What Copper Books does

Copper Books is a privately held boutique hybrid publishing company founded in 2017 by Allison Trowbridge and headquartered in Los Angeles, with primary operational activity in Nashville. The company serves entrepreneurial authors and thought leaders seeking to publish books that build credibility and legacy, offering end-to-end publishing services spanning editorial development, design, marketing, and retail distribution through a partnership with Simon & Schuster. Its model is intentionally selective and high-touch, accepting a limited number of authors per year and beginning engagement through an "Author Vision Call" discovery process, with four sequential phases (Clarify, Draft, Review, Results) that emphasize strategic positioning alongside editorial quality.

The product surface extends beyond core publishing into a la carte service modules — Book Mapping, Brand Edit, PR & Marketing, Podcast and Audiobook production, and Author Retreats — and into community and education assets including the Copper Books social app (iOS), Author Camp (self-paced course), the annual Book Fair event in Nashville, and the weekly "Meet the Author" podcast hosted by the founder. Revenue is generated through professional services fees paid by authors for publishing packages and add-ons; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The business runs on a lean team (1–10 employees) with no proprietary technology platform disclosed beyond the mobile app and course infrastructure. Strategic partnerships anchor the operating model: Simon & Schuster provides retail distribution, and a May 2026 partnership with Dolphin Entertainment opened an enterprise publishing imprint serving clients of 42West, The Door, and Shore Fire Media agencies. The company has raised a single disclosed funding round of $2.5M in June 2021 (led by Wave Capital with Oxonian Ventures and The Community Fund), and its most cited commercial outcome is a USA Today Bestseller, "Styles of Joy" by SC Perot, achieved in 2025.

Name

Copper Books

Legal name

Martini

Website

https://copperbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Copper Books is a boutique hybrid publishing company that provides end-to-end editorial, design, marketing, and distribution services — via Simon & Schuster — to a selectively chosen set of entrepreneurial authors and thought leaders, complemented by courses, retreats, a social app, and a podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Hybrid book publishing
• Author publishing services
• Editorial services
• Book marketing
• Author coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Publishing Services: Hybrid publishing model where the company provides end-to-end publishing services (editorial, design, marketing, distribution) to authors for a fee. Authors invest in the publishing process, similar to boutique hybrid publishing models. The company describes its approach as offering 'the same level of excellence found in top-tier traditional publishing, without the gatekeeping.'
2. À la Carte Services: Additional revenue from add-on services including podcast production, audiobook production, PR and marketing services, retreats, and book mapping consultations offered separately from core publishing packages.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Copper Books is a boutique hybrid publisher that provides end-to-end book publishing services to individual authors and thought leaders, including editorial development, design, marketing, and retail distribution through Simon & Schuster. Authors pay a service fee for the publishing process and receive à la carte add-ons (Book Mapping, Brand Edit, PR & Marketing, Author Retreats, audiobook/podcast production), with published books then sold via the Copper Books Shop, Amazon, and physical bookstores.

Product overview

Copper Books operates as a boutique hybrid publishing platform designed specifically for entrepreneurial authors and thought leaders seeking to build legacies through book publishing. The company offers a unified platform combining core publishing services with supporting products: Copper Books Publishing Services (the core hybrid publishing offering with editorial, design, marketing, and Simon & Schuster distribution), complemented by The Copper App (a social reading community), Author Camp (online course), Book Fair (annual in-person event), the Meet the Author Podcast, and various à la carte services including Book Mapping, Brand Edit, PR & Marketing, Author Retreats, and audio production. The company was founded by Allison Trowbridge in 2017.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meet the Author: A podcast hosted by Allison Trowbridge featuring interviews with authors launching their books, exploring the stories behind their published works.

Products and services

• Copper Books Hybrid Publishing Services Boutique hybrid publishing service for individual entrepreneurial authors and thought leaders, providing editorial development, design, marketing, and retail distribution through Simon & Schuster via a four-step process (Clarify, Draft, Review, Results).
• The Copper App Free social mobile app for authors and readers to discover new books and connect with other book lovers; serves as the community backbone for Copper Books.
• Author Camp Self-paced online course that helps aspiring authors map, write, and publish their books with structured guidance.
• Book Fair Annual in-person event for aspiring authors featuring workshops, networking, and publishing guidance; held in Nashville and used for partnership announcements and author recruitment.
• Meet the Author Podcast Weekly podcast hosted by founder Allison Trowbridge featuring interviews with authors launching their books; available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• Book Mapping Consultation service that helps authors turn book ideas into actionable plans, defining target audience and book structure.
• Brand Edit Strategic service that helps authors articulate their unique voice and position their personal brand through their publishing work.
• PR & Marketing Services Marketing and public relations support including strategy development and execution for book launches and author brand building.
• Author Retreats In-person retreats where aspiring authors can connect with peers, learn from experts, and focus on writing their books.
• Podcasts & Audiobooks Production Audio production services for authors, including high-end audiobook creation and podcast production to amplify their voice.

Quantifiable outcome

• SC Perot's 'Styles of Joy' achieved USA Today Bestseller status
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dolphin EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDolphin Entertainment is launching a new publishing imprint in partnership with Copper Books that will exclusively serve clients of its agencies including 42West, The Door, and Shore Fire Media. The partnership provides an end-to-end publishing pathway from editorial development to retail distribution through Simon & Schuster. Dolphin CEO Bill O'Dowd noted the partnership enables clients to go from initial idea to bookstore shelves nationwide, with potential for adaptation to screen through their production division.
• Simon & SchustercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Copper Books, providing wholesale distribution network that enables books to reach retail bookstore shelves nationwide. Part of the core publishing value proposition offering end-to-end services from manuscript to bookstore.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Balboa Press: Hybrid publishing imprint (Hay House family) offering assisted self-publishing packages with editorial, design, and distribution. Competes for the same pay-to-publish entrepreneur and self-help author segment.
• Disruption Books: Hybrid publishing imprint of Disruption Ventures, focused on business and thought-leader authors. Direct competitor in the entrepreneur-author hybrid publishing space.
• Amplify Publishing: Hybrid publisher (formerly Mascot Books) providing editorial, design, marketing, and distribution to thought-leader and platform-building authors. Closely comparable business model and target author profile to Copper Books.
• BenBella Books: Independent publisher combining traditional and hybrid models, focused on nonfiction thought leaders, business authors, and pop culture. Overlaps with Copper's entrepreneur/influencer author target market.
• She Writes Press: Hybrid publishing imprint (part of SparkPoint Studio) that partners with authors on editing, design, and distribution. Targets a similar female-author and thought-leader customer base as Copper.
• Greenleaf Book Group: Hybrid publisher offering editorial, design, marketing, and distribution services to entrepreneurial and thought-leader authors. Closest direct analog to Copper's boutique hybrid model serving the same entrepreneur/influencer author segment.
• BookBaby: Self-publishing and hybrid publishing services company providing editing, design, printing, and distribution. Operates in the same pay-for-services author services category as Copper, though positioned more toward the mass/self-publishing end.
• Page Two: Boutique hybrid publisher serving entrepreneurial and thought-leader authors with end-to-end editorial, design, and distribution services. Direct head-to-head competitor in the premium hybrid publishing niche.

Emerging players

• Reedsy: Marketplace and tool platform connecting authors to vetted editors, designers, and marketers; also offers a self-publishing service (Reedsy Discovery). Competes for the same author services wallet share though via a marketplace model rather than integrated publishing.

Broad incumbents

• Hay House: Established traditional publisher in the self-help, wellness, and personal-development space. Targets overlapping author and reader demographics with Copper, though operating as a traditional publisher rather than hybrid model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/meetcopper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meet-copper
• Instagraminstagram.com/copper.books
• Xx.com/meetcopper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copper Books