With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the 20th anniversary of Skyhorse Publishing, which the company is marking by repackaging dozens of its strongest backlist titles, renewing its pledge to defend freedom of speech against the relentless onslaught of censorship, and supporting its writers with dozens of new sales joint ventures and partnerships, innovative AI-supported marketing plans, and using every weapon to create the best, most interesting, most helpful, most provocative books it can find.

This month, Skyhorse Publishing celebrates two decades of steady growth, both internally and through acquisitions. Its myriad imprints reflect that growth and cover categories that range from sports to literary fiction, children's to business, true crime to history and military history, science fiction and fantasy to cookbooks, crafts, and lifestyle, legal guides for creative professionals to travel guides and the long-running bestseller The World Almanac and Book of Facts, and politics of many stripes, with a right-wing emphasis. Skyhorse has over 12,000 titles in print and has had some 120 New York Times bestsellers. This year it is publishing 291 titles, though there's still room for a few more.

Tony Lyons

The company has an ethos of responding to trends and publishing out of the box that goes back to President and Publisher Tony Lyons's early days in publishing. He had gone to law school, intending to become a lawyer, when in 1993 he began working at Lyons Press, founded by his father, Nick Lyons. "I did about everything you can do, and liked the work I was doing," he says. When his father had health problems, he took over and in 1997 became publisher. 

The company was publishing about 200 books a year, and Lyons recalls looking for book ideas in a variety of places. One example: a homeless bookseller in front of Zabar's sold Lyons a used copy of We Die Alone by David Howarth, about a team of Norwegian partisans in World War II who planned to raid Nazi military positions on the coast of Norway. Betrayed and then ambushed by Nazis, all but one die, and the survivor escapes across the mountains to Sweden, losing nine of his 10 toes after getting gangrene, making for a classic escape tale. "I went to a café and read it in one sitting," Lyons remembers. "It was an incredible story, exactly my kind of story." 

Lyons tracked down the author's son, bought the rights to the book, and decided to approach Stephen Ambrose to write an introduction. "I got his personal number and called him out of the blue." He told Ambrose that he'd love the book. Ambrose promised to read it over the weekend. "If I like it, I'll fax you a foreword on Sunday, and you'll know I liked it," he told Lyons. If not, there would be no fax, and, he added, "Don't call me again."

On Sunday the foreword came in from Ambrose saying in essence, "There's a time in every reader's life that he comes across a book he can't put down. There are four for me. One is We Die Alone."

In 2001, Lyons Press was sold to Globe Pequot, where Lyons worked for three years. He then started to plan Skyhorse Publishing. Brando Skyhorse, who Lyons calls "a brilliant editor who has written wonderful books," was a key contributor to Skyhorse's early successes. (In 2011, Skyhorse won the PEN/Hemingway Award and Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for The Madonnas of Echo Park.) Lyons kept searching for a name for his new publishing house, wanting "to convey something new and exciting" and thought of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Brando Skyhorse

"Brando came up with some of the best ideas in the early years," Lyons says. He recalls the "old school publishing" approach, "not just buying books people propose to you," but seeking out "every trend, fad, and theme we could follow." Skyhorse staff read newspapers and magazines, watched and listened to TV and radio shows, talked with people, and then pounced. "When the coloring book craze started, we published something like 150 coloring books," Lyons says happily.

Always, he continues, the company has been "open to ideas, doing things in ways others are not open to," such as tracking down a person who "doesn't know they have a story and talking them into writing it." And the company is open to books that "challenge the status quo whenever it needs changing."

True to form, Associate Publisher of Skyhorse and Editorial Director Abigail Gehring has been with the company for the entire 20 years. She's been a driving force in the company's growth, and has also somehow managed to write over 20 books--all published by Skyhorse imprints.

Over the years, Lyons has also been adaptive to technological change. When e-books became popular, "lots of publishers thought they would displace print books," he recalls. Skyhorse experimented, and found that many of its titles sold very well as e-books and that the customers were usually different from those who bought the print editions of the same titles, although in some cases, people who read and liked an e-book would buy a print copy "just for the joy of having a book they love on their bookshelf."

Likewise with AI, Skyhorse recognizes that "AI is here to stay," Lyons says. "So the question is what are the good, authentic ways to use it and get benefits from it while maintaining integrity?" The opportunities, he continues include using AI for marketing plans, sales, and jacket covers.

Reflecting on the past two decades, Lyons says, "Building Skyhorse has been the journey of a lifetime. Growth, controversy, the need to constantly seek out fresh ideas and approaches--all are part of the ride. We're delighted to take a minute to celebrate--and then keep moving forward."

Despite its vast range of publishing, Skyhorse has been pigeon-holed by many. As Lyons said, "People think of Skyhorse, and think they know more about Skyhorse than they do."

In 2015, Skyhorse partnered with David Talbot, founder of Salon, to launch Hot Books, an imprint focused on timely nonfiction investigative titles of about 40,000 words. Each book drew on deep-dive reporting, filling the gap left by larger media outlets that had pulled back from in-depth investigative work.

The imprint's first title, The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America by D. Watkins, became a New York Times bestseller. Talbot commissioned the book around the time of the Ferguson protests and accelerated its release as debate over police shootings of Black men continued.

Hot Books content--excerpts, scoops, and author interviews--appeared on Salon, and the two shared a co-branded landing page that featured other Skyhorse titles. Books were published simultaneously in hardcover and digital formats, with trade paperbacks following.

In 2016, Hot Books published Joseph Hickman's The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of America's Soldiers as well as books by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Dick Russell, Arsalan Iftikhar, Nicholas Schou, and Mark Hertsgaard.

From Hot Books to books too hot for others to handle

In the 10 years since the launch of Hot Books, Skyhorse has gravitated toward publishing another kind of "hot" book--books that other publishers either dropped or wouldn't touch, including Michael Cohen's Disloyal: A Memoir; Woody Allen's memoir, Apropos of Nothing; and Blake Bailey's Philip Roth: The Biography.

But at least in 2026, Skyhorse may be best known in the industry for publishing titles by leading conservative figures including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and Steve Bannon. 

For Lyons, the principles of free speech and anti-censorship underlie his publishing of such titles. It's also a matter of the company's "openness to ideas." Many of these titles simply wouldn't be published by other companies, as in the example of Allen's memoir, he says. Plus, many of the books at issue, particularly involving the pandemic and how to respond to it, raise "complicated questions that should be decided in the marketplace of ideas."

He points to The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., which was published in late 2021, at the height of the pandemic. It was, he reflects, "a book you couldn't buy in any bookstore in the country" because it was "labelled as misinformation." Lyons says the title may be "the most censored book of the decade," but laments that it "doesn't show up on any anti-censorship lists anywhere."

Kennedy was personally attacked regularly, Lyons continues, and many of his publicity appearances focused more on "the censorship of [the book] than the content." Many bookstores refused even to special order the title. The New York Times rejected a full-page ad for the book. But it still did well in the markeplace. Lyons says the high number of Amazon sales were the result of other retailers banning the book.

Lyons emphasizes that the book includes more than 2,000 citations, mostly to peer-reviewed articles--and had blurbs from doctors, lawyers, and scientists. Five years later, the book has sold 1.4 million copies and continues to sell well.

Lyons also argues that Skyhorse publishes books from across the political spectrum. For example, Skyhorse has published Gloria Steinem and Laurence Tribe, as well as books by Ralph Nader, including Let's Start the Revolution and Wrecking America: How Trump's Lawbreaking and Lies Betray All (with Mark Green). Before President Trump's first impeachment, Skyhorse simultaneously published The Case Against Impeaching Trump by Alan Dershowitz and The Case for Impeaching Trump by former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman. And similarly in late 2020, Skyhorse published The Case for Masks: Science-Based Advice for Living During the Coronavirus Epidemic by Dr. Dean Hashimoto and The Case Against Masks: Ten Reasons Why Mask Use Should Be Limited by Dr. Judy Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively.

The key, Lyons says, is reading in a way that's open to different and new ideas. "Should you read to confirm all your biases or read to challenge yourself and make you question everything?" For him, the answer is easy, and among the best things that can happen from reading widely, he says, is to "change your life, make different decisions, quit your job, travel around the world."

One of Skyhorse's fall books that Lyons is most excited about typifies the publisher's sometimes unusual, distinctive approach to publishing.

The book is A Table for Fortune, a 3,000-page novel that will appear in four volumes of more than 700 pages each. Pub date is October 6, and it's retailing for $199.99, from Arcade. By William T. Vollmann, author of Europe Central, which won a National Book Award in 2005, A Table for Fortune is a saga that runs from 1968 to 2019. The first two volumes center on Elliott Stevens, or Dave, "a CIA analyst whose glee at winning the Cold War is matched only by the dread that culminates in the nightmares of September 11th and the resulting War on Terror." In the third and fourth volumes, the hero is Matthew Stevens, Elliott's son, "whose efforts to escape his parents and divine the fate of his life result in homelessness, addiction, and perhaps even happiness."

Vollmann took 15 years to write the book, and Lyons calls him "a generational genius. He's done what nobody's done in a generation, which is write a book that is fascinating and interesting all the way through, that tells the story of what led to 9/11 more comprehensively than has ever been done. For me, it's a fascinating project and incredibly important book." In July, the book received a rave early review in The New York Times from Tom LeClair, who called it a "heroic, fascinating, and important work." He also estimated it takes 50 hours to read the entire tome.

Among the unusual elements of the project, Vollmann wanted to be sure of "the integrity of his work," so Skyhorse agreed to give him complete control over the book, including editing, production, and design.

That approach appealed to Vollmann since his earlier efforts to publish the book had been frustrated. He had proposed the book to his longtime Big Five publisher when it was several thousand pages long, and "they wanted him to cut it by 50%," Lyons says. Vollmann looked over the manuscript and "realized that there was another 500 pages to add to it. So not only was he unable to shorten it, but it was going to get longer, much longer."

The approach is a perfect example of how Skyhorse "is a company that thinks out of the box," Lyons says. "People come to us with books that they think nobody else would consider for all kinds of reasons."

In its 20 years, Skyhorse has expanded both organically and through many acquisitions. Among the imprints it has founded and acquired are:

Founded by Skyhorse:

Launched in 2011, Sky Pony Press is Skyhorse's children's book imprint. Following in the footsteps of the parent company, it aims to provide books for readers with a wide variety of interests. The continually growing list includes fiction, picture books, educational books, novelty books, and middle grade titles as well as reissues of some beloved classics.

In 2013, Skyhorse launched Gary Null Publishing in partnership with Gary Null, the prolific author who promotes alternative medicine and has produced documentaries and a radio show as well as founded the Progressive Radio Network. The imprint focuses on health and wellness titles.

Carrel Books, founded by Skyhorse in 2014, features titles for the public library market. Subjects include medicine/health, history, biography/memoir, business/careers, and more.

Also launched in 2014, Talos Press focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Launched in 2015, Hot Books has focused on newsworthy books.

The Not for Tourists series are city guides intended for residents and commuters. Unlike traditional guidebooks, these have detailed information about supermarkets, parking, pharmacies, and banks in addition to landmarks, museums, restaurants, etc.

Among Skyhorse acquisitions:

In 2010, Skyhorse bought Arcade Publishing, which was founded by Richard and Jeannette Seaver in 1988 and specializes in nonfiction and literary fiction from around the world. Its authors include Samuel Beckett, Leo Tolstoy, Octavio Paz, and E.M. Cioran alongside contemporary writers such as Andreï Makine and Ismail Kadare. In 2012, Chinese novelist Mo Yan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. After the sale to Skyhorse, Jeannette Seaver continued to work on Arcade titles for 10 years.

In 2010, Skyhorse bought the assets of Sports Publishing, which had gone bankrupt in 2008. With an extensive backlist that includes books by Olympian Michael Phelps and longtime NBA sportscaster Dick Vitale, Sports Publishing publishes books about a range of sports, including football, baseball, basketball, hockey, boxing, and more.

In 2011, Skyhorse acquired Allworth Press, which was founded in 1989 by author, attorney, and artists' rights advocate Tad Crawford. Crawford started with his own Legal Guide for the Visual Artist and expanded to provide legal guides for creative people in a variety of professions, including designers, photographers, writers, and film and performing artists. Some Allworth books have been co-published with such organizations as the Authors Guild and the School of Visual Arts.

In 2013, Skyhorse bought Night Shade Books in conjunction with Start Publishing. Night Shade, founded by Jason Williams and Jeremy Lassen in 1997, has specialized in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

In 2014, Skyhorse bought Good Books from Merle and Phyllis Good, who had founded the firm in 1979. With an early emphasis on Amish and Mennonite culture and faith, Good Books publishes cookbooks, country living titles, craft books, Amish and other Christian titles, and books that focus on justice and peacebuilding, among other topics. Its most popular titles include the Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook series, titles by Amish romance novelist Linda Byler, and the Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding series, done in collaboration with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

In 2019, Skyhorse bought the World Almanac brand, which includes the perennially popular annual World Almanac and Book of Facts. The reference book's roots go back to 1868; some 85 million copies have been sold.

In 2024, Skyhorse acquired Regnery Publishing from Salem Media, incorporating its backlist of more than 1,500 conservative titles. Founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, Regnery has published titles by William F. Buckley, Jr., Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mitt Romney, and more. Regnery includes Gateway Editions, Regnery History, Regnery Faith, and Salem Books.

Also in 2024, Skyhorse bought All Seasons Press, another publisher of conservative books. The press was launched in 2021 by Louise Burke, formerly of Gallery Books and Threshold Editions at Simon & Schuster, and Kate Hartson of Hachette's Center Street imprint.

Among titles appearing this fall and winter from Skyhorse:

Change Your Environments: Redesign Your Life to Reclaim Your Health by Dr. Eric Berg (MAHA Books, $28.99, 9781631441196, September 15). Berg teaches that taking simple, practical steps can lead to a happier, healthier life. His radical but intuitive truth: your body isn't malfunctioning--it's responding as it was designed to, in a modern environment it was never meant to survive. He shows that everyday modern conditions--dim indoor days, bright LED nights, ultra-processed foods, hidden seed oils, continuous digital stimulation, and social isolation--are quietly rewriting people's hormones, metabolism, gut barrier, and mood.

Why Fauci Must Rot in Prison by Peter Navarro (War Room Books, $26.99, 9781648213021, October 13). Senior counselor and assistant to the President in the Trump White House, in 2020 Navarro was the defense production act policy coordinator and on the front lines of America's pandemic response--and repeatedly clashed with Dr. Anthony Fauci over lockdowns, travel restrictions, therapeutics, testing, vaccines, and the origins of Covid-19. Here Navarro highlights what he says are Fauci's refusal to admit errors and omissions during Covid, his taking the Fifth 111 times in Congress, his secret knowledge about the Wuhan lab leak, as well as his undisclosed knowledge of Covid vaccine-induced miscarriages.

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2027 ($17.99, 9781510787148, December 8). At a time when The Old Farmer's Almanac and others have ceased publication, The World Almanac and Book of Facts continues to publish and is the bestselling annual reference book in the U.S. With roots going back to 1868, The World Almanac and Book of Facts includes information on top news stories, the year in sports, the world at a glance, the year in pictures, and more. This year Skyhorse is bringing back the bestselling World Almanac for Kids.

Look Up: The New Science of Vitality in the Age of AI by Dr. Gilles LaMarche, Dr. Jeff Langmaid, and Dr. Jason A. Deitch (MAHA Books, $32.99, 9781631441264, September 8). Three doctors reveal a hidden health crisis affecting billions of people worldwide: Tech Posture Syndrome. Created by years of downward screen use, sedentary behavior, compressed breathing, and chronic nervous-system overload, this modern epidemic quietly undermines physical health, mental clarity, emotional resilience, relationships, and long-term vitality. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience, biomechanics, respiratory physiology, embodied cognition, and more than 60 years of combined clinical experience, the authors present a powerful new framework for understanding health in the digital age. At the center of their approach is a deceptively simple practice: Look Up.

The Rise of the New Normal Reich: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. III (2020–2021) by C.J. Hopkins (Tucker Carlson Books, $32.99, 9781683585787, October 27). This updated edition of the third volume of Hopkins's essays presents an unofficial history of the roll-out of the "New Normal" during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 pandemic, and an analysis of what he calls a "new, pathologized-totalitarian ideology that has radically transformed societies around the world." Hopkins and the book have been the subject of bans and police investigations in Germany.

The Censorship Industrial Complex by Andrew Lowenthal (Skyhorse, $29.99, 9781510784864, February 9, 2027). Drawing on his experience mapping the Censorship-Industrial Complex for Matt Taibbi after the release of the Twitter Files, Lowenthal outlines this system for managing public thought and action, arguing that in the wake of the Brexit vote and 2016 Trump election "the infrastructure built for counterterrorism was converted to countering violent extremism and then towards counter-populism, within which censorship played a central role." As a result, liberals and progressives came to see free speech not as a path to liberation but a threat to be suppressed, and made a Faustian bargain with government, the intelligence services, and Big Tech to suppress populist opposition on both the Left and the Right.

Why I Quit the Dems: And So Should You! (Confessions of a Reluctant Republican*) by Alan Dershowitz (Skyhorse, $29.99, 9781510789364, September 29). For nearly 70 years, Alan Dershowitz was a loyal Democrat--until, in his view, the party abandoned its centrist foundations and embraced radical hostility toward Israel. Reluctantly, he has aligned himself with the Republican Party despite continuing disagreements with parts of its domestic agenda.

Walk a Mile, Crocodile by Zen and Taiyo de Becker, illus. by Geoff Vales (Sky Pony, $16.99), 9781510789333, November 17) is one of several "Crocodile" books coming out in November that are sister books to Skyhorse's perennial bestseller See You Later, Alligator.