The Concord Review Returns to Print

Academic Publisher’s triumphant return to print thanks to Print-on-demand technology

The 26-year-old academic quarterly journal, The Concord Review, returns to print—thanks to new automated printing services.

Oct. 1, 2013 - SUDBURY, Mass. -- The Concord Review is back in print.  After publishing a printed edition for 23 years, this unique scholarly journal for the outstanding history essays of serious high school students was forced to go to online-only distribution three years ago.  Thanks to new Print-on-Demand technology, the Review will offer subscribers physical copies again beginning with the Fall issue.

The Concord Review is the only quarterly journal in the world to publish the academic research papers of secondary students. But the recession undercut much of the donor support that helped this 501 (c) 3 non-profit produce the 250-page journal, and in 2010 the decision was made to produce the Review in eBook form only.

New Print-on-Demand (POD) services, which allow quick printing of small numbers of publications, enable The Concord Review (TCR) to print just those copies for which they have orders.  This eliminates the need for production over-runs, warehouse costs, etc.  Copies are shipped directly from the printer to the subscriber.

TCR is the latest of smaller publishers to be rescued by the new technology. “We feel like a phoenix rising from the ashes,” says founder and publisher, Will Fitzhugh.  “It’s given us back the power to reach all of our readers in the format they prefer.”  Fitzhugh also offers special issues on the Kindle and has been experimenting with individual issues via POD. “The latest advancement gives us the ability to sell subscriptions, and to have each copy printed on demand and shipped to the individual subscriber directly.  It requires less administration and less capital to print an issue.”

Despite the huge popularity of eBooks and eMags, many institutions, like schools and libraries, still prefer the printed edition to circulate to their readers. History teachers use the essays in their classes. Authors featured in the Review purchase copies for themselves and prospective colleges, family members, etc. After leveraging eBooks to stay “in print” during the recession, POD is now reuniting TCR with a large part of their readership.

Spurred on by these developments, TCR is now offering gift subscriptions. Many of their supporters have wanted to share the inspiring work in the Review with young scholars in their lives—like nieces, nephews and grandchildren.  The gift subscription allows them to "sponsor" a young scholar, or even a whole high school class, by gifting a year of the Review, to show students the exemplary work of some of their peers.

Many of their authors have sent reprints of their papers with their college application materials, and they have gone on Harvard (120), Oxford (13), Pennsylvania (23), Princeton (63), Stanford (38), Yale (98), and a number of other fine institutions, including Amherst, Berkeley, Bryn Mawr, Caltech, Cambridge, Chicago, McGill, Middlebury, MIT, Reed, Smith, Trinity, Tufts, Virginia, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Williams.

“The Concord Review provides a splendid forum for the best student work in history.” says Diane Ravitch, Senior Scholar at New York University. “It deserves the support of everyone in the country who cares about improving the study of history in the schools.”  Other supporters include noted Historians Arthur Schlesinger and David McCollough, and Dean of Admissions at Harvard College, William Fitzsimmons.

"We are fortunate that we have always had a large number of supporters who admire the work of our authors, and believe in our mission." said Fitzhugh.  "Once again, we have a way to get the Review back in their hands.  It's fantastic."