UPs Get Hip to Encyclopedias

Readers curious to know how their state voted in elections past, or the backstory on its founders and gangsters, have long turned to encyclopedias published by university presses. But this year—which happens to be the year of the university press—the number of regional encyclopedias is greater than ever. Last April, Rutgers University Press (RUP) published The Encyclopedia of New Jersey. Last month, the University of Nebraska Press published Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. This month, the University of Chicago Press releases The Encyclopedia of Chicago. And next fall, Yale University Press will publish not only Encyclopedia of New England, but the second edition of its 1995 hit The Encyclopedia of New York City.

The success of The Encyclopedia of New York City, which has sold more than 70,000 copies since its publication, may be partly responsible for the trend. University of Chicago Press editorial director Linda Halvorson credits it with "demonstrating that university presses could not only make an important cultural contribution, but also generate substantial income by appealing to the interests of a wide range of readers."

In light of the recent shutdowns of the university presses at Northeastern and Idaho, subsidies withdrawals at Massachusetts and cuts at Georgia, many university presses are eager to achieve similar success. In addition to steady sales, regional encyclopedias can also afford more opportunities for outside funding than the average trade book. RUP director Marlie Wasserman relied heavily on government grants to finance the research, writing and editing of The Encyclopedia of New Jersey. "As a university press, we singlehandedly create a sense of place for our state, and a state encyclopedia reinforces that sense, which is something legislators are understandably eager to support," Wasserman said.

After a first printing of 10,000 copies (roughly double the initial print run for the average RUP title), and a second printing of 5,000 in early July, the house has shipped more than 14,000 copies of The Encyclopedia of New Jersey. According to RUP marketing and sales director Gary Fitzgerald, who expects a buying boost around the holidays, there's a strong chance of a third printing of the six-and-a-half-pound tome, which contains roughly 3,000 entries, 585 illustrations and 130 maps.

Such early success may be due to RUP's unconventional marketing efforts. Between June and August, New Jersey Turnpike drivers caught a glimpse of a billboard touting The Encyclopedia of New Jersey that read, "There's more to New Jersey than the Turnpike." The billboard had everyone talking, from the Associated Press to the Washington Post. "We would have been relatively content to sell this book just within New Jersey," Fitzgerald said, "but national interest just spread."

Still, Barnes & Noble northeast regional buyer Allison Korleski, who has stocked all New Jersey and some other regional stores with the encyclopedia, believes most interest comes from home. "People are interested in where they're from," she said, "and New Jerseyans in particular have a strong history of showing interest in themselves."