization supports the Rowman & Littlefield Award in Innovative Teaching, an annual national accolade recognizing excellence in political science education, awarded by the American Political Science Association.
On May 29, 2024, Rowman & Littlefield divested its academic and professional publishing segment to Bloomsbury Publishing for $83 million. This transaction excluded most of the Globe Pequot trade publishing arm (with the exception of Applause Books and Backbeat Books), the Sundance Newbridge educational division, and National Book Network. Following this sale—and the transfer of rights to the Rowman & Littlefield name and trademark—the parent company rebranded itself as The Globe Pequot Publishing Group.
In September 2024, The Globe Pequot Publishing Group sold Sundance Newbridge to Lerner Publishing. Additionally, it announced plans to discontinue National Book Network by late 2025, shifting distribution responsibilities to Simon & Schuster Distribution Services.
Current imprints
- Astragal Press
- Globe Pequot Press (acquired in 2014 from Morris Communications)
- Down East Books (acquisition completed in 2013)
- Eclipse Press
- Falcon Guides
- Gooseberry Patch (added to portfolio in 2015)
- Lyons Press
- Muddy Boots (introduced in 2016)
- North Country Press (joined in 2022)
- Pineapple Press (acquired in 2018)
- Riverbend Publishing
- Sheridan House
- Stackpole Books (obtained in 2015)
- Union Park Press
- Waterford Press
- Northland Publishing backlist (acquired in 2007), including Rising Moon and Luna Rising lines
- TwoDot Books
- Prometheus Books (acquired in 2019)
Former imprints
Rowman & Littlefield previously published under these imprints:
- Lexington Books (transferred to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- Applause Books (sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (acquired from Hal Leonard in 2018)
- Backbeat Books (sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- Bernan Press (purchased in 2008; sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- Hal Leonard Books (acquired in 2018; sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- Amadeus Books (acquired from Hal Leonard in 2018)
- Limelight Editions (bought from Hal Leonard in 2018)
- Jason Aronson (acquired in 2003; discontinued by 2014)
- Rowman & Littlefield Education (formerly Technomic Books; acquired in 1999)
- Rowman & Littlefield (acquired by UPA in 1988; sold to Bloomsbury in 2024; imprint phased out by 2025)
- Philip Turner Books (established in 2009)
- Alban (acquired from the Alban Institute in 2014; sold to Bloomsbury Publishing in 2024)
- AltaMira Press (purchased from SAGE Publications in 1999)
- Ardsley House Publishers, Inc.
- Bonus Books
- Bridge Works (acquired in 2000)
- Cooper Square Press (founded by Rowman & Littlefield in 1961; acquired by UPA in 1988)
- Cowley Publications (obtained from the Society of St. John the Evangelist in 2007)
- The Derrydale Press (acquired in 1999)
- General Hall (added in 2000)
- Government Institutes (purchased in 2004)
- Hamilton Books (founded in 2003)
- Ivan R. Dee (bought in 1998)
- M. Evans (acquired in 2005)
- Madison Books (established by UPA in 1985; backlist sold by Globe Pequot as of 2025)
- Madison House Publishers (added to portfolio in 2000)
- Newbridge Educational Publishing (acquired from Haights Cross in 2008)
- Northword Books for Young Readers (obtained in 2007)
- Roberts Rinehart (purchased in 2000)
- Scarecrow Press (acquired from Grolier by UPA in 1995)
- Sheed & Ward (originated during the 1920s; acquired from Priests of the Sacred Heart in 2002)
- SR Books (purchased from Scholarly Resources, Inc. in 2004)
- Sundance Publishing (acquired from Haights Cross in 2008)
- Taylor Trade Publishing (added to holdings in 2001; backlist sold by Globe Pequot as of 2025)
- Two-Can Publishing (obtained in 2007; backlist sold by Globe Pequot as of 2025)
- University Press of America (founded in 1975)
- The World Today Series (purchased from Stryker-Post Publications in 2011)
Distribution
- Bucknell University Press
- Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
- Lehigh University Press
- University of Delaware Press
- Scholarly Press of the Smithsonian Institution
- C&T Publishing