43 Trending Publishing Businesses [2024]
Starting a publishing business can be a rewarding and lucrative endeavor for those with a passion for literature and strong business acumen. This type of business involves producing and distributing written materials such as books, magazines, and digital content.
To start a publishing business, you need a solid business plan outlining your goals and target market. You will also need to secure funding to cover the costs of printing and distributing your materials. This can include obtaining loans or seeking investors.
In addition to financial resources, you will need a team of professionals with expertise in editing, design, marketing, and sales. It’s important to build a diverse and skilled team to ensure the success of your business.
Success in the publishing industry requires a strong understanding of current trends and adapting to changing market conditions. Stay current on industry news and continually seek new opportunities to grow and expand your business.
Starting a publishing business requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks. But with the right team and strategy, it can be a fulfilling and profitable venture.
Looking for some examples of a publishing business?
Interested in case studies of a successful publishing business? Check out our full list of success stories.
1. Reedsy
Reedsy allows authors to find and work with the best publishing professionals: from developmental editors to book cover designers, publicists and translators.
How much they make: $24M/year
Where they're located: London
How much did it cost to start: $40K
Current team size: 38
Website traffic: 4.13M/month
Reedsy, a book publishing services marketplace that connects authors with freelancers, has driven over $1m in GMV, features over 1,500 vetted freelance professionals, and sees over 1,000 projects every month.
2. IntechOpen
IntechOpen is a leading global publisher of Journals and Books within the fields of Science, Technology and Medicine. We are the preferred choice of over 60,000 authors worldwide.
Where they're located: Livade, Croatia
Website traffic: 3.14M/month
Learn more about starting a publishing business:
Where to start?
-> How much does it cost to start a publishing business?
-> Pros and cons of a publishing business
Need inspiration?
-> Other publishing business success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a publishing business
-> Publishing business slogans
-> Publishing business names
Other resources
4. Sociopost
The best news, videos and pictures on the web as voted on by the Sociopost community. Breaking news on Technology, Politics, Entertainment, and more!
Where they're located: Debub Region, Eritrea
5. KendallHunt
Kendall Hunt Publishing
Where they're located: Irvine, California, USA
Website traffic: 250K/month
6. Notion Press
Notion Press is India's Fastest Growing Self-publishing company with 4000+ books published. We have integrated book publication services for Print & eBook.
7. Scribe Media
Scribe Media (formerly Book in a Box), has made it easier than ever for thought leaders to turn their ideas into a professionally published book.
How much they make: $15.6M/year
Where they're located: Austin, Texas, USA
Current team size: 51
4x New York Times Bestselling Author Tucker Max co-founded Scribe Media in 2014, a book writing, publishing, and marketing service that has worked with over 1,500 authors and generates over $1.3 million a month, with a range of services priced between $10k-$100k+.
8. Kotobee
Kotobee is a digital publishing platform to create and publish interactive ebooks for Android, iPad, iPhone, HTML5, desktop, SCORM, LTI, and more!
Where they're located: Cairo, Egypt
Current team size: 18
Website traffic: 190K/month
9. Gearhead Media
Automoblog is a grassroots automotive industry news, culture, and lifestyle publication since 2006. Car reviews, guides, advice, technology, and more.
How much they make:
Where they're located: Detroit, MI, USA
Current team size: 1
10. Andrews McMeel Universal
Andrews McMeel Universal is a global, independent, integrated media partner known for its ability to discover and nurture world-class creators, artists and brands, specializing in comics, illustrated humor and inspirational content
Where they're located: Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Website traffic: 270K/month
11. Pensoft Publishers
Where they're located: Hirevo, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
Website traffic: 210K/month
12. HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Where they're located: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Website traffic: 160K/month
13. Global Publishing – Creating Wealth through Education and Automation
Where they're located: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Website traffic: 30K/month
14. Cognella – Teacher-driven, student-centric higher education course materials in print and digital formats
Where they're located: Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA
Website traffic: 90K/month
15. Publishing Perspectives
Publishing Perspectives is the leading trade magazine and source of news and information for the international book publishing business.
Where they're located: Guarantã do Norte, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Website traffic: 110K/month
16. Magloft
Mobile app publishing and digital publishing solution. Create your own native mobile apps for your digital magazine, blogs and more. Start publishing today!
Where they're located: Wagrain, Salzburg, Austria
17. DiggyPOD
We are the go to company for authors wanting to learn how to self-publish and print a book. We make book printing and publishing easy and affordable.
Where they're located: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
18. Harvard Business Publishing
Enterprise leadership development that leverages world-class Harvard Business Publishing content and delivers real business impact.
Where they're located: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website traffic: 220K/month
19. endeavor
Endeavor Business Media delivers high-quality content in various B2B media markets. We provide the best opportunities for advertisers to stay relevant and readers to stay knowledgeable.
Where they're located: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
20. Gatekeeper Press
Gatekeeper Press is a self-publishing company that offers Editing, Proofreading, Cover Design, Paperback, Hardcover, and eBook Design and Distribution.
Where they're located: Columbus, Ohio, USA
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 20
Website traffic: 70K/month
21. Crain Communications
Crain Communications is one of the largest privately held business media publishers in the world.
Where they're located: Detroit, Michigan, USA
22. Nourishing Brands
Free resources to help you lose weight, heal your body, solve underlying health issues, and look and feel better than ever with a low carb, Keto diet.
How much they make: $7.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 10
Website traffic: 130K/month
Nourishing Brands is a direct-to-consumer media company that generates more than $600k per month and sold over 300,000 cookbooks in 2020 through their popular health websites like KetoSummit.com by transitioning from digital events to cookbooks, evergreen courses, and paid media.
23. Cyprus.com
Cyprus.com is the leading website about Cyprus, with a comprehensive business directory and useful info about travel, sights, hotels, restaurants and more.
Where they're located: Kannavia, Cyprus
24. Prime Publishing LLC
Prime Publishing LLC is a leader in building multi-platform brands that inform, inspire, and engage highly coveted consumer audiences.
How much they make: $7.2M/year
Where they're located: Northbrook, IL, USA
How much did it cost to start: $650K
Current team size: 46
Website traffic: 50K/month
Stuart Hochwert grew his company Prime Publishing LLC to generate over 30 million monthly page views and $7 million in annual revenue by creating free, advertising-supported cooking and crafting websites and premium, ad-free digital products.
25. Gardner Business Media :
Gardner Web
Modern Machine Shop is focused on all aspects of metalworking technology - Providing the new product technologies; process solutions; supplier listings; application videos; business management content; networking; and event information that companies need to be competitive.
Where they're located: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
26. Publishing Concepts
PCI helps colleges, universities, and associations connect with their people, share stories, maximize contributions, and drive engagement.
Where they're located: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Website traffic: 110K/month
27. Authority Publishing
Authority Publishing specializes in custom publishing business, self-help, memoir and other nonfiction books. Located near Sacramento, California. "Where Professionals Publish!"
Where they're located: Sacramento, California, USA
28. David Publishing Company
David-desc
Where they're located: Bangluo, Gansu, China
29. KPCNews
Where they're located: Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Website traffic: 210K/month
30. The Agora
Welcome to The Agora, a global network for various publishers of financial, health, travel and special interest books and newsletters.
Where they're located: Aurora, Colorado, USA
31. Self-Publish Your Book
Morris Publishing specializes in short-run book printing for self-publishing<!---self-published (changed to self-publishing from self-published to try and get better SEO. -cm 09/02/20)---> authors. We've printed millions of books, including novels, comic books, biographies, children’s books, religion, and more.
Where they're located: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
32. Textbook Media
Textbook Media Commerce
Where they're located: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
33. Simplify and automate your graphics
Allow users to edit customizable documents, or fully automate artwork generation. Output files are ready to use for print and digital.
Where they're located: Vicuña, Coquimbo Region, Chile
34. HarperCollins Australia
Where they're located: South Australia, Australia
Website traffic: 90K/month
35. Sound Publishing, Inc.
Washington State's largest community news publisher
Where they're located: Tacoma, Washington, USA
36. Ox Publishing
Where they're located: Mobile, Alabama, USA
37. Current Publishing
Where they're located: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Website traffic: 100K/month
38. BUUKS
BUUKS is a trustworthy book publishing company in India. We offer hasslefree online self-publishing in India. Best book publishers house in Chennai.
Where they're located: ميرنكني, Anjouan, Comoros
39. Forbes Books
Grow your business as the authority in your field. Over 1000 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and professionals around the globe use us to help them grow.
How much they make: $18M/year
Where they're located: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Current team size: 81
Adam Witty started Advantage|ForbesBooks, one of America's largest business book publishers with sales over $1.5 million per month, which offers pain-free book creation and specializes in Authority Marketing™ for entrepreneurs and business leaders, achieving seven out of the past eight years in the Inc. 5000 list of America's most rapidly growing private companies, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, amongst others, growing his business through customer referrals, speaking, and advertising both online and offline.
40. Tampa Magazine
The best of Tampa all in one place. Food, Culture, Business, History, Sporting, Lifestyle. This is Tampa and we are Tampa Magazine.
Where they're located: Tampa, Florida, USA
41. Bush Publishing – Everyone Has A Story
Where they're located: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings