About AltaMira Press

Company Overview

AltaMira Press exists to disseminate high quality information of value to those who research, study, practice and read in the humanities and social sciences with a particular focus on helping in the professional development of those who work in the cultural life of a community—the museum, historical society, arts center, and church.

Among the features that characterize AltaMira are:

• the focus on interdisciplinary work, breaking long-standing boundaries
• attempting to provide all the informational needs of our customer groups from college textbooks to advanced reference and professional materials
• a desire for partnerships with organizations for whom we can provide expertise in dissemination and publication
• a reliance on aggressive direct marketing to potential customers
• worldwide marketing of our products through a network of affiliates and distributors
• inexpensive paperback editions of most works
• a special focus on applied, didactic products directly needed by the customer for everyday professional practice
• both an ethical responsibility and a sense of humor as we carry about our work

A BRIEF HISTORY

AltaMira began in February 1995 as the humanities division of Sage Publications, Inc. Since its inception, AltaMira has been steadily growing and expanding its scope. From publication of 4 new titles in 1995, the list in 2005 has grown to about 350 books in print plus software and journals. Our publishing partners include the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), the International Sacred Literature Trust, World Archaeological Congress, and a half dozen other organizations. In the summer of 1999, AltaMira became part of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, a prolific publisher of academic materials in humanities and social sciences and the distributor for almost 100 trade book publishers through their National Book Network. Joining Rowman & Littlefield has allowed AltaMira to increase its capacity to reach the general public with its works and greatly improved our relations with wholesalers, bookstores, and libraries.

Now passing its tenth anniversary, AltaMira Press can already claim to be the preeminent publisher of professional materials on museums and on local history in North America. This is partly because of our partnership with the AASLH and various other museum and local history organizations, our software, and two leading museum journals.

AltaMira is also a preeminent publisher in the field of archaeology, where we are the publisher of choice for those engaged in cultural resources management and public archaeology work. We have also had significant impact in anthropology, Asian American studies, Native American studies, and comparative religion. We publish a large number of world-renowned authors as well as works by many junior authors, our attempt to develop an innovative new generation of thinkers and writers in our fields of publication. We boast having a saint on our book list (St. Romanos, the author of the 6th century Konatakia of the Eastern Orthodox Church) and royalty as a series sponsor (Prince Philip of England is Patron of the International Sacred Literature Trust book series). But, generally, our authors are scholars or professionals.

OUR RECORD

In ten short years, we've gone from a startup publisher to one that sells more books than a majority of university presses. Along the way, we've won more than our fair share of honors—a dozen books have been selected by the key magazine for academic librarians, Choice, as outstanding academic works, something awarded to only 1% of the books they receive annually. We have received numerous other awards for our books from scholarly and professional organizations. These include winning the best popular archaeology book award from the Society for American Archaeology two years in a row and Publisher of the Year award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.

More important to us, we get regular comments from our customers about how useful they find our books. That's the best award of all.

OUR FIELDS AND PRODUCTS

AltaMira currently publishes informational materials in the following fields:

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Asian American Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• Local History
• Museum Studies & Practice
• Native American Studies
• Religion
• Research Methods
• Sacred Texts

We have developed a mix of products to meet the informational needs of our customer groups. These include:

• advanced undergraduate textbooks
• supplemental texts for upper division undergraduate and grad courses
• innovative academic works of scholarly merit in our main publication fields
• professional books providing practical guidance to "cultural practitioners"
• reference books in paper and electronic format
• serious trade books in our main fields of publication
• software for professionals and scholars
• scholarly and professional journals

If you are writing text, professional, or scholarly materials in these fields, we would welcome hearing from you.

OUR MARKETING

AltaMira is largely reliant on direct mail to specialized audiences for advertising its products. A regular plan for mailing is a central feature of AltaMira's planning, and its proper execution is crucial to AltaMira's success. Conference attendance, book reviews, wholesaler notifications, ads in journals, directories, and conference programs are other marketing channels that AltaMira uses regularly. Books of more general interest are also sold through book clubs, translations, bookstores, on-line book services, and museum stores.

OUR STAFF

Almost 100 new products are generated and marketed each year by our permanent staff located in Lanham, Maryland, headquarters of Rowman & Littlefield. Staff contact information can be obtained on this Web site under Contact Us.

Production and design of AltaMira books is handled by the Rowman & Littlefield production department and distribution by the staff of Rowman & Littlefield/National Book Network in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania.

OUR NAME

No, we're not named after the Sausalito hotel, the Edgar Winter song, nor the Toronto financial services company. Altamira Cave in northern Spain is where the first paleolithic rock art was discovered in the 19th century. What better name for a publisher specializing in archaeology, museums, religion, and other things cultural. And the word altamira means something akin to "a higher vision." A worthy goal to aspire to.

TO FIND OUT MORE

Just ask ... we're here for you!