Based at the Book Farm in Atglen, Pa., Schiffer Publishing has largely flown under the industry radar since it was launched in 1974 by wife-and-husband team Nancy and Peter Schiffer. But the nonfiction illustrated book publisher today stands as an indie success story. Now under the direction of the Schiffers’ son, Pete, the company is celebrating its 50th anniversary, which included an August 3 party held at its headquarters that drew almost 220 employees, authors, and other guests to its working farm, which in addition to producing books, includes various animals and crops.
“It was a pleasure to celebrate Schiffer’s first 50 years with our dedicated team and creative authors,” Pete Schiffer told PW, adding that “bringing passions to life and inspiring readers” has been rewarding. “I’m thankful to all of our partners who have been a part of this journey, and to those who will be a part of our future.”
Though the publisher has chosen to maintain a relatively low profile, Schiffer has certainly been active in its efforts to expand the company over the years. Last fall it launched Schiffer Craft, a new imprint encompassing books on ceramics, textiles, floral design, glass art, woodworking, metal craft, jewelry, and leather. Schiffer already has about 1,000 titles in its craft category, and is using the new imprint to promote both its frontlist and backlist titles.
More recently, in March Schiffer took over complete ownership of Better Day Books. Founded in May 2018 by former Fox Chapel and Leisure Arts editor Peg Couch, Better Day Books began as a book consulting and packaging company. In August 2019, Couch signed a copublishing agreement with Schiffer, which gave her the funding to start a small publisher focused on adult coloring books, crafts, personal development, and children’s books. She published her first book, Watercolor the Easy Way, in January 2020 and now has 56 titles in print. Couch will continue to lead the imprint for Schiffer and release books under the Better Day Books name.
Pete Schiffer acknowledges that many people still think of the company in terms of its roots as an antiques and collectibles publisher (and it does have a list of about 2,000 titles in the category), but Schiffer has in fact branched out widely. It now has about 50 employees across 10 imprints and some 7,500 nonfiction titles, with military history and mind-body-spirit among its other biggest categories. Pete Schiffer said it is the range of its list that has helped keep Schiffer Publishing independent—and growing—for 50 years.
“The diversity in subject matter and demographics of our imprints enables us to weather the ups and downs of different trends and brings stability to the overall business,” Pete Schiffer explained. “In each of our imprints we look for titles that are new, fresh, and have a specific areas of interest that we can connect with.”
Notably, Schiffer has used acquisitions to build the company. Pete Schiffer points to the 2009 acquisition of Cornell Maritime Press/Tidewater Publishers, of Centreville, Md., as an example of how targeted acquisitions have helped grow the company by adding new categories while also deepening its presence in certain market segments. In the case of Cornell/Tidewater, the purchase added steady sellers in the maritime academies and industries, Chesapeake Bay regional titles for adults and children, and historical books about the mid-Atlantic states.
To reach an expanding audience, Schiffer has built its own distribution network that reaches well beyond the traditional bookstore market. To that end, e-commerce through both online retailers and its own direct-to-consumer efforts is an important distribution channel, Pete Schiffer said. And in the physical retailing world, Schiffer is very active in special markets such as gift and museum shops, which Pete Schiffer sees as important venues to reach customers who may not look for a book connected to their specific interest at a bookstore.
At the same time, the company doesn’t overlook traditional bookstores, and Pete Schiffer said the stores that do best with the publisher’s titles are the ones that “create a local feel to their selections.” The final piece in Schiffer’s distribution puzzle is international, since many of its topics are of interest to the global community.
Pete Schiffer also acknowledged the family’s desire to keep a relatively low profile in the industry. “We have always put our efforts into our work first for the creation and promotion of our titles to support our authors’ work,” he explained. But after decades of growth, Pete Schiffer said the company is now looking to raise its profile in ways that can help better connect its authors with more readers.
While he still believes the author or subject is much more important to a reader when buying a book than who the publisher is, success has elevated the Schiffer brand within the niche communities the publisher serves, which bodes well for the next 50 years. “Ultimately, the success of connecting our authors’ work with readers is our goal,” Pete Schiffer explained. “Their success is ours.”
