Applewood Books president Phil Zuckerman announced that the press has completed the purchase of the assets of Commonwealth Editions, which it has distributed for the past 10 months. “This puts together two of the best respected New England publishing companies, and at the same time extends each company’s mission,” he said.
Both Massachusetts-based presses complement each other. To fulfill its mission of creating a picture of America through its primary sources, Applewood brings older, historical works back into print, while Commonwealth publishes new nonfiction for adults and children, often with a historical bent. Applewood, which was founded in 1976, has a 4,500- title backlist, which includes the original Nancy Drew mysteries, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior, and The Declaration of Independence. Twelve- year old Commonwealth, which was started by Webster and Katie Bull, has 125 active backlist titles, ranging from children’s books like Ed Shankman’s I Met a Moose in Maine One Day and Martha Day Zschock’s Journey Around Boston from A to Z to adult titles like Robert Allison’s A Short History of Boston. In 2006, the New England Booksellers Association named Commonwealth Editions Publisher of the Year.
According to Zuckerman, Applewood will continue to operate Commonwealth as a separate imprint.
