Boydell & Brewer was formed in 1978, with the merging of two companies, The Boydell Press (founded by Richard Barber in 1969), and D.S. Brewer (founded by Professor Derek Brewer in 1972). Since then, our flagship list in medieval studies (covering all the humanities) has grown and flourished, and we are regarded as the ‘publisher of choice’ in this field; but we have developed notable lists in other areas, especially music, early modern and modern history. Specialist areas include Arthurian studies; the history of religion; military history; and local history. We have also forged links with learned societies and university centres, such as the Royal Historical Society, the Victoria County History and the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York. We publish some 150 different titles each year and have offices in the UK and in the US.
The firm has remained entirely independent, and its owners and staff remain dedicated to its original aims: to publish the best scholarship in our areas of interest, and to disseminate it to the widest possible audience via our sales and marketing operations worldwide. The points below provide a brief overview of what we can offer our authors; and of course, we will always be glad to answer any questions or queries.
Peer Review
All books on our academic list are submitted to experts in the field for a rigorous assessment and examination. Our standards are extremely high and only titles with a very positive recommendation from the reviewer are submitted to the firm’s editorial board for consideration.
Personal Attention
We pride ourselves on the attention we devote to each title and author and on providing clear and supportive communication from the earliest contact onwards. In particular, we recognise the unique pressures of academic life, and work as closely as we can with all our authors to fit in with their schedules.
Production
Our view is that the quality of a book’s production, and the materials used, should live up to the quality of the work it contains. Our books are fully copy-edited, and queries brought to the author’s attention; we retain the practice of putting notes on page; and design flexibly around each book’s particular needs and specifications. We always aim to publish within ten to eleven months of receipt of material from our authors.
Sales & Marketing
We have our own teams in both our UK and US divisions. We work via catalogues, direct mail, press releases, and sample mailings, as well as via websites, internet and electronic media, to bring each book to its appropriate audience and specialist interest group. We also exhibit books at appropriate conferences and trade fairs, and send them for review to relevant journals. |
