Since 1949, Rowman & Littlefield has served as a beacon of the independent publishing world. With titles ranging from general interest to academic studies and parenting books, Rowman & Littlefield highlights authoritative, diverse voices from foremost experts in their respective fields. PW spoke with Christen Karniski, executive acquisitions editor for sports and recreation, parenting, and YA nonfiction, about the publisher’s 75th anniversary, its proven track record of success, and the books that matter to readers today.
Congratulations on 75 years! From your perspective, what characteristics continue to make Rowman & Littlefield unique in the world of publishing?
Our longevity as a leading independent publisher is built on academic rigor and publishing authoritative and entertaining books for a variety of audiences. Our endurance is fueled by our editorial programs aimed at general readers, scholars, educators, and professionals. That dedication is evident in our parenting titles which is reinforced by a network of experts who produce informative and engaging books suitable for general readership.
In what ways has Rowman & Littlefield evolved to inform, enlighten, and entertain new generations of readers?
We publish award-winning, timely and informative general interest titles, authoritative but student-friendly higher education textbooks, cutting-edge scholarly research, practical and inspiring professional resources, and indispensable reference works. We work with new and underrepresented authors as well as more established writers. Rowman & Littlefield embraces a culture of editorial independence, allowing us to acquire books that are responsive to present-day needs and confront pressing societal issues. By staying abreast of cutting-edge topics, we aim to enrich readers' perspectives on society, spanning from its broader dynamics to the realm of family life.
Books like Steadfast Parenting and Raising LGBTQ Allies focus on the work that goes into instilling values of compassion, kindness, and a sense of social justice in children. From your perspective, why are these titles so important? How can they bring families closer?
I think a lot of parents are looking for this sort of insight from parenting books—a focus not on raising “successful” children in the traditional sense of making money or having prestigious careers but on raising children who are kind, compassionate, and supportive of their peers, regardless of their race, economic status, sexuality, or gender. These titles support that shift and show parents how taking these steps will also strengthen their family as a unit.
How do you balance both uplifting your backlist titles and highlighting newly published works?
We have some really fantastic backlist titles and have been fortunate that, in many cases, we are able to bring them out in paperback alongside complementary frontlist titles to give them both the recognition they deserve. A great example of this is Raising LGBTQ Allies—which publishes this fall in paper after initially publishing in hardcover in 2021—and our spring title My Child Is Trans, Now What?. Both are really powerful, important books on supporting our children and showing them how to support their friends/peers, both publishing in 2024.
It must be inspiring to work with emerging experts across such a range of fields. What does it mean to you to discover and amplify new voices?
It’s such an amazing part of the job! There are so many wonderful experts out there with impactful messages, and to be able to work with them to develop their books and get those messages out into the world and into the hands of parents is such a privilege. I’m always looking for new voices with important stories to tell.
