Combined Publishing, a military history book publisher based in Conshohocken, Pa., has acquired Sarpedon Publishers, also a publisher of military titles. Founder Steven Smith will continue as publisher of Sarpedon, which will become an imprint of Combined. Sarpedon's editorial office will remain in Rockville Centre, N.Y., while all sales, marketing and back-office functions will be moved to Combined's offices.
Combined entered the publishing business in 1996 when it began publishing its own military titles as well as distributing military books from publishers in the U.K., France and Belgium. The company now has a backlist of more than 650 titles. With the Sarpedon purchase, Combined's original publishing program will nearly double in 2000; 25 titles will be released under the Combined imprint and 15 from Sarpedon.
David Farnsworth, director of sales and marketing for Combined, called 1999 the best year in the company's history, with revenues doubling. He attributed the gain to a strong frontlist as well as a growing awareness among booksellers of the company's backlist. Sales are split evenly between traditional bookstore accounts and specialized outlets. Combined has also seen strong growth in sales through its Web site and has sold a number of titles to the Military Book Club.
