Cemetery Dance Publications
Cemetery Dance Publications, founded in 1988 in Forest Hill, Maryland, is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense literature. It produces limited-edition books, the award-winning Cemetery Dance Magazine, eBooks, comics, and collectibles for horror fiction collectors and readers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersForest Hill, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cemetery Dance Publications does
Cemetery Dance Publications is a privately held specialty book publisher founded in 1988 and headquartered in Forest Hill, Maryland. The company focuses exclusively on horror and dark suspense literature, publishing the flagship Cemetery Dance Magazine alongside an extensive catalog of limited-edition hardcover books, trade paperbacks, chapbooks, eBooks, and the Grave Tales comic anthology. Its roster includes numerous acclaimed horror authors such as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, and Joe Hill, with the brand positioned as the leading specialty press in the horror genre for over 35 years.
The company operates as a direct-to-consumer specialty press, selling primarily through its own e-commerce website (cemeterydance.com), which supports customer account registration for express checkout, order history, and reordering. Revenue is generated from one-time book sales, recurring magazine subscriptions (print and digital), eBook sales, and ancillary merchandise including slipcases, traycases, horror artwork, art prints, and T-shirts. Distribution is global via direct shipping, and marketing is conducted through email newsletters and organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but limited-edition hardcovers, signed copies, and slipcased collector editions typically command premium price points.
Cemetery Dance operates with a very small team (1-10 employees) and is privately funded with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds. It has accumulated significant genre recognition, including two World Fantasy Award wins, four International Horror Critics Guild Awards, the Shocker Award, multiple Dark Scribe Black Quill Awards, and the HWA Board of Trustees Excellence in Specialty Press Publishing Award. The company has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, API, mobile app, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or formal partnerships beyond its author relationships.
Cemetery Dance Publications firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cemetery Dance Publications
- Legal name
- Cemetery Dance Publications
- Website
- https://cemeterydance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cemetery Dance Publications, founded in 1988 in Forest Hill, Maryland, is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense literature. It produces limited-edition books, the award-winning Cemetery Dance Magazine, eBooks, comics, and collectibles for horror fiction collectors and readers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cemetery Dance Publications industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty Genre Bookstores (e.g., Sci‑Fi, Mystery, Poetry) (CRALAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Cemetery Dance Publications is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Forest Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cemetery Dance Publications business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sales of limited edition hardcover books, trade paperbacks, chapbooks, and special collector editions of horror and dark fiction titles, including works by Stephen King and other acclaimed horror authors.
- Magazine Subscriptions: Cemetery Dance Magazine subscriptions, including print and ebook editions, with hardcover limited edition versions available.
- eBook Sales: Digital ebook sales including recent releases, magazine ebook editions, ebook singles, and Halloween short story collections.
- Collectibles and Accessories: Slipcases, traycases, horror artwork, art prints, T-shirts, and gift certificates for collectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Cemetery Dance Publications product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cemetery Dance Publications is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense literature, selling limited edition hardcover books, trade paperbacks, chapbooks, ebooks, and the Cemetery Dance Magazine directly to consumers via its own e-commerce storefront. The catalog is organized into named series (Signature, Novella, Select, Gold Seal, Graveyard Editions, Dark Screams, Halloween Carnival) and includes accessories such as slipcases and horror art prints, with content contributed by marquee horror authors including Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, and Clive Barker.
Product overview
Cemetery Dance Publications is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense literature, founded in 1988. The company operates a multi-format publishing business centered on Cemetery Dance Magazine (their flagship World Fantasy Award-winning publication) and an extensive catalog of limited edition books. Their book products are organized into distinct series: Cemetery Dance Signature Series, Cemetery Dance Novella Series, Cemetery Dance Select Series, Cemetery Dance Gold Seal Series, and Cemetery Dance Graveyard Editions (reprints). They publish in multiple formats including hardcover limited editions, trade paperbacks, chapbooks, and eBooks. Additional offerings include the Grave Tales horror comic book series, Dark Screams and Halloween Carnival anthology series, plus accessories like slipcases and horror artwork. The company specializes in works by acclaimed horror authors including Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, and many others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cemetery Dance Magazine Flagship horror and dark suspense magazine available in print and ebook editions, with hardcover limited edition versions; features works from acclaimed horror authors and has won multiple genre awards including the World Fantasy Award and Shocker Award.
- Cemetery Dance Hardcover Limited Edition Books Deluxe, hand-crafted limited edition hardcover books featuring horror and dark suspense authors, including signed and numbered editions aimed at collectors.
- Cemetery Dance Signature Series Premium book series featuring signature editions of horror and dark fiction works targeted at collectors.
- Cemetery Dance Novella Series Series dedicated to publishing novella-length horror and dark fiction works.
- Cemetery Dance Select Series Curated selection of horror and dark fiction titles.
- Cemetery Dance Gold Seal Series Premium tier book series with gold seal designation for collector editions.
- Cemetery Dance Graveyard Editions Limited edition reprints of horror fiction with distinctive graveyard-themed branding.
- Trade Paperbacks Trade paperback editions of horror and dark fiction titles.
- eBooks Electronic editions of horror and dark fiction including recent releases, magazine ebook editions, ebook singles, and Halloween short stories.
- Chapbooks Small-format printed works including promotional chapbooks and standard chapbooks featuring horror fiction.
- Grave Tales Comic Book Horror anthology comic book series featuring horror fiction in comic format across multiple issues.
- Slipcases and Traycases Protective cases for limited edition books, including custom slipcases for Stephen King works and other authors.
- Horror Artwork and Art Prints Horror-themed artwork and prints available for purchase.
- Dark Screams Series Multi-volume horror anthology series featuring contributions from notable horror authors.
- Halloween Carnival Series Halloween-themed horror anthology series with multiple volumes.
Companies that use Cemetery Dance Publications
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cemetery Dance Publications technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cemetery Dance Publications partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cemetery Dance Publications competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Raw Dog Screaming Press: Raw Dog Screaming Press is an independent horror publisher producing limited edition and trade titles in horror, dark fiction, and bizarro. Comparable in scale, genre focus, and direct-to-consumer specialty model.
- Thunderstorm Books: Thunderstorm Books publishes signed limited edition hardcovers in horror, dark fantasy, and suspense, often with the same high-profile authors. It is a direct peer competing for the same limited edition horror collector dollar.
- Centipede Press: Centipede Press produces deluxe, limited edition hardcover books in horror, weird fiction, and fantasy, often with the same top-tier authors Cemetery Dance publishes (King, Straub, Barker). It is a directly comparable specialty press competing in the same premium collector market.
- PS Publishing: PS Publishing is a UK-based small press that publishes limited edition hardcovers and signed editions in horror, fantasy, and science fiction. It is directly comparable in format, scale, and genre focus, serving the same collector audience.
- Subterranean Press: Subterranean Press is a specialty press that produces limited edition and signed hardcover books, primarily in horror, fantasy, and science fiction. It is one of Cemetery Dance's closest direct peers, competing for the same collector customer base and exclusive author relationships.
- Earthling Publications: Earthling Publications is a small horror specialty press known for hand-crafted, limited edition hardcovers by acclaimed authors. It is a direct peer in both business model (limited run collectibles) and genre (horror/dark fiction).
- Borderlands Press: Borderlands Press is a small specialty press publishing limited edition anthologies and novels in horror and dark suspense, with a comparable collector-oriented business model.
- Gauntlet Press: Gauntlet Press is a specialty publisher of limited edition and deluxe horror and dark fiction, well known for publishing Stephen King and other major horror authors. Directly comparable in both genre exclusivity and limited edition print focus.
- Dark Regions Press: Dark Regions Press is a horror specialty press publishing limited edition hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and chapbooks, directly comparable to Cemetery Dance in product format, genre, and target collector market.
Broad incumbents
- Night Shade Books: Night Shade Books is a larger speculative fiction publisher covering horror, fantasy, and science fiction with both trade and limited edition formats. It is a broad incumbent in the same genre-adjacent category with overlapping author rosters and similar collector titles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cemetery Dance Publications social profiles
Digital presenceCemetery Dance Publications financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cemetery Dance Publications leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cemetery Dance Publications funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cemetery Dance Publications 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 Cemetery Dance Publications
What does Cemetery Dance Publications do?
Cemetery Dance Publications is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense literature, selling limited edition hardcover books, trade paperbacks, chapbooks, ebooks, and the Cemetery Dance Magazine directly to consumers via its own e-commerce storefront. The catalog is organized into named series (Signature, Novella, Select, Gold Seal, Graveyard Editions, Dark Screams, Halloween Carnival) and includes accessories such as slipcases and horror art prints, with content contributed by marquee horror authors including Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, and Clive Barker.
Is Cemetery Dance Publications a public or private company?
Cemetery Dance Publications is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cemetery Dance Publications founded?
Cemetery Dance Publications was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cemetery Dance Publications based?
Cemetery Dance Publications is headquartered in Forest Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cemetery Dance Publications make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are magazine Subscriptions, eBook Sales and collectibles and Accessories.
Who are Cemetery Dance Publications's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Raw Dog Screaming Press, Thunderstorm Books, Centipede Press, PS Publishing, Subterranean Press, Earthling Publications, Borderlands Press, Gauntlet Press and Dark Regions Press. Night Shade Books is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cemetery Dance Publications have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cemetery Dance Publications.
What industry is Cemetery Dance Publications in?
Cemetery Dance Publications's product category is Specialty Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of CRALAAAJ, Specialty Genre Bookstores (e.g., Sci‑Fi, Mystery, Poetry). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.