Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. is a publisher of a broad range of subject areas, with multiple imprints and more than 5,000 titles in print. Founded in 1949, Sterling also publishes books for a number of brands, including AARP, Hasbro, Hearst Magazines, and USA TODAY, as well as serves as the North American distributor for domestic and international publishers including: Anova, Boxer Books, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Carlton Books, Duncan Baird, Guild of Master Craftsmen, the Orion Publishing Group, and Sixth & Spring Books. Sterling also owns and operates two verticals, Lark Crafts and Pixiq. Sterling Publishing is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, who acquired it in 2003. On January 5, 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that Barnes & Noble had put its Sterling Publishing business up for sale. Negotiations failed to produce a buyer, however, and Sterling is reportedly no longer for sale as of March, 2012.
Sterling Publishing covers a broad range of subject areas, including art and artists, autobiography and biography, body/mind/spirit, crafts, culinary, current events, diet and health, -do-it-yourself, gardening, gifts, history, holiday, juvenile, lifestyle, music, non-fiction, parenting, photography, popular culture, puzzles & games, reference, science & nature, sports, and travel, among others, and releases titles under the following imprints:
ecosystem is an assortment of hardcover and flexicover journals, planners, and notebooks. Each is 100% made in the United States out of 100% post-consumer waste paper. It was founded in 2009.
Fall River Press offers titles on a variety of subjects, including history, light reference, classic and genre fiction, and humor, as well as kits and former nonfiction best sellers.
Flashkids is a collection of workbooks and flash cards for preschool, elementary, and middle school students in core curriculum areas such as reading, math, writing, and test preparation.
Hearst Books releases lifestyle titles with content from and under the brand names of Hearst magazines. Magazine brands include: Chapman Piloting, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, Popular Mechanics, Redbook, Seventeen, and Town & Country. The partnership began in 2002.
Lark Crafts and Lark Books cover beading and jewelry, ceramics, crafting, cooking and cuisine, home decorating, needle arts, outdoor living, paper arts, photography, and DIY subjects for all skill levels. Lark, located in Asheville, North Carolina, was acquired by Sterling in 1999.
Metro Books releases highly illustrated titles in multiple categories, including art, history, travel, cooking, entertainment, and kits.
Pixiq publishes photography books and camera specific guides, including the long-running series, Magic Lantern Guides.
Quamut creates researched and fact-checked how-to guides.
Sandy Creek develops value priced fiction and nonfiction titles for ages 0 to 14 in multiple formats, including activity books, picture books, and encyclopedias.
Silver Lining produces desk and wall calendars with images of travel destinations, fine art, animals, nature, among others. Calendars are made with 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks.
SilverOak, co-owned with the British publisher Quercus, was founded in 2010
Splinter, the most recent addition to Sterling's imprints, publishes teen fiction. It was founded in 2010.
Sterling Children's publishes both fiction and non-fiction, including classics, picture books, joke books, and novelty formats as well as books for babies and toddlers.
Sterling Epicure publishes food and wine titles with upscale packaging and a focus on lifestyle.
Sterling Ethos releases titles in the areas of wellness, personal growth, intuitive knowledge, self-discovery, and healing.
Sterling Innovation creates books in alternative formats and packaging, as well as humor titles.