Red Wheel/Weiser
"This main imprint is also the oldest. It was founded as Samuel Weiser, Inc. in 1956, a time when few other publishers were willing to tackle occult subjects. This imprint publishes the backlist and continues to acquire books on occultism, astrology, esoteric subjects, Eastern religions, Wicca and related topics. " [1]
"Effective February 1st, 2015, Red Wheel/Weiser is the exclusive distributor in North America for Quest Books, an imprint of the Theosophical Society in America...
"Red Wheel Weiser, LLC (RWW) and New York Open Center (NYOC) announce the creation of a New York Open Center imprint that will support the Center’s mission to offer the best possible approaches to wellness, consciousness expansion, and spiritual transformation. RWW will work with NYOC staff to identify and develop potential authors and projects from the many practitioners and faculty who teach classes, lead workshops and lecture at the Center. Michael Kerber, President of Red Wheel Weiser, LLC, says, “Our continued goal is to publish ‘books to live by,’ and this collaboration with New York Open Center is both a natural and complementary fit given our shared mission to inform and improve people’s lives.”...
"Red Wheel/Weiser, the well-known metaphysical and self-help publisher, has imprints that include Conari Press, Weiser Books, and Disinformation Books. Conari Press publishes books on topics ranging from spirituality, personal growth, and relationships to women’s issues, parenting, and social issues. Weiser Books publishes titles across the entire spectrum of occult, esoteric, speculative, and New Age subjects. Disinformation Books publishes on topics as wide-ranging as conspiracy theory, secret societies, ancient civilizations, and current affairs. Red Wheel/Weiser distributes titles for a variety of publishers including Hampton Roads Publishing, Hierophant Publishing, Quest Books, Nicolas-Hays/Ibis Press, Atlantis Rising, and more." [2]
"The history of the Samuel Weiser Bookstore, now located in Greenwich Village, is illuminating. In 1926 Weiser opened a secondhand bookstore on the Lower East Side. Customers would often ask him to find some occult item and eventually he had a large section of used occult books. By the late 40's the occult was such a large part of his business that Weiser stopped dealing in other books. Then customers began asking for cheaper copies of many titles (traditionally occult publishing had been a small enterprise and many volumes were rare), so Weiser became a reprint publisher in the 60's. Once its logo appeared on a book, manuscripts began floating in over the transom. Now the publishing arm of the company is so large that Weiser's son and successor, Donald Weiser, has moved it to Maine where he was able to find space to build a huge warehouse. The publishing branch of the company issues 15 to 20 titles a year, grosses more than $1 million, maintains a backlist of 400 of its own titles and distributes about 2,000 more for other occult publishers.
"A former clerk in the Weiser bookstore, Ehud Sperling, started his own publishing firm, Inner Traditions/ Destiny Books, in 1975 and is now issuing 20 titles a year. His first book, Pyramid Power, published with Warner Books in 1976, became an international best seller. A few years ago he issued Sexual Secrets: the Alchemy of Ecstasy by Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger which is in its 13th printing and has sold 100,000 copies. He has sold rights to some of his titles in a dozen countries and eight languages. Most of the occult publishers are fairly new, but the oldest survives." [3]
Resources and articles
Related Sourcewatch
- Donald Weiser
- Peter Levenda
- National Council Against Health Fraud
- Joel Fotinos
- John Nelson
- James Wasserman
- Kenneth Smith (Monroe)
