The Haworth Press History

The Haworth Press, Inc., was officially incorporated in 1978 by Mr. Bill Cohen and Mr. Patrick McLoughlin. At that time, Bill was Director of Marketing at Human Sciences Press, Inc. (now owned by Plenum Press), and Patrick was President of Human Sciences Press, Inc.

Background of the Partners

Bill Cohen, co-founder of The Haworth Press, Inc., completed his undergraduate education at Columbia College (Columbia University, New York), with a major in psychology.

After graduation at the age of 21, he was hired by Human Sciences Press, Inc., as a Clerk/Typist and Filing Assistant. Most notable was his unusual ability to type 180 words per minute without errors on the standard electric typewriter used at that time.

Mr. McLoughlin had been Advertising Manager at Pergamon Press and Academic Press, Inc. He was hired when he was approximately 40 years old by Human Sciences Press, Inc.

At the age of 24, Bill Cohen had risen to Director of Marketing for Human Sciences Press, Inc., and was responsible for organizing and assessing direct-mail campaigns of approximately 1,000,000 pieces per year for professional books and journals. He was also responsible for the publicity system of the company—i.e., the selection of journals and newsletters to which review copies of books ranging from gerontology to psychiatry would be mailed for potential notice or review.

Launch of Haworth

At the age of 26, Bill left Human Sciences Press, Inc., along with Pat, and both partnered the founding of The Haworth Press, Inc. The name was taken from the township of Haworth in England, which was the home of the famous literary Brontë sisters.

Previous to his departure from Human Sciences Press, Inc., Bill spent about four hours each night for six months at the library in the School of Library Science at Columbia University to attain a self-education in librarianship.

Haworth’s first publishing project was the Library Security Newsletter, which Bill edited himself. The Newsletter was an instant success, achieving over 1,000 library subscriptions upon publication of Volume 1, Number 1.

Six months after the Newsletter was established, Bill met with Sylvia Clarke, then Director of Social Work at The Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Ms. Clarke agreed to assume the Editorship of a new quarterly journal, Social Work in Health Care. This journal was also an instant success, with over 3,000 paid subscribers before the first issue was printed.

A Bedroom Office

During this period, Haworth utilized a post office box in Manhattan. The actual physical location of Haworth was in Bill’s bedroom, where stacks of manuscripts, mailing lists, advertising materials, and business forms decorated the room from floor to ceiling.

During the next 10 years, Haworth moved from office to office in Manhattan, each one larger than the next, until Mr. McLoughlin organized a massive move to Binghamton, New York, which had a plentiful labor market and where city and county governments provided many incentives for new firms. A secondary main office was established in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where journal production was centered. Haworth also purchased a facility in Kirkwood, New York, that now houses our printing and binding operation as well as our warehouse and shipping department.

From 1975 to 1999, the firm grew from two periodicals to over 200 journals and 80 original books per year. For 2006, Haworth expects to publish over 230 journals and 100 original books.

Change in Ownership

Until 1994, the company was run by Bill Cohen and Patrick McLoughlin. In 1994, Bill bought out Patrick’s share in the firm and moved the firm forward under single ownership. Patrick died several years later after a long illness.

Inhouse Reorganization

In 1995, Bill moved the firm forward under its single ownership and instituted a new management system.

A Board of Directors was established, consisting of

• Bill Cohen, as President and Publisher
• Al Horowitz, CPA (owner of Haworth’s accounting firm) as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Controller
• Bruce Thaw, JD, (the company’s new attorney) as Secretary and Chief Counsel.

Roger Hall was promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations, and is administrator for day-to-day operations of the Binghamton and Hazleton offices and the Kirkwood printshop/warehouse.  Operations were merged and rearranged under a grouping of several Vice Presidents. They are currently:

• Kathy Rutz, Vice President, Community
• Zella Ondrey, Vice President, Publications
• Andrew Cary, Vice President, Production & Plant Manager
• Karen Andrews, Vice President, Information Technology & Digital Resources

The Vice Presidents preside over a staff of 168 inhouse employees, along with a small number of freelancers, part-timers, night-shift workers, and outsourcing services (some consisting of social service agencies in the City of Binghamton which provide work for the handicapped).

Editorial Reorganization and New Imprints

Editorially, books and journals are classified by primary subject and clustered under imprints, each of which is headed by an outside academic Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor responsible for professional/scholarly book and journal acquisitions.

• Best Business Books®
• Food Products Press®
• Harrington Park Press® (with sub-imprints Alice Street Editions [lesbian fiction and literature] and Southern Tier Editions [gay male fiction and literature])
• International Business Press®
• The Haworth Hospitality Press®
• The Haworth Information Press®
• The Haworth Medical Press®
• The Haworth Pastoral Press®
• The Haworth Social Work Practice Press
• Pharmaceutical Products Press®

Under the imprints are book series and journal clusters, again arranged by subject area. By 1999, there were:

• approximately 5 Editors-in-Chief
• approximately 75 Book Program Senior Editors
• approximately 240 outside Journal Editors

Terry Trepper, PhD, was given the role of Editor-in-Chief, Behavioral and Social Sciences, in 2005, and will play a pivotal role in the direction of acquisitions in this area for Haworth.

Sales and Marketing Upgraded

Trade Sales

Paperback books from many imprints which have moderate trade potential are promoted through traditional channels to bookstores. These distribution channels reach independent and chain stores, the superstores, and specialized book outlets. Sales for Haworth’s trade titles are buttressed with 20 regionally based commissioned trade reps who call upon the independent stores, the chain store/superstore buyers, and wholesalers/jobbers. In 1998, the trade line expanded into fiction with a gay male novel under the Harrington Park Press imprint, and now Harrington Park publishes over a dozen works in gay and lesbian fiction.

Overseas/Foreign Sales

Both the academic line and the trade line have profited from the establishment of two separate lines of overseas sales representatives. The first group of representatives is responsible for selling the sci/tech/ medical line. The second group of representatives is responsible for foreign/overseas sales of the trade (popular) line. Representation has been achieved in the major English-language countries overseas, as well as countries where English language books and journals traditionally sell well. In 2005, Haworth made its debut at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and regular attendance will foster growth in international sales and an expanded foreign rights and permissions program.

Inhouse Production

During the past 10 to 15 years, the firm has concentrated on bringing almost all typesetting and printing inhouse, a plan which has proved to be ideal for the development of electronic publishing:

• The strategy first began with the typesetting process. Journal Editors were encouraged to send word-processing diskettes along with typed or word-processed manuscripts to the Journal Division. The word-processed files were translated into typesetting files using an electronic converter manufactured by Shaft Stall—an electronic mechanism similar to the “Universal Translator” popularized by Capt. Kirk in Star Trek.
• The printing of books and journals was brought inhouse after the introduction of the DocuTech developed by the Xerox Corporation.
• Book covers, initially limited to two-color artwork, soared into beautiful full-color artwork after the purchase of four-color DocuColor printing engines.
• Updated typesetting equipment has become the basis for conversion of journal pages into electronic Internet web-based journal distribution as the firm enters the new millennium.

Haworth now has a new state-of-the-art printing press, called the iGen-3, which produces beautiful four-color reproductions at top speed.

With its innovative use of new printing technology, The Haworth Press is one of the few publishing houses able to print and bind all of its books and journals inhouse.

Target Marketing

During its first 20 years, the firm identified “niche” areas in such major disciplines as library science, social work and human services, gerontology and aging, marketing, gay/lesbian/bisexual studies, and at least 15 additional subject fields. Haworth continues to identify and dominate “niche” areas determined to be “hot topics” with the potential to grow in importance and popularity. In all cases, a multipronged marketing plan is established: a new subject area would be the basis for at least several journals, a textbook program, a professional-level handbook program, and if possible, a trade book program. Each subject area group synergistically profits from overlapping marketing of journals, technical books, and popular books. Continued Growth through Technology Haworth plans to continue to grow and improve in all functions. We will soon debut its new Web site, entirely redesigned with enhanced navigation and features, and a new electronic manuscription submission system will be in place in early 2006. All of Haworth’s over 200 journals are available electronically for print subscribers, and new issues are put online in the production stage, months before the print version is available. Single journal articles are available for purchase via our Web site, and e-books and e-journal suites are under consideration at this time as well. Other improvements in the production of journals are forthcoming in order to cut production time in half.

Continued Growth through Technology

Haworth plans to continue to grow and improve in all functions. Our new Web site debuted in 2006, entirely redesigned with enhanced navigation and features. Future enhancements will include RSS feeds for journal contents, improved site-wide search capabilities, e-book products, a new electronic manuscription submission system, new sections on journal collections, updates on Haworth’s community involvement, and much more.
All of Haworth’s 200-plus journals are available electronically for print subscribers, and new issues are put online in the production stage, months before the print version is available. Single journal articles are available for purchase via our Web site, and e-books and e-journal suites are under consideration at this time as well. Other improvements that will cut journal production time in half are forthcoming.