lynne rienner

Founded in 1984, Lynne Rienner Publishers remains a rare, independent presence in scholarly and textbook publishing.

“Independent” means a lot of different things to us: Taking chances on new ideas. Being free of the restrictions of corporate headquarters or lenders. Publishing each book and journal with care, from the external review process … to professional copyediting, typesetting, and proofreading … to quality manufacturing … to thorough promotion and worldwide distribution. We are also determined to keep our prices as low as possible.

Where we are not independent is in our relationship with the community of people whom we publish, and publish for. One of the aspects of publishing that all of us here love most is being part of that international, interdependent community.

We publish in the fields of international studies and comparative politics (all world regions), US politics, and sociology and criminology (with a US focus). We also have a small list of literature in translation, including books by such notable authors as Naguib Mahfouz, Ghassan Kanafani, Derek Walcott, and Tawfiq al-Hakim. Our distribution clients include Holmes & Meier Publishers, the University of St Andrews Centre for Syrian Studies, and Kyungnam University Press.

In addition to the Lynne Rienner Publishers imprint, our publishing program includes FirstForumPress and Kumarian Press. FirstForumPress was established in 2008 to provide a forum for important work that may otherwise be overlooked because of today’s market constraints. FFP publishes specialized scholarly research of the highest quality (all projects are peer reviewed) in a timely and cost-effective fashion.

Since its founding in 1977, Kumarian Press (a 2013 acquisition) has earned a reputation for publishing books that tackle such challenging global issues as poverty and underdevelopment, war, and human rights abuses. Kumarian is also at the forefront in the field of nonprofit-sector management.

All of our publications are advertised extensively in our many catalogs and brochures (click here to browse our catalogs), which are mailed throughout the world, as well as on our website and in key periodicals. We exhibit at numerous conferences (click here for our meeting schedule). Sending review copies to journals is also a crucial part of our marketing program. And, of course, we are eager to take advantage of any other promotional opportunities that arise. This is all done in close consultation with our authors.

We would be delighted to talk with you about your next book project, or about publishing in general. Click here for guidelines for submitting a book proposal to Lynne Rienner Publishers.