Workman Publishing Company is an independent publisher of trade books and calendars, known primarily for non-fiction books along with calendars. Located in New York City, New York, US, the company includes several imprints with offices located throughout the United States. Peter Workman founded the company in 1968 when he published the book Yoga 28-Day Exercise Plan. As of July 2007, two-thirds of the books published by the company remained in print.
Notable publications
Paul H. Hanson, head of the art department and author, invented the Page-A-Day Calendar series covering a variety of topics. Among its bestsellers are B. Kliban's Cat, The Official Preppy Handbook, the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book, calendar, and television program. It publishes the bestselling pregnancy guide, What to Expect When You're Expecting, many of Sandra Boynton's children's books, and Brain Quest. Workman has also published many cookbooks, including Steven Raichlen's The Barbecue Bible series and Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso's The Silver Palate Cookbook. Workman’s flagship imprint is known for a very information-dense layout inspired by magazine publishers, with large amounts of illustration and a heavy reliance on sidebars to convey information not directly stated in the text itself.
Imprints
Algonquin Books
Algonquin Books was founded in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1983 with a goal to publish quality fiction and nonfiction by unpublished young writers. Although it started as a small Southern house, it garnered national attention for many now-renowned authors, including Julia Alvarez, Kaye Gibbons, Robert Morgan, Lee Smith, Tayari Jones, and Amy Stewart among many others. In 1989, Algonquin was acquired by Workman Publishing, one of the largest independent publishing companies in the United States. Today, it has offices in New York City and Chapel Hill and is recognized internationally as a literary house with numerous bestsellers, listing titles including Water for Elephants, A Reliable Wife, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, and Last Child in the Woods. Workman announced its acquisition of Algonquin in 1988.
Storey Publishing
Storey Publishing was founded in 1983 in North Adams, Massachusetts. The company specializes in do-it-yourself books on gardening, crafts, nature, backyard building and other outdoor topics as varied as building your own log cabin and tanning leather yourself. Storey also publishes nature, horse and craft books aimed at young readers under the Storey Kids imprint. Popular titles include Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables, and The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. Storey's authors include Judith Durant, Edward C. Smith and Gail Damerow. Workman acquired Storey in 2001.
Timber Press
Timber Press was founded in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, and has a second office in London. Timber focuses on more advanced gardening topics targeted at horticulturists, botanists, naturalists, and landscape professionals. Popular titles include The Edible Front Yard, What's Wrong With My Plant? , and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden. Timber's authors include David Deardorff, Ken Druse, Michael Dirr, Andrew Wilson, Scott Ogden and Kathryn Aalto. Workman acquired Timber in 2006.
