Akashic Books
Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent literary publisher founded in 1997, operating a multi-imprint portfolio that serves diverse and underrepresented readers through urban fiction, noir anthologies, poetry, Caribbean literature, children's picture books, and celebrity memoirs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Akashic Books does
Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent literary publisher founded in 1997, operating a multi-imprint portfolio focused on underrepresented voices in publishing, including Black, Caribbean, LGBTQIA+, and Latin American literary traditions. The company's flagship is the Akashic Noir Series, a globally recognized anthology franchise featuring noir short stories set in over 70 city- and region-specific volumes. Supporting imprints include Black Goat (poetry), Kaylie Jones Books (literary fiction), Open Lens (visual arts), Peekash Press (Caribbean literature, a co-venture with Peepal Tree Press), Infamous Books (urban noir), The Armory (street-lit), Black Sheep (YA), LyricPop (music-themed children's picture books), and the AkashiClassics Renegade Reprint Series. There is no proprietary technology platform; Akashic operates as a traditional book publisher with no disclosed AI, API, or software capabilities.
Revenue is generated primarily through book sales, distributed through direct e-commerce (akashicbooks.com) with a standing 25% discount, signed copies, and limited-edition packages bundling books with custom merchandise such as T-shirts and Giclée prints, as well as through major third-party retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. E-book distribution is handled by Constellation, with over 200 titles available digitally and a freemium "Digits" excerpt program offering free themed digital samples. Secondary revenue streams include limited-edition chapbook box sets produced with the African Poetry Book Fund, special preorder packages featuring celebrity authors, and distribution to academic and institutional buyers (libraries and universities stocking diverse literary collections).
The company serves diverse literary audiences seeking content outside mainstream publishing, alongside academic and institutional buyers. Marketing is executed through a multi-channel approach including the company website, social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter with NYC vs. non-NYC segmentation, event appearances (book festivals, author readings), and an editorial content blog featuring recurring fiction series such as "Mondays Are Murder" and "Short Story Month." Akashic maintains relationships with cultural icons and notable authors including Amiri Baraka, Edwidge Danticat, Marlon James, Nelson George, David Duchovny, and Robyn Hitchcock. The firm is privately held with 1-10 employees and no disclosed institutional funding.
Akashic Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Akashic Books
- Legal name
- Akashic Books
- Website
- https://akashicbooks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent literary publisher founded in 1997, operating a multi-imprint portfolio that serves diverse and underrepresented readers through urban fiction, noir anthologies, poetry, Caribbean literature, children's picture books, and celebrity memoirs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Akashic Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Literary Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
Keywords
Where Akashic Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Akashic Books business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of physical books and e-books directly through the Akashic Books website and through distribution partnerships with major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. Physical book sales include standard editions, signed copies, and limited edition packages with merchandise.
- Digital Content (Digits): Akashic offers free themed digital excerpts (Digits) featuring excerpts from their catalog. Over 200 titles are available as e-books distributed through Constellation to major e-vendors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard book purchases with 25% discount |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited edition packages with merchandise |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free digital Digits excerpts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Akashic Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based literary publisher that acquires, edits, produces, and distributes physical books and e-books across multiple specialty imprints, including the Akashic Noir Series (city-specific noir anthologies spanning 50+ global cities), Black Sheep (young adult), Kaylie Jones Books (literary fiction), Open Lens (visual arts), Peekash Press (Caribbean literature), Black Goat Poetry Series, Infamous Books, and LyricPop (music-themed children's picture books). The company sells books directly to consumers via its own e-commerce site and through third-party retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org, with over 200 titles available as e-books via Constellation distribution.
Product overview
Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based publisher operating as a multi-imprint portfolio with distinct branded lines. The core offering is the Akashic Noir Series, a globally recognized anthology franchise spanning over 70 city-specific noir collections. Supporting imprints include Black Sheep (young adult), Kaylie Jones Books (literary fiction), Open Lens (visual arts), Peekash Press (Caribbean literature), Black Goat Poetry Series, AkashiClassics Renegade Reprint Series, Infamous Books (urban noir), and The Armory (street-lit). The LyricPop line produces music-themed children's picture books. The Digits program provides free digital excerpts, while over 200 e-book titles are distributed through Constellation. Preorder limited edition packages bundle books with signed merchandise. The company is known for its 'reverse-gentrification' mission, publishing diverse voices across literary fiction, crime/noir, poetry, Caribbean studies, and African diaspora literature.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Black Goat: Poetry imprint featuring works from the Black Goat series.
- Kaylie Jones Books
- The Armory
- Peekash Press
- Open Lens
- Akashic Noir Series
- Black Sheep
- Infamous Books
Products and services
- Akashic Noir Series Company's flagship anthology series featuring original noir short stories set in cities and regions worldwide. Includes over 70 regional volumes covering diverse global locations and is targeted at readers of crime/noir fiction.
- Digits & E-Books Free themed digital excerpts (Digits) featuring selections from front and back-list titles, available as downloadable mobi and epub files. Over 200 titles are available as e-books distributed through Constellation, targeted at digital readers.
- Kaylie Jones Books Literary fiction imprint named after author Kaylie Jones, publishing works across historical fiction and memoir, targeted at literary fiction readers.
- Open Lens Film and visual arts imprint publishing titles that explore themes of family, heritage, and cultural identity, with debut title Randall Robinson's Makeda. Targeted at readers interested in visual culture and cultural identity narratives.
- LyricPop Children's picture book series adapting classic songs into illustrated picture books, featuring works based on songs by Ziggy Marley, Otis Redding, Paul Simon, The Cars, and others. Targeted at young children and parents.
- Peekash Press Co-publishing partnership imprint with Caribbean publisher Peepal Tree Press, featuring Caribbean literature including the Coming Up Hot poetry collection and Thicker Than Water anthology. Targeted at readers of Caribbean literature and poetry.
- Black Sheep Young adult and young readers imprint featuring titles like the Changers series and Game World, launching with Lydia Millet's Pills and Starships. Targeted at teen and middle-grade readers.
- Infamous Books Imprint launched with Albert 'Prodigy' Johnson of Mobb Deep, featuring urban noir and crime fiction targeted at readers of urban crime literature.
- New-Generation African Poets Chapbook Box Sets Limited-edition chapbook box sets produced in partnership with the African Poetry Book Fund, featuring emerging African poets across multiple volumes (Kumi, Saba, Sita, Tano, Tatu, Nane, Nne, Tisa). Targeted at poetry collectors and enthusiasts of contemporary African poetry.
- Go the Fuck to Sleep Series Internationally bestselling irreverent children's books for adults series by Adam Mansbach, including the original Go the Fuck to Sleep, You Have to Fucking Eat, Fuck Now There Are Two of You, and Go the Fuck to College. Targeted at adult humor readers.
- Black Goat Poetry Series Poetry imprint curated by Chris Abani, featuring works from African and African diaspora poets including Percival Everett, Kwame Dawes, and Uche Nduka. Targeted at poetry readers interested in African and diaspora voices.
- AkashiClassics Renegade Reprint Series Reprint series featuring seminal works by African American authors including Amiri Baraka's Blues People sequel and Ed Bullins collections. Targeted at readers of African American literary history.
- The Armory Street-lit imprint curated by Kenji Jasper, publishing urban noir fiction including debut title Cake. Targeted at readers of street-lit and urban noir.
Quantifiable outcome
- B-More Careful achieved 350,000 sales
Companies that use Akashic Books
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Akashic Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Akashic Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ConstellationcoreConstellation handles digital content distribution for Akashic Books' e-book catalog, managing distribution to the trade and major e-vendors where over 200 titles are available digitally.
- Peepal Tree PresscoreCo-publishing partnership through Peekash Press imprint for Caribbean literature, including titles like 'Coming Up Hot: Eight New Poets from the Caribbean' and 'Pepperpot: Best New Stories from the Caribbean'.
- National Poetry SeriesminorAkashic publishes winners of the National Poetry Series, including titles selected by acclaimed poets and editors like Colin Channer.
- African Poetry Book Fund (APBF)coreOngoing partnership producing the New-Generation African Poets chapbook box sets, with Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani editing multiple volumes including 'Kumi', 'Nane', 'Saba', 'Sita', 'Tano', 'Tatu', and 'Nne' editions.
- AmazoncoreMajor third-party retail distribution partner for both physical and digital book sales.
- Barnes & NoblecoreMajor third-party retail distribution partner for physical book sales.
- Bookshop.orgcoreIndependent bookstore-aligned retail partner supporting local bookshops through their platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Akashic Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Graywolf Press: Independent nonprofit literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Closely comparable as a similarly-sized indie press focused on literary quality and diverse author voices, often co-listed on awards and in independent bookstores.
- Coffee House Press: Independent literary publisher based in Minneapolis publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Comparable as a peer-sized indie press with a focus on risk-taking literary work and underrepresented voices.
- Soho Press: Independent publisher of literary fiction and crime/noir, with imprints including Soho Crime and Soho Teen. Direct overlap with Akashic's Noir Series and literary fiction list.
- Melville House: Brooklyn-based independent publisher of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Closely comparable geography and editorial positioning, with shared indie-press distribution dynamics.
- Tin House Books: Independent literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with strong cultural cachet. Comparable as a peer indie press curating literary and genre-adjacent work with award-winning author relationships.
- Two Dollar Radio: Small independent publisher of literary fiction and nonfiction, deliberately favoring diverse and unconventional voices. Highly comparable as a similarly mission-driven indie press with a focused catalog.
- The New Press: Independent nonprofit publisher of books on social justice, politics, and diverse cultural perspectives. Strongly comparable given Akashic's 'reverse-gentrification' mission and nonfiction/politics catalog.
- Catapult: Independent publisher of literary fiction, nonfiction, and essay collections. Comparable indie-press scale and editorial approach, with overlapping author and reader demographics.
- OR Books: Independent Brooklyn/NYC publisher of progressive nonfiction, politics, and culture. Comparable as a NYC-based indie with political/current-affairs catalog overlap and DTC distribution strength.
Emerging players
- Black Balloon Publishing: Smaller independent literary publisher with eclectic fiction and poetry. Useful as a comparable sub-scale indie-press model, though with narrower catalog scope than Akashic.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Akashic Books social profiles
Digital presenceAkashic Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Akashic Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Akashic Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Akashic Books 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 Akashic Books
What does Akashic Books do?
Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based literary publisher that acquires, edits, produces, and distributes physical books and e-books across multiple specialty imprints, including the Akashic Noir Series (city-specific noir anthologies spanning 50+ global cities), Black Sheep (young adult), Kaylie Jones Books (literary fiction), Open Lens (visual arts), Peekash Press (Caribbean literature), Black Goat Poetry Series, Infamous Books, and LyricPop (music-themed children's picture books). The company sells books directly to consumers via its own e-commerce site and through third-party retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org, with over 200 titles available as e-books via Constellation distribution.
Is Akashic Books a public or private company?
Akashic Books is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Akashic Books founded?
Akashic Books was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Akashic Books based?
Akashic Books is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Akashic Books make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Content (Digits).
Who are Akashic Books's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Graywolf Press, Coffee House Press, Soho Press, Melville House, Tin House Books, Two Dollar Radio, The New Press, Catapult and OR Books. Black Balloon Publishing is listed as an emerging player.
Does Akashic Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for Akashic Books.
What industry is Akashic Books in?
Akashic Books's product category is Independent Literary Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.