The Core Media Group
The Core Media Group is a privately held, North Carolina-based book publisher specializing in authentic sports, faith, and personal memoir titles, serving athletes, coaches, faith leaders, and small businesses through traditional publishing plus bespoke Legacy Books and My Biz Book services distributed via its own storefront and major retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersIndian Trail, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Core Media Group does
The Core Media Group, Inc. is a privately held book publishing company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Indian Trail, North Carolina, operating in the United States with a headcount of 11-50 employees. The company publishes books across sports memoirs, faith-based inspirational works, leadership, corporate histories, and children's titles, serving primarily athletes, coaches, faith leaders, and other public figures whose stories emphasize authenticity and personal transformation. Its published catalog spans over 40 titles, with releases dating from 2015 through 2026 and notable commercial outcomes including multiple Amazon #1 New Release designations and a Reader's Favorite 2020 Gold Medal for 'The Upset.'
The business operates three service lines: traditional publishing of hardbound, paperback, eBook, and audiobook titles sold through the company's own e-commerce storefront (thecoremediagroup.com) and major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo; a 'Legacy Books' bespoke memoir service in which TCMG writers work alongside individual clients for 1-5 years to produce private or small-distribution family histories; and a 'My Biz Book' service producing 8,000-8,500 word corporate history books for small-to-mid-size businesses. The company's technology footprint is limited to a Wix-based e-commerce platform supporting direct sales, order tracking, and digital fulfillment, with no proprietary technology, AI tooling, or app-based products disclosed.
Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time book unit sales (priced $5.00-$26.95 per title), quote-based professional services fees for Legacy Books, and quote-based fees for My Biz Book engagements, supplemented by wholesale orders to independent bookstores. Distribution extends to Canada and Mexico via direct international shipping. The company is independently owned with no institutional investors or parent company disclosed, and is led by President and CEO Robert B. Walker, who is also an author of more than 20 titles with the company.
The Core Media Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Core Media Group
- Legal name
- The Core Media Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://thecoremediagroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Core Media Group is a privately held, North Carolina-based book publisher specializing in authentic sports, faith, and personal memoir titles, serving athletes, coaches, faith leaders, and small businesses through traditional publishing plus bespoke Legacy Books and My Biz Book services distributed via its own storefront and major retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Core Media Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where The Core Media Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indian Trail
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Core Media Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Physical book sales including hardbound, paperback, and digital formats (eBooks and Audiobooks) sold directly through their website and through major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo. Prices range from $5.00 to $26.95 per title.
- Legacy Books Service: Custom legacy book publishing service where writers work alongside clients for 1-5 years to capture personal stories. Service includes journalism, storytelling, editing, design, and printing - targeting individuals who want to share stories with family, friends, or employees.
- My Biz Book Service: Corporate history book service for small to mid-size businesses, limited to 8,000-8,500 words. Includes consultation, question lists, audio recording support, writing, editing, graphic design, printing, and distribution by TCMG's network.
- Wholesale Orders: Wholesale orders accepted from bookstores, fulfilled directly by the company.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual book titles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sale/Discounted titles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book bundles |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Wholesale orders |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Core Media Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Core Media Group is a book publishing company that produces and sells books in hardbound, paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats, primarily authored by sports, entertainment, and faith-based personalities. It runs a full-service publishing operation covering journalism, writing, editing, design, printing, and fulfillment, and offers two specialized service lines: Legacy Books (custom 1–5 year personalized memoir publishing) and My Biz Book (8,000–8,500 word corporate history books for small and mid-sized businesses). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce with major retailer partnerships and bookstore wholesale.
Product overview
The Core Media Group is a book publisher offering three core service lines: traditional book publishing (hardbound, paperback, eBooks, and Audiobooks), Legacy Books (personalized memoir publishing with one-to-five-year writer partnerships), and My Biz Book (business history books for small-to-mid-size companies). The company focuses on sports and entertainment memoirs from athletes, coaches, and public figures, with titles spanning genres including biographies, devotionals, motivational quotes, children's books, and personal development. Distribution includes direct sales plus major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo). Notable titles include award-winning works like The Upset by Tyler Trent and faith-based books by authors like Rob Nelson and Bruce Main.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Traditional TCMG Book Publishing Service Full-service publishing for sports, entertainment, and faith-based authors, covering journalism, writing, editing, design, printing, fulfillment, and author speaking engagement facilitation, with books distributed through the company's own e-commerce storefront and major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo.
- Legacy Books Personalized memoir and life-story publishing service where a dedicated TCMG writer works alongside the client for 1–5 years, capturing personal stories through journalism, storytelling, editing, design, and printing for private distribution to family, friends, or employees.
- My Biz Book Business-focused publishing service enabling small to mid-size businesses to produce a branded book of 8,000–8,500 words sharing company history, leadership stories, and products/services to build customer relationships; includes consultation, question lists, audio recording support, writing, editing, graphic design, printing, and distribution by TCMG's retailer and wholesale network.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tyler Trent's 'The Upset' raised over $2.6 million for cancer research
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Core Media Group
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Core Media Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Core Media Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AmazoncorePrimary digital distribution partner for eBooks and audiobooks. TCMG titles are sold through Amazon's retail platform alongside physical book sales.
- Barnes & NoblecoreMajor retail partner for physical and digital book sales, providing access to bookstore customers nationwide.
- iBooks/Apple BooksminorDigital distribution channel for eBooks through Apple's platform.
- Google PlayminorDigital distribution channel for eBooks through Google Play store.
- KobominorDigital distribution channel for eBooks through Kobo's e-reader and retail platform.
- KKLA 99.5 FMcoreSouthern California Christian radio station. Multiple TCMG authors (Gina Pastore, Rob Nelson) host shows on KKLA, and their programs are used to promote TCMG publications.
- KWVE 107.9 FM and 1110 AMminorSouthern California radio station where TCMG author Rob Nelson broadcasts 'Minute of Encouragement' and his 'BePositiveCause' podcast.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Core Media Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Worthy Publishing: Worthy Publishing is a midsize Christian and inspirational book publisher producing trade titles in faith, memoir, and personal development — closely matching TCMG's size, focus, and author-driven publishing model.
- Triumph Books: Triumph Books is a specialty sports book publisher producing autobiographies, memoirs, and narrative-driven titles about athletes and coaches. It directly parallels TCMG's sports-figure author roster and trade publishing model.
- Amplify Publishing / Post Hill Press: Amplify Publishing and its Post Hill Press imprint are independent publishers of trade nonfiction, memoirs, and inspirational titles from figures across sports, business, and faith — closely mirroring TCMG's curated author-services approach at similar scale.
- BroadStreet Publishing: BroadStreet is a midsize independent publisher specializing in Christian, inspirational, and faith-based titles with a strong author-services model — a direct comparable to TCMG in mission, scale, and catalog composition.
Broad incumbents
- Howard Books (Simon & Schuster): Howard Books is a faith-based imprint of Simon & Schuster that publishes Christian nonfiction and inspirational memoirs. It is comparable to TCMG in its faith-and-story focus but backed by a major publisher's marketing and distribution.
- Thomas Nelson Publishers: Thomas Nelson is a major Christian trade publisher (now part of HarperCollins) producing memoirs, inspirational nonfiction, and faith-based titles. It overlaps with TCMG's faith-oriented catalog while serving a much broader author pool and retail footprint.
- Tyndale House Publishers: Tyndale publishes faith-based trade books including memoirs, devotionals, and inspirational nonfiction. Like TCMG, it serves authors who want to pair publishing with ministry and speaking, but at significantly larger scale and with broader retail distribution.
- Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing): Zondervan is one of the largest Christian and faith-based trade publishers in the US and a division of HarperCollins. It shares TCMG's faith-based publishing focus and books-plus-author-platform model but operates at vastly larger scale with institutional marketing infrastructure.
- Baker Books / Revell: Baker Publishing Group's trade imprints publish Christian nonfiction, memoirs, and inspirational titles, closely overlapping with TCMG's faith-based catalog and author-driven publishing model.
Others
- Sports Spectrum Magazine: Sports Spectrum is a faith-based sports media brand published by the same CEO as TCMG and shares the sports-plus-faith positioning that defines TCMG's catalog. It is a sister media property rather than a direct competitor, but highly comparable in audience and editorial niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Core Media Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Core Media Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Core Media Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Core Media Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Core Media Group 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 The Core Media Group
What does The Core Media Group do?
The Core Media Group is a book publishing company that produces and sells books in hardbound, paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats, primarily authored by sports, entertainment, and faith-based personalities. It runs a full-service publishing operation covering journalism, writing, editing, design, printing, and fulfillment, and offers two specialized service lines: Legacy Books (custom 1–5 year personalized memoir publishing) and My Biz Book (8,000–8,500 word corporate history books for small and mid-sized businesses). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce with major retailer partnerships and bookstore wholesale.
Is The Core Media Group a public or private company?
The Core Media Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Core Media Group founded?
The Core Media Group was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Core Media Group based?
The Core Media Group is headquartered in Indian Trail, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Core Media Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are legacy Books Service, my Biz Book Service and wholesale Orders.
Who are The Core Media Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Worthy Publishing, Triumph Books, Amplify Publishing / Post Hill Press and BroadStreet Publishing. Broad incumbents are Howard Books (Simon & Schuster), Thomas Nelson Publishers, Tyndale House Publishers, Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) and Baker Books / Revell. Sports Spectrum Magazine is listed as an others.
Does The Core Media Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Core Media Group.
What industry is The Core Media Group in?
The Core Media Group's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAA, General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction), with a secondary code of MPAJAAAK, Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.