Allworth Press
About Allworth Press Allworth Press celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2009. One of the highlights of this anniversary year is a new partnership with Random House Publisher Services to have Random House handle distribution to the book trade for Allworth Press titles. To have one of the premier distributors and publishers in the world play this role is a tribute to our progress over two decades in building a viable and meaningful publishing program. Founded in March 1989 by author, attorney, and artists' rights advocate Tad Crawford, the press began as a one-man operation with the publication of a revised edition of Crawford's classic Legal Guide for the Visual Artist in Fall 1989. Ten more titles followed in 1990, which offered information about marketing, promotion, pricing, copyright, contracts, health and safety, and much more. From these modest beginnings, Allworth Press today publishes between fifteen and eighteen titles annually and has a staff of six. Crawford saw the need for a publishing company that would provide practical information to creative professionals such as artists, photographers, designers, and authors. Based on his experience as chairman of the board for the Foundation of the Community of Artists in New York City, general counsel to the Graphic Artists Guild, and lobbyist for the Coalition of Visual Arts organizations, he knew first hand the issues faced every day by creative people. The promise of Allworth Press received early recognition. In 1994 the press received Quality Books 1994 Small Press Publisher of the Year Award during the annual American Booksellers Association show ( now BookExpo ). Recipients of the award "exemplify the standards of quality in independent publishing. To be considered for the award, a publisher must have distinguished itself by producing timely, topical, and salable titles suitable for libraries, demonstrating networking skills, and supporting their distributor's efforts." In making its announcement, Quality Books stated: "Allworth Press provides practical, accessible information books for a creative community of specialists such as artists, photographers, designers, and authors, as well as an expanding line of legal and financial how-to books for the general public. Their titles have received numerous recommendations from the review media." Allworth's publisher Tad Crawford "attributes Allworth's success to such factors as careful targeting of books to untapped niche markets, selectivity in choosing titles, development of unusual sales channels, control of production costs through competitive bidding, and tight management of inventory." Rapid growth has encouraged Allworth Press to move twice since 1989, each time to a larger space. Now the office opens to the view of Madison Square Park. Ten-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, and white office furniture make for a very pleasant work environment. Allworth Press's location in New York City's Flatiron District ( a neighborhood filled with creative enterprises ) makes a great deal of sense since so many of its books offer practical business and self-help information for artists, designers, photographers, writers, and film and performing artists. In addition to being distributed in the United States by Random House, Allworth Press titles are now distributed in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Southern Africa, the Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Books from Allworth Press have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Japanese Allworth Press enjoys excellent relationships with a select group of publishing partners. Many of our titles have been co-published with the School of Visual Arts. Other important organizations that have joined to copublish certain titles include the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the American Society of Media Photographers, the Authors Guild, Communication Arts magazine, Design Management Institute, the Graphic Artists Guil
