Wiley (publisher)

Wiley (publisher). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley, is a major American multinational publishing company founded in 1807. It specializes in academic publishing, scientific research, and professional development materials, serving researchers, professionals, and educational institutions worldwide. The company is renowned for its extensive catalog of scientific journals, encyclopedias, and textbooks across disciplines like the life sciences, physical sciences, medicine, and technology.

History

The company was established in Manhattan by Charles Wiley as a small printing shop, initially publishing works by notable American authors like James Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving. In the mid-19th century, under the leadership of John Wiley, the firm shifted its focus toward scientific and technical subjects, coinciding with the Industrial Revolution in the United States. A significant expansion occurred in the 20th century with the acquisition of the Interscience imprint in 1961, strengthening its presence in chemistry and physics. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw strategic growth through major purchases, including J.K. Lasser tax guides, Frommer's travel guides, and the Blackwell Publishing and Hindawi portfolios, transforming Wiley into a global leader in STM publishing.

Imprints and divisions

Wiley organizes its publishing activities through several distinct imprints and business divisions. The Wiley Blackwell imprint is a cornerstone of its academic journal and book output, formed from the merger with Blackwell Publishing. For professional and consumer markets, imprints like For Dummies, Frommer's, and Jossey-Bass produce accessible guides and leadership resources. The company's Wiley-VCH division, based in Germany, is a prominent publisher in the chemical industry and materials science. Other notable units include Wiley Education Services, which provides online program management for universities, and Wiley Digital Archives, which offers digitized primary source collections from institutions like the Royal Anthropological Institute.

Products and services

Wiley's core products include a vast array of subscription-based scientific journals, many published in partnership with learned societies such as the American Cancer Society and the British Psychological Society. The company offers an extensive library of ebooks, online reference works, and digital textbooks through platforms like Wiley Online Library and Kortext. Its services extend to research publishing tools, analytics for institutions, and corporate learning solutions through Wiley Edge. Additionally, Wiley provides test preparation materials for crucial assessments like the SAT and CPA Exam, alongside its iconic For Dummies instructional series.

Business operations

Headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey, Wiley maintains major operational centers in Oxford, Berlin, Singapore, and Melbourne, reflecting its global reach. The company operates on a hybrid revenue model combining subscription access to journals and databases with direct sales of books and educational courseware. A significant portion of its business involves publishing open access journals, supported by article processing charges. In recent years, Wiley has divested some consumer assets, such as its test prep and travel guide lines, to concentrate more intensely on its core research publishing and education technology segments.

Notable publications

Wiley has published numerous landmark works across various fields. In science, it publishes prestigious journals like Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, and the Cochrane Library of systematic reviews. Iconic book series include the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology and the For Dummies guides, which began with DOS For Dummies. The company's backlist features seminal texts such as Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking and classic works by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Through its Jossey-Bass imprint, it has released influential titles on leadership and management from authors like Peter Drucker and Jim Collins.