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Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. is an American independent book publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in
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, with a satellite office in Brattleboro,
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.


History

The current president and publisher is founder Tony Lyons, former president and publisher of Lyons Press until 2004. As noted by '' Publishers Weekly'', "Skyhorse's list will have some similarities to the old Lyons Press, with books on sports, flyfishing, nature and history a central part of Skyhorse's publishing program. The list includes narrative nonfiction, military history, gambling and business titles. In addition, onyLyons intends to bring back 'forgotten classics'."


Growth and expansion

In 2010, Skyhorse acquired Arcade Publishing with its portfolio of 500 titles, as well as another 300 titles through the acquisition of Allworth Press. Skyhorse also announced the 2011 acquisition of Sports Publishing with its 800 titles, and the launch of a children's and young adult imprint called Sky Pony Press. By 2011, Skyhorse grew "from one imprint to five, and from eight employees to more than 40"."Skyhorse Publishing, Sweden's Norstedt Ink Licensing Pact"
''Publishers Weekly'', October 13, 2011, retrieved July 17, 2015
The company "entered a three-year, 30-book licensing agreement with Norstedts of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
to acquire world English rights to a range of titles on crafts, health, fitness and cooking." In 2011, Publishers Weekly listed Skyhorse Publishing as one of the fastest-growing independent presses. Skyhorse added 250 new titles to its catalog with its acquisition of science-fiction and fantasy publisher
Night Shade Books Night Shade Books is an American, San Francisco–based imprint, formerly an independent publishing company, that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among its publications have been the U.S. edition of Iain M. Banks' novel ...
in 2013. Also, that year Skyhorse announced the launch of the new imprint, Carrel Books, catering to the library market with books on medicine/health, history, biography/memoir, business/careers, among others. In 2014, Skyhorse partnered with Perseus Books Group to acquire the assets of Good Books.  While Perseus retained the Mayo Clinic line of health books from the Good Books catalog, Skyhorse obtained all other books assets, including the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' Bestselling ''Fix-It and Forget-It'' series. Another Skyhorse imprint, Talos Press published its first book in 2014. In partnership with the literary agency, International Transactions, Skyhorse launched the new imprint, Yucca Publishing. In May 2015, partnering with
David Talbot David Talbot (born September 22, 1951) is an American journalist, author, activist and independent historian. Talbot is known for his books about the "hidden history" of U.S. power and the liberal movements to change America, as well as his p ...
, founder and former editor-in-chief of '' Salon'', Skyhorse launched the investigative book imprint Hot Books. Hot Books’ first title, released September 2015, was ''The Beastside: Living (and Dying) While Black in America'', written by D. Watkins. In an interview by Fresh Air host Terry Gross on NPR, Watkins  recounts harrowing stories of growing up in East Baltimore. Skyhorse started a new division in 2016 called Racehorse Publishing, which publishes a range of categories, including promotional titles, instant books, and classic works of literature.  The promotional line is operated under the new Clydesdale Press imprint.  Another new imprint, Seahorse Press, publishes books on boating, sailing and sea adventures. Skyhorse launched the new imprint Arcade CrimeWise to publish crime fiction, mysteries, noir, thrillers, and spy novels. To manage the close to 1,000 titles that it stood to publish in 2016, Skyhorse increased staff from 56 to 81 in 2015. Skyhorse Publishing had revenue of more than $43 million in 2015 and a backlist of 6,000 titles. With 93 people then on staff, the company planned to release 900 books in 2017 through its 18 imprints. Practical books for sports lovers, gardeners, cooks and gamers, etc., sold more than 3 million copies in total during 2015. Adult coloring books, first introduced in May 2015, have sold over 4,000,000 copies. In June 2017, a group of Skyhorse employees announced intentions to hold a union election in order to join
United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American Labor unions in the United States, labor union that represents workers in the Un ...
Local 2110. According to a National Labor Relations Board count, staffers fell short of the votes needed on November 30, 2018, with 18 voting for, 28 voting against, and an additional 23 votes submitted but counted as ineligible ballots. In April 2018, Skyhorse announced “a major reorganization” with job cuts of 16 full-time positions and plans “to reduce new titles published by ‘approximately 25 percent’ in 2018” compared to 2017, when it released 1,120 titles. Publisher Tony Lyons announced the decision in response to a decline in net sales by 19% in 2017, and issues related to paper shortages and book distribution. Skyhorse and
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
released the news in July 2018 that Simon & Schuster will distribute Skyhorse titles in the U.S. and most markets and territories around the world beginning on January 1, 2019.


Bestselling books and notable authors

In 2008, Skyhorse published the erotic travelogue ''Around the World in 80 Lays'', by Joe Diamond, writer for Playboy TV's travel series '' Sexy Things to Do Before You Die''. Skyhorses's 41st bestseller '' Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe'' by
Malcolm Nance Malcolm Wrightson Nance (born September 20, 1961) is an American author and media pundit. He is a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology. Nance is an intelligence and foreign policy analyst who fr ...
, debuts as #9 on the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...
bestseller list, July 3, 2016. ''The Case Against Impeaching Trump'' by Alan Dershowitz became a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' bestseller on July 29, 2018. Published through Skyhorse's Hot Books imprint, “Mr. Dershowitz said he wanted to offer a counterpoint to the raft of books arguing for the validity of impeachment.” On March 23, 2020, Skyhorse Publishing announced that it had acquired and released the memoir ''
Apropos of Nothing ''Apropos of Nothing'' is a 2020 memoir by American filmmaker and humorist Woody Allen. The book was originally due to be published by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, in April 2020, but on March 6, 2020, Hachette sai ...
'' by
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
through its Arcade imprint. The book, originally set for an April 7 release by
Hachette Book Group Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Gr ...
, was cancelled after Hachette employees staged a walkout in protest. ''Apropos of Nothing'' was listed on the April 26, 2020
New York Times Best Seller list ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
for ''Hardcover'' Nonfiction. On September 8, 2020, Skyhorse published '' Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump'' by Michael Cohen, which became a #1 ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' bestseller. The book, ''The Walk'' by
Philippe Petit Philippe Petit (; born 13 August 1949) is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his unauthorized high-wire walks between the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1971 and of Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1973, as well as between the T ...
, about his walk between New York's World Trade Center towers, released by Skyhorse on July 21, 2015, based on a major
motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
also titled '' The Walk'' directed by
Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy '' Romancing the Stone'' (1984), the science-fiction comedy '' Back to the Future'' film ...
and released on September 30, 2015. On September 16, 2016, Skyhorse released the official motion picture tie-in book
Snowden Snowden may refer to: * Snowden (surname), a given name and a family name People * Edward Snowden, former computer intelligence consultant who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 Music * Snowd ...
, timed to the release of the
Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...
film by the same name. The book '' Last Flag Flying'', by
Darryl Ponicsan Darryl Ponicsan (; born May 26, 1938) is an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1970 novel ''The Last Detail,'' which was adapted into a 1973 film starring Jack Nicholson. A sequel, ''Last Flag Flying'', based on his 2005 novel ...
, published by Skyhorse on September 5, 2017, has been made into a feature film. Sky Pony, the children's book imprint of Skyhorse, publishes a line of unofficial ''Hacks for Minecrafters'' books, and a series of original, unofficial novels. Along with Scholastic, the official licensing publisher of
Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before b ...
books in the U.S., the two houses publish the majority of Minecraft titles for kids. On May 17, 2021, Skyhorse announced that it would release
Blake Bailey John Blake Bailey (born July 1, 1963) is an American writer and educator. Bailey is known for his literary biographies of Richard Yates, John Cheever, Charles Jackson, and Philip Roth. He is the editor of the Library of America omnibus editio ...
's biography of
Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...
, '' Philip Roth: The Biography''. The book was originally published by W. W. Norton & Company, which withdrew it after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Bailey. On November 16, 2021, Skyhorse published the ''New York Times'', ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', ''Publishers Weekly'', and
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
bestseller ''The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health'' by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Skyhorse has published thirty-five titles about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, including many promoting conspiracy theories. David Corn
Trump's No. 1 Booster Goes Real Dirty to Attack the Clintons: With his new book and video project, can Roger Stone get any lower?
''Mother Jones'' (September 18, 2015)
The company was reported to have invested $1 million on acquisition, printing and marketing for the publication of eight new books on the subject in 2013; as well as $300,000 to $400,000 on the reprints of seventeen others. Authors on the subject published or re-published by Skyhorse include Richard Belzer, Gaeton Fonzi,
Jim Garrison James Carothers Garrison (born Earling Carothers Garrison; November 20, 1921 – October 21, 1992) was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, from 1962 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for his investigat ...
Mark Lane,
Peter Dale Scott Peter Dale Scott (born 11 January 1929) is a Canadian-born poet, academic, and former diplomat. A son of the Canadian poet and constitutional lawyer F. R. Scott and painter Marian Dale Scott, he is best known for his critiques of deep politics ...
, Roger Stone,
Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2 ...
, and
Harold Weisberg Harold Weisberg (April 8, 1913 – February 21, 2002) served as an Office of Strategic Services officer during World War II, a U.S. Senate staff member and investigative reporter, an investigator for the Senate Committee on Civil Liberties, and a ...
.


Criticism

Skyhorse Publishing has been criticised as a toxic workplace, and for printing books containing conspiracy theories. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' has described it as "almost comically agnostic on the truth". In 2013, the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
chided Skyhorse Publishing for allowing the ''
American Free Press The ''American Free Press'' is a weekly newspaper published in the United States. The newspaper's direct ancestor was ''The Spotlight'', which ceased publication in 2001 when its parent organization, Liberty Lobby, was forced into bankruptcy. One ...
'', whom they described as "an anti-Semitic periodical run by long-time Holocaust denier Willis Carto", to sell two of Belzer's books co-written with journalist David Wayne, ''Dead Wrong'' and ''Hit List''. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' called Skyhorse publisher Tony Lyons “the US publisher who picks up books ‘cancelled’ by other presses. In response, Lyons said, “Maybe the role of publishers is to bring people closer. To encourage them to read things they disagree with, that make them angry, but ultimately to learn things that help them bridge the gap to what they thought they hated but may find some nuance in.” In June 2022,
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
announced it would be distributing Skyhorse's forthcoming publication of the House Select Committee's report on the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The book will contain an introduction by Darren Beattie, a former Trump employee and conspiracy theorist who has referred to the Committee's investigation as a "witch hunt."


References


External links

* {{authority control Publishing companies of the United States Publishing companies established in 2006 American companies established in 2006 Book publishing companies based in New York (state) 2006 establishments in New York (state)