It was with mixed emotions that part of the Casemate US team headed to New York City to say farewell to long-time Editorial Director, Steve Smith. All are sad to lose Steve as a coworker, mentor, and the leader of the editorial team, yet happy to see him return to his original passion, writing.
Steve has enjoyed a long career in publishing, starting in the stockroom of a firm called Weiser Books in New York City. Steve graduated from that position and went on to form his own publishing-services company, dealing with about 40 publishers, graphic design firms, and ad agencies during the 1980s. In 1991 he decided to devote himself to the fascination of his youth by founding Sarpedon Publishers, which at 166 Fifth Avenue, NY, became one of the most noted military history publishing houses of the 1990s. After selling Sarpedon in 2000, and later founding Front Street Press, Steve employed his expertise at editing, plus fascination with the past, to write 8 highly regarded military history works himself (most under a pseudonym). In the meantime he has also edited or guided more than 120 other works, many of which have earned high acclaim in the very exacting field of non-fiction history.
Steve was one of the first to join Casemate back in 2004, shortly after its founding, and worked closely with publisher David Farnsworth in growing Casemate from a small group with five employees, a few distribution clients and ten original releases a year, to an international company with 45 plus employees in four different countries, and hundreds of clients across all genres from Archaeology to Travel, and dozens of annual original releases.
We are grateful to Steve for bringing his production and editorial values to Casemate, along with his guidance, leadership and sincere desire to help everyone be the best at whatever their position, in turn making us one of today’s most significant players among not only the modern military history audience but in the publishing community.
We have no doubt that wherever the road takes Steve, he will continue to be an important asset to the military history field. Please join us in wishing Steve the very best of luck and the greatest of success in all future endeavors.
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