YWAM Publishing
YWAM Publishing is a Seattle-based Christian publishing division of Youth With A Mission, selling roughly 100 missionary and historical biographies in physical, e-book, and audiobook formats to homeschool families, Christian schools, churches, prison ministries, and global mission organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What YWAM Publishing does
YWAM Publishing is a privately held Christian publishing company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and operates as the publishing division of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a global nonprofit family of Christian ministries. The company sells biography and missionary-story content across roughly 100 titles organized into five core series (Christian Heroes: Then & Now, Heroes of History, Heroes for Young Readers, Heroes of History for Young Readers, and International Adventures), authored principally by Janet and Geoff Benge. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the ywampublishing.com e-commerce site, supplemented by phone (1-800-922-2143), fax, and mail orders, with no retail or wholesale distribution disclosed. Products are available in physical book, audiobook CD, MP3 download, and e-book (Kindle/EPUB) formats, and the catalog is published in English, Spanish, and nine additional languages.
Revenue is generated through five distinct streams: one-time physical book sales, one-time audiobook sales (CD and MP3), one-time e-book sales, a Book of the Month Club subscription, and donation-based outreach programs that place books into US prisons (Prison Donation Project at $77.10 per 64-book set), into newly constructed Homes of Hope (51 Spanish books for $61.20), into Cuba through Action International Ministries ($3 per book), and into other underserved communities via a Books Where Needed Most project. Pricing for individual titles ranges from $6.00 to $24.99, with free US Media Mail shipping on orders over $70, and B2B discounts offered to schools, churches, ministries, bookstores, and distributors via Customer Service.
The customer base is segmented horizontally across homeschool families (primary), Christian schools, churches and individual Christians, prison ministries, and mission organizations, with marketing driven by the e-commerce site, Constant Contact email, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, blog), an affiliate program, homeschool conference appearances, and recurring crossword-challenge community events. Technology is standard e-commerce with no proprietary platform, AI/ML, API, or app capability disclosed, and no external funding, M&A, or executive changes are reported in the input data.
YWAM Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YWAM Publishing
- Legal name
- YWAM Publishing
- Website
- https://ywampublishing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- YWAM Publishing is a Seattle-based Christian publishing division of Youth With A Mission, selling roughly 100 missionary and historical biographies in physical, e-book, and audiobook formats to homeschool families, Christian schools, churches, prison ministries, and global mission organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YWAM Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Christian Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)
Keywords
Where YWAM Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
YWAM Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: One-time sale of physical books including hardcover and paperback Christian biographies, mission stories, and educational materials. Products sold include the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series, Heroes of History series, Heroes for Young Readers series, and International Adventures series.
- Audiobook Sales (CD and MP3 Download): Audiobook versions of published titles available on CD or as MP3 digital downloads. Pricing varies by title with typical discounts from retail price.
- E-book Sales: Digital downloads available in Kindle (Amazon) and Epub formats for Nook and other devices. Accompanied by Unit Study Curriculum Guides and Activity Guides available as downloads.
- Outreach Donation Programs: Donation-based programs where supporters fund book donations to prisons (Prison Donation Project at $77.10 per 64-book set), Homes of Hope (51 Spanish books for $61.20), Cuba project ($3 per book), and general 'Books Where Needed Most' donations.
- Book of the Month Club: Subscription-style club offering monthly book deliveries to members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single book purchases with tiered pricing based on title and format |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free shipping on US orders $70+ |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Educational and ministry discounts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Prison Donation Project - 64-book set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Homes of Hope Donation Project |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cuba Donation Project |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
YWAM Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YWAM Publishing publishes and sells Christian missionary biographies, American history biographies, and adventure narratives in physical book, audiobook CD, MP3, Kindle, and EPUB formats. The company distributes these through its own e-commerce site to individual consumers, homeschool families, Christian schools, churches, prisons, and mission organizations, and supplements sales with donation-funded outreach programs that place books into prisons, mission-built homes, and underserved international communities.
Product overview
YWAM Publishing is a Christian publishing company offering a multi-series portfolio of biographical and adventure books. The core product lines include the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series (missionary biographies), Heroes of History series (American historical figures), Heroes for Young Readers series, Heroes of History for Young Readers series, and the International Adventures Series. Digital delivery is provided through e-book downloads (Kindle, EPUB/Nook formats) and MP3 audiobook downloads, complementing physical CD audiobooks and paperback editions. Unit Study Curriculum Guides and Activity Guides serve homeschool and classroom markets. The company also operates outreach donation projects (Homes of Hope, Prison Project, Cuba Project) distributing books internationally, and publishes materials in Spanish and multiple other languages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Emerald Books: Imprint referenced in returns policy for published products.
Products and services
- Christian Heroes: Then & Now Series
Quantifiable outcome
- Books delivered to 1,901 prisons reaching 1.3 million inmates
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use YWAM Publishing
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
YWAM Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
YWAM Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- YWAM (Youth With A Mission)coreYWAM Publishing is the publishing division of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a global family of Christian ministries. This parent-child relationship provides access to YWAM's worldwide network of mission organizations, mission fields, and distribution channels for placing books in international settings.
- Homes of Hope InternationalmajorPartnership to place starter libraries of 51 Spanish-language Christian books from Christian Heroes: Then & Now and Christian Heroes for Young Readers series in each new home built by Homes of Hope. Since 1990, Homes of Hope has built over 8,000 homes worldwide. YWAM Publishing places Christian libraries in homes in Spanish-speaking countries, with over 60 newly constructed homes receiving libraries.
- Prison AlliancemajorPartnership providing access to deliver 64-book sets (42 English and 22 Spanish titles) of Christian Heroes: Then & Now to US prisons and jails. Prison Alliance has provided access to 2,005 facilities averaging 1,000 inmates each, reaching 1.3 million inmates (50% of US prison population). Books have been delivered to 1,901 prisons.
- Action International MinistriesmajorPartnership for printing and distributing Christian Heroes biographies in Cuba. Action's Cuba Director Brian Stewart oversees distribution to teens and college students. 300 copies each of George Muller and Hudson Taylor biographies have been printed and distributed in Cuba, with plans to print thousands more.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
YWAM Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tyndale House Publishers: Major evangelical Christian publisher with broad fiction, nonfiction, and Bibles; operates at a larger scale but shares YWAM Publishing's religious content focus and serves overlapping evangelical consumers.
- BJU Press: Christian homeschool curriculum and textbook publisher from Bob Jones University; directly comparable in homeschool curriculum bundling and Christian worldview content, though broader in subject coverage.
- Moody Publishers: Established evangelical publisher of Christian biographies, devotionals, and children's books; comparable in Christian biography output and youth audience but operates at much larger scale with traditional retail distribution.
- Bethany House Publishers: Christian fiction and nonfiction imprint of Baker Publishing Group; comparable in subject matter and evangelical audience but with broader retail distribution and significantly larger catalog.
Direct peers
- Canon Press: Small Reformed Christian publisher with homeschool curriculum and historical biographies; comparable in size, niche Christian audience, and integrated curriculum-and-books approach.
- Beautiful Feet Books: Homeschool history and biography curriculum publisher using living books; shares YWAM Publishing's biography-driven, Christian-friendly homeschool approach and curriculum guide bundling model.
- Master Books (New Leaf Publishing Group): Christian homeschool curriculum and publisher with creationist and historical biographies; comparable direct-to-consumer, homeschool-focused publishing model with bundled curriculum guides.
- P&R Publishing: Reformed Christian publisher offering biographies, theology, and children's books; comparable in niche Christian publishing with focused biography catalog and direct-to-consumer sales.
- Greenleaf Press: Small Christian publisher specializing in history and biography books for homeschool families; directly comparable to YWAM Publishing in niche audience, homeschool curriculum bundling, and biography-led catalog.
- Bethlehem Books: Independent re-publisher of classic and historical children's literature with strong appeal to Catholic and Christian homeschool families; comparable in catalog size, niche audience, and direct-to-consumer distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
YWAM Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceYWAM Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YWAM Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
YWAM Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YWAM Publishing 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 YWAM Publishing
What does YWAM Publishing do?
YWAM Publishing publishes and sells Christian missionary biographies, American history biographies, and adventure narratives in physical book, audiobook CD, MP3, Kindle, and EPUB formats. The company distributes these through its own e-commerce site to individual consumers, homeschool families, Christian schools, churches, prisons, and mission organizations, and supplements sales with donation-funded outreach programs that place books into prisons, mission-built homes, and underserved international communities.
Is YWAM Publishing a public or private company?
YWAM Publishing is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was YWAM Publishing founded?
YWAM Publishing was founded in 1960. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is YWAM Publishing based?
YWAM Publishing is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does YWAM Publishing make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are audiobook Sales (CD and MP3 Download), E-book Sales, outreach Donation Programs and book of the Month Club.
Who are YWAM Publishing's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tyndale House Publishers, BJU Press, Moody Publishers and Bethany House Publishers. Direct peers are Canon Press, Beautiful Feet Books, Master Books (New Leaf Publishing Group), P&R Publishing, Greenleaf Press and Bethlehem Books.
Does YWAM Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for YWAM Publishing.
What industry is YWAM Publishing in?
YWAM Publishing's product category is Christian Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAF, Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAHAJ, Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.