William B. Eerdmans

What William B. Eerdmans does

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., founded in 1911 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a privately held specialty book publisher operating under the legal name Eerdmans Publishing Co. The company publishes scholarly and general-interest religious content—biblical studies, theology, religious ethics, church history, and pastoral ministry resources—alongside a children's literature imprint (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, EBYR). Its portfolio spans over 2,872 titles and includes established scholarly series such as the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT), the Pillar New Testament Commentary, the Emory University Studies in Law and Religion (EUSLR), the Consider series for young readers, and the Stories from Latin America series. The company serves four horizontal customer segments: academic and scholarly markets (universities, divinity schools, seminaries), church and ministry professionals, general Christian readers, and children and families.

Eerdmans generates revenue primarily through one-time book sales (print and e-book) priced from $14.99 for children's picture books to $99.99 for premium hardcover academic titles, with USD and GBP pricing published on product pages. The website and direct-to-consumer storefront run on the Supadu publishing and e-commerce platform, which provides catalog browsing, search, and checkout functionality. Distribution extends across multiple channels: direct e-commerce via Eerdmans.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org for independent bookstore support, and academic/library platforms including EBSCO, ProQuest, RedShelf, VitalSource, and Perlego for e-book distribution to institutional buyers.

The business model is a traditional publisher's model with marketing executed through the Eerdword Blog, email newsletters, seasonal catalogs, book clubs, and social media. The company maintains editorial independence across evangelical, mainline, and progressive theological traditions, and has accumulated industry recognition including NYT/NYPL Best Illustrated Children's Books, Christianity Today Book Awards, and multiple starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist. No parent company, subsidiaries, public ownership, funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed financials are present in the available data; the company appears independently and likely family-owned given its founder's name in the corporate title.

Name

William B. Eerdmans

Legal name

Eerdmans Publishing Co

Website

https://www.eerdmans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., founded in 1911 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an independent religious and academic book publisher producing over 2,800 titles in theology, biblical studies, and children's literature for scholars, clergy, and general Christian readers via print and e-book.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Academic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Religious book publishing
• Theological publishing
• Academic publishing
• Children's religious books
• Biblical commentary series

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Print and E-book): Direct sales through eerdmans.com, as well as distribution through major retail channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. The company publishes both adult religious/academic titles and children's books under the Eerdmans Books for Young Readers imprint.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. is an independent book publisher producing peer-reviewed scholarly and religious titles in theology, biblical studies, religious ethics, and church history, alongside children's religious literature under the Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR) imprint. The portfolio of 2,872+ titles is sold directly through eerdmans.com and distributed via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and academic e-book platforms such as EBSCO, ProQuest, RedShelf, Perlego, and VitalSource. Long-running scholarly commentary series include Pillar (New Testament) and NICOT (Old Testament), with companion series in law and religion and Latin American children's stories.

Product overview

Eerdmans Publishing Co is a religious and academic book publisher offering a portfolio of theological, biblical, and ethical scholarship. The core publishing business encompasses adult religious titles, academic commentaries, and children's literature through multiple imprints including Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR) for youth titles, Pillar for theological commentaries, and the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) series for scholarly works. The company also distributes e-book versions through major academic platforms including EBSCO, ProQuest, RedShelf, Perlego, and VitalSource, alongside retail channels such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. The publishing house produces both hardcover and paperback physical formats alongside digital editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR): Children's and young adult books imprint of Eerdmans Publishing
• Pillar
• NICOT

Products and services

• Eerdmans Publishing (adult religious and academic titles) Core line of adult hardcover and paperback titles in theology, biblical studies, religious ethics, and Christian thought, sold to scholars, clergy, and general readers.
• Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR) Children's and young adult imprint publishing picture books and illustrated works with themes of faith, diversity, friendship, and nature for families, parents, and educators.
• New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) Long-running scholarly Old Testament commentary series combining evangelical biblical scholarship with detailed textual analysis, used in seminaries and academic institutions.
• Pillar New Testament Commentary Academic New Testament commentary series intended for scholars, seminary faculty, and advanced students of biblical theology.
• Emory University Studies in Law and Religion (EUSLR) Scholarly book series examining the intersection of law and religion from legal, theological, and philosophical perspectives.
• Consider (CON) children's series Children's book series exploring faith themes through nature and creation, including Consider the Birds, Consider the Lilies, and Consider the Night Sky.
• Stories from Latin America (SLA) Children's book series featuring stories from Latin American authors and illustrators, translated into English for young readers.
• Eerdmans eBooks Digital editions of Eerdmans titles distributed through academic platforms (EBSCO, ProQuest, RedShelf, Perlego, VitalSource) and retail channels, typically priced lower than print editions.

Quantifiable outcome

• INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist (2023) for 'Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom'
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InterVarsity Press (IVP Academic): IVP and IVP Academic publish evangelical and broadly Christian academic theology, biblical studies, and ministry resources directly overlapping Eerdmans' adult religious and scholarly catalog.
• Baker Academic (Baker Publishing Group): Baker Academic publishes scholarly monographs, commentaries, and reference works in biblical and theological studies, competing head-to-head with Eerdmans' NICOT, Pillar, and adult academic lines.
• Westminster John Knox Press: WJK publishes theological, biblical, and ministry titles from mainline and progressive traditions, addressing the same academic, clergy, and educated lay readership that Eerdmans serves.
• Abingdon Press: A long-standing Methodist-affiliated publisher of theological, biblical, and ministry resources, directly comparable to Eerdmans in serving pastors, seminarians, and church libraries.
• Brazos Press: Brazos Press publishes thoughtful Christian theology, biblical studies, and cultural engagement titles aimed at an intellectually engaged Christian readership similar to Eerdmans' adult general reader.
• Crossway: Crossway publishes ESV Bibles, Christian theology, biblical studies, and Christian living titles, overlapping significantly with Eerdmans' adult religious and academic catalog.
• Eerdmans Books for Young Readers direct competitors (e.g., Flyaway Books): Flyaway Books publishes faith-based and values-driven children's picture books, the closest direct competitor to Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR) in the religious children's publishing niche.

Broad incumbents

• Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian): Zondervan is a major Christian publisher spanning Bibles, academic, trade, and children's titles as part of HarperCollins; it competes with Eerdmans across most of its catalog at greater scale.
• Oxford University Press: OUP publishes large-scale academic theology and biblical studies programs that compete for the same seminary and divinity school adoptions as Eerdmans' commentary series.
• Cambridge University Press: Cambridge University Press publishes extensive theology, religious studies, and biblical scholarship; it overlaps with Eerdmans' academic and reference titles for institutional library and course adoption.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eerdmansbooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/Eerdmans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 William B. Eerdmans