Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly is a privately held U.S. trade publication founded in 1872 that delivers weekly book reviews, bestseller lists, industry news, and rights reporting to publishers, booksellers, authors, librarians, and literary agents via print, digital, newsletters, podcasts, and the PW JobZone recruitment platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1872
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Publishers Weekly does
Publishers Weekly (operating as PWxyz, LLC) is a privately held U.S. trade publication founded in 1872 that serves the book publishing industry with continuous weekly coverage spanning news, book reviews, bestseller lists, author interviews, rights deals, and industry business reporting. The publication is distributed in print and via a digital platform (publishersweekly.com) with a digital edition accessible across desktop, tablet, and smartphone, plus a complete searchable archive of all issues since 1872. The product portfolio includes the flagship weekly magazine, PW Digital Edition, PW Archive, a suite of more than ten segmented email newsletters (PW Daily, Children's Bookshelf, PW Picks, Global Rights Report, Religion BookLine, The Fanatic, etc.), a portfolio of at least six podcasts, the PW JobZone recruitment marketplace, and the BookLife/PW Select self-publishing platform operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) subscription revenue, with monthly digital+print access priced at $15/month and the premium PW Pro tier providing full digital access including archive privileges on an annual cadence; (2) display advertising on publishersweekly.com and within the digital edition, serving publishers, booksellers, and industry vendors; and (3) PW JobZone revenue from employment listings, enhanced job postings, job alert services, and resume hosting. Distribution is global via self-serve web and mobile subscriptions, print delivery, email newsletters, and podcast platforms. The company reaches industry professionals (trade publishers, university presses, independent publishers, booksellers, authors, librarians, and literary agents) through a content-led and sales-led GTM motion, and maintains partnerships with the American Library Association, Copyright Clearance Center, BookLife (internal subsidiary), and The Millions. Marketing reach spans Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, SEO/organic search, and major industry events such as the US Book Show.
Publishers Weekly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Publishers Weekly
- Legal name
- PWxyz, LLC
- Website
- https://publishersweekly.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1872
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Publishers Weekly is a privately held U.S. trade publication founded in 1872 that delivers weekly book reviews, bestseller lists, industry news, and rights reporting to publishers, booksellers, authors, librarians, and literary agents via print, digital, newsletters, podcasts, and the PW JobZone recruitment platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Publishers Weekly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing Trade Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)
Keywords
Where Publishers Weekly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Publishers Weekly business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Premium subscriptions providing access to digital edition, full archive, and exclusive industry content. Subscriptions available as monthly ($15/month) or annual plans.
- Advertising: Display advertising on the publishersweekly.com website and within the digital edition, serving publishers, booksellers, and industry vendors.
- Job Listings (PW JobZone): Employment listings for publishing industry positions, including job hosting, resume hosting, and job alert services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Digital + Print Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | PW Pro (Premium) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Publishers Weekly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Publishers Weekly is a trade news and review publication for the book publishing industry, delivering original editorial coverage of forthcoming titles, book reviews, author features, bestseller lists, and industry intelligence to publishing professionals. The company operates a flagship weekly magazine in print and digital editions, a web archive of historical content, daily email newsletters, podcasts, a job board (PW JobZone), and a self-publishing author service (BookLife/PW Select) used by publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, and authors.
Product overview
Publishers Weekly is a comprehensive publishing industry platform combining the flagship Publishers Weekly Magazine (print and digital), the PW Digital Edition and Archive (access to current and historical issues since 1872), multiple Email Newsletters Suite offerings (PW Daily, Children's Bookshelf, PW Picks, and others), PW Podcasts series, the PW JobZone employment platform, and the BookLife/PW Select self-publishing program. The portfolio serves book publishing professionals, authors, booksellers, and librarians with industry news, reviews, bestseller tracking, and career resources through subscription-based premium digital access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PW Select: Marketing program for self-published authors featured on BookLife
- PW Daily
- Children's Bookshelf
- PW Picks
- Global Rights Report
- The Fanatic
- PW Pro
Products and services
- Publishers Weekly Magazine (Print & Digital) Weekly trade magazine for the book publishing industry featuring news, reviews, author interviews, and bestseller lists; delivered in print and digital editions for publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, and authors.
- PW Digital Edition Digital edition of the Publishers Weekly magazine available to paid digital subscribers; priced at $15 per month with free access bundled into PW Pro subscriptions.
- PW Archive Searchable online archive of historical Publishers Weekly reviews, news, and editorial content used by publishing professionals for research and rights/reference work.
- PW Email Newsletters Themed daily and weekly email newsletters delivering curated book industry news, deal announcements, and topic-specific coverage to publishing professionals.
- PW Podcasts Audio podcasts covering book publishing news, author interviews, and industry analysis, distributed through major podcast platforms.
- PW JobZone Online job board dedicated to the book publishing industry where employers post openings and job seekers apply; offered as part of the PW portfolio of services.
- BookLife / PW Select Self-publishing services platform under the BookLife / PW Select brand aimed at independent authors, providing editorial, marketing, and promotional services tied to the PW brand.
Companies that use Publishers Weekly
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Publishers Weekly technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Publishers Weekly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Copyright Clearance CenterminorPartnership for the 'Week Ahead' podcast providing copyright and publishing industry news analysis.
- American Library Association (ALA)minorCoverage partnership and industry collaboration at ALA's 150th annual conference with 14,801 registrants and 641 exhibit booths.
- BookLifecoreBookLife is Publishers Weekly's dedicated site for self-published authors, home to PW Select marketing program and free book review submission service.
- The MillionsminorCross-promotional relationship with The Millions literary website, featured in website header.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Publishers Weekly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Variety: Major entertainment-industry trade publication with a multi-product portfolio including magazine, newsletters, podcasts, and events. Comparable as an established B2B trade-media leader, though broader in scope than PW's book-only vertical.
- The Hollywood Reporter: Established entertainment-industry trade publication using magazine-plus-digital subscription, events, and awards. Analogous to PW in operating a flagship trade title with diversified B2B monetization, though in film/TV rather than books.
Regional players
- Bookbrunch: UK-focused daily trade newsletter covering book publishing news and analysis. Comparable content and business model to PW, but regional to the UK publishing market rather than competing head-to-head in the US.
Direct peers
- The Bookseller: UK-based trade publication covering the book publishing industry with reviews, news, and bestseller lists. Functions as the UK analogue of Publishers Weekly and serves publishers, booksellers, agents, and librarians in a parallel ecosystem.
- School Library Journal: Trade magazine serving school and youth-services librarians with reviews, author interviews, and industry news. Overlaps with PW in children's and YA coverage and competes for similar institutional subscriber segments.
- Shelf Awareness: Newsletter and trade publication targeting booksellers, librarians, and publishers with daily industry news and reviews. Competes directly with PW for the trade audience and shares the B2B subscription/newsletter business model.
- Library Journal: Librarian-focused trade publication covering book reviews, industry news, and collection development tools for library professionals. Comparable as a B2B subscription trade publication serving a distinct but adjacent publishing vertical.
- Kirkus Reviews: Long-running book review publication serving as an editorial authority for librarians, publishers, and readers. Operates a similar paid-review and subscription model with comparable indie-author services through Kirkus Indie.
Others
- American Library Association (ALA) - Publishing arm: ALA's publishing and member-services arm produces periodicals and directories serving librarians. Functions as a complementary ecosystem player adjacent to PW's librarian subscriber segment rather than a direct substitute.
Emerging players
- Publishers Lunch: Daily e-newsletter by Publishers Marketplace covering book deals, rights, and publishing industry intelligence. Digital-first rival to PW's reporting, particularly strong on rights transactions and deal-making coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Publishers Weekly social profiles
Digital presencePublishers Weekly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Publishers Weekly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Publishers Weekly subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Publishers Weekly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Publishers Weekly M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Publishers Weekly
What does Publishers Weekly do?
Publishers Weekly is a trade news and review publication for the book publishing industry, delivering original editorial coverage of forthcoming titles, book reviews, author features, bestseller lists, and industry intelligence to publishing professionals. The company operates a flagship weekly magazine in print and digital editions, a web archive of historical content, daily email newsletters, podcasts, a job board (PW JobZone), and a self-publishing author service (BookLife/PW Select) used by publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, and authors.
Is Publishers Weekly a public or private company?
Publishers Weekly is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Publishers Weekly founded?
Publishers Weekly was founded in 1872. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Publishers Weekly based?
Publishers Weekly is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Publishers Weekly make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising and job Listings (PW JobZone).
Who are Publishers Weekly's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Bookbrunch is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The Bookseller, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews. American Library Association (ALA) - Publishing arm is listed as an others. Publishers Lunch is listed as an emerging player.
Does Publishers Weekly have an API?
No public API is recorded for Publishers Weekly.
What industry is Publishers Weekly in?
Publishers Weekly's product category is Book Publishing Trade Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.