Macmillan is a worldwide publisher of many well-known brands and titles. Two brothers from the Isle of Arran founded the company in 1843. Daniel Macmillan handled the business end of the company, while Alexander recruited literary talents. The Macmillan’s were responsible for publishing such well-known authors as Lewis Carroll, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Rudyard Kipling. Family ownership of the business was consistent until 1995, which made them one of the oldest independent publishing companies in existence. In 1995, German company Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group bought out a large portion. The family sold the remainder of their shares a few years after the initial buyout. The company currently consists of over fifty divisions, which operate under the name of Macmillan Group.
The Education division produces English language references and other Macmillan textbooks under the heading of Macmillan Education. This label provides curriculum materials and ongoing support to teachers and students globally. Teacher training and online learning are also available, including a Pronunciation App mobile device called Sounds, intended for ESL students. Online magazines, such as onestopenglish.com help support teachers in use of new technologies. Academic Macmillan Academic focuses on supplying books that would be appropriate for classroom use. These are presented under a number of imprints, including North Point Press, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, and Picador. Many of these imprints also publish works of fiction. This arm of the group also supplies support to teachers. Teachers can request teacher’s guides as well as desk and examination guides for most titles published by their imprints.
Two other arms of the Macmillan group are Palgrave Macmillan and Nature Publishing Group. Palgrave Macmillan publishes higher education textbooks, scholarly and reference works, professional and management works, and several high profile scholarly journals. Online products for the business world include eBooks, a program called Palgrave Open, which allows authors to publish research with an option for immediate access online, and Palgraveconnect. Palgraveconnect allows consumers to purchase access to a digital library of hundreds of scholarly eBooks.
The Nature Publishing Group focuses on scientific and medical information. As with all the Macmillan divisions, products are available online and in print. Besides a sizeable number of journals and online sites designed for the professional community, NPG also aims to meet the scientific needs of the public. Scientific American, a magazine owned by NPG, has been the leading scientific publication in America since 1845. NPG recently formed a consumer media division, built around Scientific American in order continue to reach the general public with the latest and most accurate information in the scientific community.
Macmillan is known worldwide as a premier name in educational, fiction and non-fiction publishing. With its formidable presence around the globe, dedication to continuing to serve the academic and scientific communities, and constant innovations, Macmillan is an excellent source for clients and authors alike.
