New Society Publishers
New Society Publishers is an independent, employee-owned Canadian book publisher of over 600 solutions-oriented titles on sustainability, climate, gardening, and social justice, serving conscious consumers, educators, libraries, and organizations through print, ebook, and audiobook formats worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersGabriola, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What New Society Publishers does
New Society Publishers is an independent book publishing company founded in the late 1970s (incorporated 1980), headquartered on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada. The company publishes solutions-oriented books across sustainability, climate action, food and gardening, sustainable building, social justice, and systems change, holding a catalog of over 600 titles. Its primary readers are individuals seeking practical tools for ecologically sustainable and just living, with secondary audiences including educators, libraries, community organizations, and bulk/corporate buyers of training materials.
The publishing operation combines distinctive sustainability and accessibility engineering with traditional editorial workflows. Since 2001, all titles have been printed on 100% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified, chlorine-free paper using low-VOC vegetable-based inks; the company has been carbon neutral since 2005 as the first North American publisher to do so and has held B Corporation certification since 2016. Since February 2024, all frontlist titles are released as Born Accessible epub3 files meeting WCAG 2.2 AAA standards, integrating alt text, structural landmarks, semantic ordering, and print-equivalent page numbers. The company also co-developed a free carbon calculator for Canadian publishers with ECW Press under a Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse Grant.
The business model is a multi-format, multi-channel publishing operation with five core book series (Garden Science, Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener, Homegrown City Life, New Catalyst Books imprint, Sustainable Building Essentials) distributed across print ($9.75-$70 USD), ebook (non-DRM PDF/EPUB), audiobook ($22.99-$44.99), bundle, and library/institutional formats. Distribution spans direct e-commerce via newsociety.com, eight major online retailers (Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com, Diesel, Scribd), OverDrive for libraries, independent bookstore partnerships, and international trade distribution. Pricing is one-time/perpetual-license supplemented by seasonal promotions (up to 60% off), bundle discounts of 25-45%, a loyalty program, an affiliate program, and bulk/exam-copy channels. Ownership is split one-third to an Employee Trust (established June 11, 2015), one-third to co-founder Judith Plant, and one-third to Carol Newell of Renewal Partners.
New Society Publishers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- New Society Publishers
- Legal name
- New Society Publishers Ltd.
- Website
- https://newsociety.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- New Society Publishers is an independent, employee-owned Canadian book publisher of over 600 solutions-oriented titles on sustainability, climate, gardening, and social justice, serving conscious consumers, educators, libraries, and organizations through print, ebook, and audiobook formats worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
New Society Publishers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
Keywords
Where New Society Publishers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gabriola
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
New Society Publishers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Print Book Sales: New Society Publishers generates revenue primarily through the sale of print books. Titles are available in multiple formats and price points, ranging from approximately $9.75 to $70 USD. Books are sold directly via the company website and through retail and wholesale channels including independent bookstores and online retailers.
- Ebook and Digital Sales: Ebooks are sold directly from the company's website in non-DRM PDF and EPUB formats, and distributed through major platforms including Amazon, Google Play, Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com, Diesel, Scribd, and OverDrive. The company has simultaneously released ebooks alongside print since 2009.
- Audiobook Sales: Audiobooks are available as a digital product format, sold through the company website and major audiobook retailers. Prices range from approximately $22 to $45 USD per title.
- Bulk and Special Sales: The company offers bulk sales, exam copy programs, and special bundle pricing (e.g., 25-45% savings on multi-book bundles). They also run seasonal promotions and thematic sales events.
- Affiliate and Referral Revenue: An Affiliate Program allows partners to earn commissions on referred sales, generating referral-based revenue for the publisher.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Print Books |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ebooks and Digital Editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Audiobooks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book Bundles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Seasonal Promotional Sales |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
New Society Publishers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
New Society Publishers is an independent, activist book publisher producing print books, non-DRM ebooks, and audiobooks on sustainability, social justice, climate action, organic gardening, sustainable building, new economics, and systems change. The company has published over 600 titles across multiple curated series and sells directly to consumers via its e-commerce website, through major online retailers, independent bookstores, and international distribution partners.
Product overview
New Society Publishers is an independent, mission-driven publisher specializing in books on sustainability, social justice, and systems change with over 600 titles in print and digital formats. The company operates a multi-format publishing program comprising five core book series (Garden Science Series, Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener Series, Homegrown City Life Series, New Catalyst Books imprint, and Sustainable Building Essentials Series), multiple product formats (print books, ebooks, audiobooks, and Accessible E-Pubs), curated book bundles, and award-winning titles. Books are distributed internationally through their website and major book retailers. The company has been a leader in sustainable publishing for over 40 years, printing on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and maintaining carbon neutrality since 2005.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- New Catalyst Books: An imprint of New Society Publishers specifically designed to keep books in print by taking advantage of print-on-demand technology, bringing back out-of-print titles that have special relevance or enduring value.
Products and services
- Garden Science Series A series of books by Master Gardener Robert Pavlis exploring the science behind gardening, covering plant physiology, chemistry, and botany to help gardeners grow thriving, bountiful gardens. Titles include Food Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Soil Science for Gardeners, Compost Science for Gardeners, and Microbe Science for Gardeners.
- Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener Series Practical handbooks by Jean-Martin Fortier for gardeners, homesteaders, and small-scale farmers focusing on biointensive market gardening methods. The series currently includes eleven guides covering soil health, garden planning, tomatoes, root crops, fruiting vegetables, garden tools, propagation, and seasonal growing.
- Homegrown City Life Series Book series bringing country living to the city with practical guides for small spaces, covering cheesemaking, fermenting, gardening, composting, herbalism, sourdough, mushroom cultivation, and urban self-sufficiency.
- New Catalyst Books An imprint of New Society Publishers using print-on-demand technology to keep titles in print longer and bring back out-of-print titles with special relevance or enduring value on sustainability, environmentalism, and social change.
- Sustainable Building Essentials Series Succinct, user-friendly handbooks written by leading sustainable builders, designers, and engineers covering sustainable construction methods including cob, green roof, rammed earth, rainwater harvesting, composting toilets, natural plasters, earthbag, cordwood, straw bale, and hempcrete construction.
- Audiobooks Audiobook versions of New Society Publishers titles on sustainability, climate action, activism, and eco-friendly living, available for listening on various platforms, priced from approximately $22.99 to $44.99 USD per title.
- Accessible E-Pubs EPUB digital books featuring comprehensive accessibility features including alternative text for images, table of contents, print-equivalent page numbers, landmarks, logical reading order, page lists, structural navigation, and semantic structure to meet WCAG 2.2 AAA standards and the Accessible British Columbia Act.
- Book Bundles Curated book sets on sustainability, climate action, activism, and green living offered at discounted prices of 25% to 45% off. Includes themed collections such as the Work That Reconnects Bundle, Grower's Guide bundles, Fruit Grower's Collection, Forager's Collection, Sustainable Building Essentials Collection, Homegrown City Life Collection, and Garden Science Collection.
- Award Winners Collection Curated collection of award-winning books recognized for excellence in sustainability, social justice, activism, and progressive change, including titles that have won IPPY Awards, Nautilus Book Awards, and other recognitions.
- Print Books Physical print books published on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine-free, with low-VOC vegetable-based inks. Books are printed primarily in North America and are carbon neutral. Prices range from approximately $9.75 to $70 USD.
- Ebooks and Digital Editions Digital ebook versions of titles available in non-DRM PDF and EPUB formats, sold directly through the website and distributed through major retailers including Amazon, Google Play, Kobo Books, Apple, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com, Diesel, Scribd, and OverDrive for libraries.
- Regenerative Economics Book by John Fullerton on regenerative and circular economy design and financial system transformation, released in 2025.
- Floramama Practical guide by Chloé Roy for creating flourishing cut flower gardens and floral design, released in 2025.
- The Art of Creating Workshops for Women Workshop facilitation guide by Marjolein Schwitz focused on creating meaningful workshops for women, released in 2025.
- Fruiting Vegetables Grower's Guide by Jean-Martin Fortier covering fruiting vegetables using biointensive methods, released in 2026.
- The Well Planned Vegetable Garden Garden planning guide by Jean-Martin Fortier for organizing gardens and farms through crop planning, rotation, and seasonal scheduling, released in 2025.
- Starting and Propagating Plants Pre-order Grower's Guide by Jean-Martin Fortier covering propagation and field-tested cultivation techniques for organic market gardening, pre-ordered in 2025.
- Fall and Winter Vegetables Pre-order Grower's Guide by Jean-Martin Fortier on extending harvest with bio-intensive methods for fall and winter vegetable growing, pre-ordered in 2025.
- Earthen Floors, Second Edition Second edition by Sukita Reay Crimmel and James Thomson, a comprehensive guide to building earthen floors with updated techniques and designs, released in March 2025.
- Coming Together in the Great Turning New release in 2025 with a globe and mandala cover design, part of the Work That Reconnects collection on systems change and conscious living.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 600 books published as both print and ebooks
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use New Society Publishers
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
New Society Publishers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
New Society Publishers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ECW PressminorIn 2023, New Society partnered with ECW Press on a project funded by the Digital Greenhouse Grant from Canada Council for the Arts to create a carbon calculator to be provided free of charge to all Canadian publishers. New Society's Going Carbon Neutral: A Guide for Publishers served as the blueprint for the calculator.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
New Society Publishers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chelsea Green Publishing: Chelsea Green Publishing is an independent trade publisher focused on sustainability, organic food, renewable energy, and social justice — the closest direct peer to New Society in both subject matter and mission-driven, independent structure. They compete for the same authors, the same conscious-consumer reader, and the same library and institutional buyers.
- Island Press: Island Press is a nonprofit publisher specializing in environmental and sustainability books for professionals, scholars, and general readers. It is directly comparable to New Society's 'thinker' sustainability list and competes for institutional and academic adoption of environmental titles.
- Storey Publishing: Storey Publishing is a trade book publisher focused on practical, hands-on books for self-sufficient living — gardening, homesteading, building, and natural crafts. It is directly comparable to New Society's Grower's Guides and Sustainable Building Essentials series in audience, format, and topic coverage.
- Inner Traditions / Bear & Company: Inner Traditions / Bear & Company publishes books on alternative healing, spirituality, ecology, and social justice — overlapping with New Society's activist and contemplative publishing list. Comparable as a mission-driven independent publisher with similar backlist breadth and direct-to-consumer catalog sales.
- North Atlantic Books: North Atlantic Books is an independent publisher of books on ecology, sustainability, holistic health, and social change, distributed by Penguin Random House. Comparable to New Society as a mission-driven indie with overlapping subject areas (permaculture, regenerative culture, alternative economics) and a similar activist publishing identity.
- Sasquatch Books: Sasquatch Books is an independent Pacific Northwest publisher of books on food, gardening, nature, and regional sustainability — overlapping with New Society's Garden Science, food, and building categories. Comparable as a similarly sized indie trade publisher with shared regional origins and overlapping audience interests.
- Milkweed Editions: Milkweed Editions is a mission-driven independent literary and nonfiction publisher focused on place, ecology, and social justice. Comparable to New Society as an independent, values-aligned publisher with similar backlist depth (600+ titles), nonprofit-adjacent governance, and emphasis on long-form, ideas-driven nonfiction.
Emerging players
- Counterpoint Press: Counterpoint Press is an independent literary and nonfiction publisher with a list that includes nature writing, food politics, and progressive nonfiction. Comparable as a similarly sized independent publisher that competes with New Society for nonfiction readers in adjacent sustainability and social commentary categories.
Broad incumbents
- Workman Publishing: Workman Publishing is a large independent trade publisher with deep lifestyle, gardening, and home categories (e.g., calendar and how-to books). Comparable to New Society as a trade publisher serving the same gardener / homesteader reader, though at significantly larger scale and broader subject breadth.
- Routledge (Taylor & Francis): Routledge, the academic imprint of Taylor & Francis, publishes extensively on environmental studies, sustainability, and social science through its Earthscan heritage. Comparable to New Society as a publisher of sustainability titles, but operating at vastly larger scale and with an academic rather than trade orientation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
New Society Publishers social profiles
Digital presenceNew Society Publishers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
New Society Publishers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
New Society Publishers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
New Society Publishers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
New Society Publishers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about New Society Publishers
What does New Society Publishers do?
New Society Publishers is an independent, activist book publisher producing print books, non-DRM ebooks, and audiobooks on sustainability, social justice, climate action, organic gardening, sustainable building, new economics, and systems change. The company has published over 600 titles across multiple curated series and sells directly to consumers via its e-commerce website, through major online retailers, independent bookstores, and international distribution partners.
Is New Society Publishers a public or private company?
New Society Publishers is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was New Society Publishers founded?
New Society Publishers was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is New Society Publishers based?
New Society Publishers is headquartered in Gabriola, Canada, in the North America region.
How does New Society Publishers make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are ebook and Digital Sales, audiobook Sales, bulk and Special Sales and affiliate and Referral Revenue.
Who are New Society Publishers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chelsea Green Publishing, Island Press, Storey Publishing, Inner Traditions / Bear & Company, North Atlantic Books, Sasquatch Books and Milkweed Editions. Counterpoint Press is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Workman Publishing and Routledge (Taylor & Francis).
Does New Society Publishers have an API?
No public API is recorded for New Society Publishers.
What industry is New Society Publishers in?
New Society Publishers's product category is Independent Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.