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Selected titles in Utah history by Arcadia Publishing. Since 1993 the publishing house has provided an outlet for local historians to publish works on their communities and the history they know best.
“Make Me an Author:” Arcadia Publishing and the Images of America Series— a Critique of Selected Utah Titles By Noel A. Carmack The success of the longstanding book series, Images of America by Arcadia Publishers, has reached a zenith. The books in the series—easily identified by the striking sepia-toned photographs that adorn their covers—are often available in local bookstores, gift shops, museums, and information centers. Each book is typically 128 pages in length and profusely illustrated with meaningfully chosen, historical photographs of the people and places in the locale it covers. With this and succeeding series, Arcadia has filled a growing demand in the marketplace. Founded in Dover, New Hampshire, in 1993, the publishing house capitalized on the public’s unfolding interest in genealogical research and scrapbooking. Arcadia and its affiliate company, the History Press, now claim to be “the largest and most comprehensive publishers of local and regional books in the United States with a library of more than 12,000 titles.”1
What is the reason for the series’ success? Besides its eye-catching cover designs, the Images of America series is an opportunity for wouldbe local authors to have their work published by a major press. As the title of the website’s proposal submission page adjures, “Make Me an Author” emboldens the person who submits. Indeed, Arcadia offers local historians, archivists, and storytellers a chance to share their research and knowledge of community characters, places, and events. “By empowering history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer—to their community, their neighbors, and their past,” the website proclaims.2 Another factor in the success of Arcadia Publishing and its book series is the growing
