| Parent company | Independent |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Robert Franklin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Jefferson, North Carolina |
| Distribution | Worldwide |
| Key people | Robert Franklin, Rhonda Herman |
| Publication types | academic and adult nonfiction, scholarly journals |
| Nonfiction topics | pop culture, sports, military history, transportation, chess, medieval studies, literary criticism, librarianship |
| Number of employees | About 50 |
| Official website | www.mcfarlandpub.com |
McFarland & Company, Inc. is a book publisher of primarily academic and adult nonfiction based in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its president and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979.[1][2][3] McFarland employs a staff of about 50, and as of 2011 had published approximately 5,000 titles.[4]
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Its target markets are libraries and direct mailing to enthusiasts.[1] They have been noted in an editorial by Dr. Ron Hyatt (d. 2007)[5] of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for publishing of a high quality along a variety of interests. Of particular praise was their contribution to sports literature, especially baseball history.[1][6] According to the Mountain Times, McFarland publishes about 275 scholarly monograph and reference book titles a year.[4][7] The company now claims that figure has increased to 400 per year.[8] International chess master Jeremy Silman has called McFarland "one of the unsung heroes of the chess publishing world"[9] and "undisputed king when it comes to publishing works on chess history."[10]
Notable people within the organization include Franklin, Executive Vice President Rhonda Herman, who is noted for having brought the company into the electronic age,[7] and Acquisitions Editor Charles Perdue.[4]
McFarland claims to be three-time winner of the Governor's Business Award in the Arts and Humanities.[8]