ABOUT US

Mission Statement

Commonwealth Editions publishes gift-quality nonfiction books about the history, traditions, and beauty of places in New England. The New England Booksellers Association has recognized our editorial excellence by naming us "Publisher of the Year." We also distribute the books of other fine New England publishers whose books complement our own, such as the Boston Globe, Back Bay Press, and On Cape Publications. As both publisher and distributor, we work hard to achieve the highest standards of editorial content, physical design, and customer service.

History

Commonwealth Editions was founded in 1998 by the husband-and-wife team of Webster and Katie Bull. Since our first regional trade book, Joseph E. Garland's The North Shore: A Social History, was published, we have grown rapidly. We have over one hundred twenty-five active titles in print.

Like Garland's book, each of our publications in the first three years focused on the region north of Boston. In 2001, we began publishing the best-selling series “Journey Around from A to Z,” written and illustrated by Martha Day Zschock. In 2008, we will have nine "Journeys" and well over a quarter-million of Zschock's books in print. Zschock has “Journeyed” to Cape Cod and Boston (2001), New York (2002), San Francisco (2003), Washington D.C. (2004), Chicago (2005), Philadelphia (2006), and Maine (2007). In 2008 she takes readers of all ages to Nantucket.

While Commonwealth Editions has a best-selling national series and national distribution, our editorial focus remains on New England, especially on Boston and the places, like Cape Cod and Maine, where Bostonians go in the summer. The publishers we distribute share our regional focus.

Manuscript Submissions

We are seeking new authors, photographers, and ideas to further our mission of publishing the best regional nonfiction. If you have a manuscript or book idea, please feel free to send a short e-mail to publisher Webster Bull, explaining the book you have in mind. If you like, you may send an outline of no more than three pages and a writing sample of no more than twenty pages to:

Webster Bull, Publisher
Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915

When mailing a submission, please provide a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the materials returned.