Los Angeles Review of Books
The Los Angeles Review of Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary magazine that publishes daily paywall-free reviews, essays, and interviews online, a quarterly print journal, podcasts, and educational workshops for literary readers and aspiring publishing professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersGlendale, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Los Angeles Review of Books does
The Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary and cultural arts magazine headquartered in Los Angeles, founded in 2011 in response to the decline of book-review sections in legacy publications. It operates a digital-first, paywall-free daily publication at lareviewofbooks.org covering book reviews, essays, interviews, and cultural criticism across 50+ topic areas (literature, film, politics, science, art, architecture, gender studies, comics, and more), and has accumulated over 16,000 published pieces over 15 years.
Its core products span editorial, audio, print, and education: the online publication; a quarterly print and digital journal (LARB Quarterly, now at issue No. 49); the weekly LARB Radio Hour podcast; the 55 Voices for Democracy podcast co-produced with the Thomas Mann House; the LARB Publishing Workshop (a five-week intensive summer program in its ninth year); and a catalog of shorter writing workshops. The technology stack is a standard digital publishing platform — website, email newsletter, podcast distribution, and Zoom-delivered workshops — with Algolia providing site search; no mobile app or public API exists.
Revenue is generated through a diversified reader-supported model: recurring memberships and subscriptions (Digital $30/yr, Print $60/yr, Supporter $100/yr, Benefactor $250/yr), one-time tax-deductible donations (EIN 90-0977045), Publishing Workshop tuition ($3,500 per Fellow), writing-workshop fees, merchandise sales via the LARB Shop, and limited advertising. Distribution combines the global website, regional bookstore stockists for the print quarterly, in-person events (LITLIT fair, Luminary Dinners, Editor's Salons), and an affiliate relationship with Bookshop.org embedded in every review.
Los Angeles Review of Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Los Angeles Review of Books
- Legal name
- Los Angeles Review of Books
- Website
- https://lareviewofbooks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Los Angeles Review of Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary magazine that publishes daily paywall-free reviews, essays, and interviews online, a quarterly print journal, podcasts, and educational workshops for literary readers and aspiring publishing professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Los Angeles Review of Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary and Cultural Publication
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)
Keywords
Where Los Angeles Review of Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glendale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Los Angeles Review of 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, Others
Revenue model
- Membership subscriptions: Reader-supported memberships at multiple tiers: Supporter ($10/month or $100/year), Benefactor ($25/month or $250/year), plus Digital Subscriber ($30/year) and Print Subscriber ($60/year). Members receive the LARB Quarterly journal (4x/year), digital archive access, members-only events, discounts, and tote bags.
- One-time donations: Tax-deductible donations from readers and supporters. LARB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID/EIN: 90-0977045). Donations are described as fully tax-deductible.
- LARB Publishing Workshop tuition: The LARB Publishing Workshop is a five-week intensive summer training program for aspiring publishing professionals. Tuition is $3,500, with financial aid available. Applications open January 1 and close March 15 annually.
- Writing workshops and courses: Shorter workshops and courses led by award-winning authors on topics including the art of the personal essay, craft of criticism, creative process, reported essays, memoir writing, and more. Discounts available for members.
- Merchandise sales: LARB Shop selling merchandise including Classic Totes, LARB Tees, Critic hats, and other branded items. Members receive a 10% discount.
- Advertising: LARB accepts advertising inquiries ([email protected]), suggesting advertising is a revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Subscriber — 4 digital issues of LARB Quarterly annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Print Subscriber — 4 print and digital issues of LARB Quarterly annually |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supporter Member — $10/month or $100/yr |
| Subscription | Monthly | Benefactor Member — $25/mo or $250/yr |
| Subscription | Monthly | Gift Membership — $10/month or $100/yr |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Donor (one-time donation) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | LARB Publishing Workshop tuition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Los Angeles Review of Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB) is a nonprofit, multimedia literary and cultural arts magazine that publishes daily online book reviews, essays, and interviews, alongside a quarterly print journal, podcasts, public events, and educational publishing workshops. It operates a paywall-free digital publication supported by membership and donation revenue rather than subscription paywalls.
Product overview
The Los Angeles Review of Books operates a multi-platform literary publication ecosystem comprising a core paywall-free online magazine publishing daily reviews, essays, and interviews; the LARB Quarterly print and digital journal (now at issue No. 49: Traffic); the LARB Radio Hour weekly podcast and 55 Voices for Democracy series; and educational programs including the LARB Publishing Workshop (intensive five-week summer program) and Writing Workshops. Members access exclusive events including LITLIT (The Little Literary Fair), LARB Luminary Dinners, Editor's Salons, and the seasonal Book Club. Membership tiers (Supporter at $100/year, Benefactor at $250/year) provide print/digital subscriptions, merchandise, and discounts. The publication is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported organization founded in 2011 and celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LARB Publishing Workshop: An intensive five-week summer training program for aspiring publishing professionals with an emphasis on diverse and innovative publishing opportunities.
- LITLIT (The Little Literary Fair)
- LARB Luminary Dinners
- LARB Book Club
- LARB Radio Hour
- 55 Voices for Democracy
- LARB Quarterly
Products and services
- LARB Online Publication
Quantifiable outcome
- 16,000+ pieces published over 15 years of continuous daily operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Los Angeles Review of Books
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Los Angeles Review of Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability4 records
Los Angeles Review of Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Thomas Mann HousecoreLARB produces the '55 Voices for Democracy' podcast series in partnership with the Thomas Mann House. Inspired by Thomas Mann's defense of democracy during WWII, the series brings significant voices from all fields to discuss democracy as idea and ideal. Episodes feature guests including Patty Jenkins, Clint Smith, Marina Weisband, Lynne Thompson, and Kimberlé Crenshaw, recorded at the Thomas Mann House.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Los Angeles Review of Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Electric Literature: A digital nonprofit literary magazine publishing fiction, essays, criticism, and recommendations. Comparable to LARB as a digital-first, reader-supported literary publication with a focus on accessibility and diverse literary coverage.
- Public Books: An online magazine publishing reviews and essays on the humanities and social sciences. Directly comparable to LARB's digital-first humanities criticism format, with similar target audience of engaged literary/cultural readers.
- The Baffler: A magazine of cultural criticism covering literature, politics, art, and economics with a critical/left perspective. Comparable to LARB's politically engaged cultural commentary and reader-supported nonprofit publishing model.
- The New York Review of Books: The preeminent book review publication and LARB's closest direct peer — both are nonprofit reader-supported literary reviews publishing long-form criticism, essays, and interviews. NYRB operates on a print-plus-digital subscription model that LARB emulates with LARB Quarterly.
- The Paris Review: A foundational literary magazine featuring essays, fiction, poetry, and author interviews alongside cultural commentary. Closely comparable to LARB in editorial format (essays, interviews, original creative work) and audience (serious literary readers).
- n+1: An independent literary and intellectual magazine publishing criticism, essays, and fiction on culture, politics, and the arts. Directly comparable to LARB's mix of cultural criticism and creative writing, with overlapping contributor and readership demographics.
Others
- AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs): The largest nonprofit literary organization in the U.S., supporting writers, writing programs, and literary publishing through conferences and community. Comparable to LARB as the surrounding ecosystem in which the Publishing Workshop operates, and as a programming/events peer for the literary community LARB cultivates.
Broad incumbents
- The Nation: A longstanding progressive magazine featuring arts and literary criticism alongside political coverage. Overlaps with LARB on politically engaged literary and cultural criticism, but operates as a broader political weekly.
- Harper's Magazine: A general-interest monthly magazine with substantial literary criticism, essays, and fiction. A broader incumbent that overlaps with LARB on literary coverage and reader demographic but covers a much wider topical range.
- The Atlantic: A major magazine publishing long-form essays, literary criticism, and cultural commentary. Comparable to LARB in essay-driven literary and cultural coverage, but at vastly greater scale and broader topical scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Los Angeles Review of Books social profiles
Digital presenceLos Angeles Review of Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Los Angeles Review of Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Los Angeles Review of Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Los Angeles Review of 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 Los Angeles Review of Books
What does Los Angeles Review of Books do?
Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB) is a nonprofit, multimedia literary and cultural arts magazine that publishes daily online book reviews, essays, and interviews, alongside a quarterly print journal, podcasts, public events, and educational publishing workshops. It operates a paywall-free digital publication supported by membership and donation revenue rather than subscription paywalls.
Is Los Angeles Review of Books a public or private company?
Los Angeles Review of Books is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Los Angeles Review of Books founded?
Los Angeles Review of Books was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Los Angeles Review of Books based?
Los Angeles Review of Books is headquartered in Glendale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Los Angeles Review of Books make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are one-time donations, LARB Publishing Workshop tuition, writing workshops and courses, merchandise sales and advertising.
Who are Los Angeles Review of Books's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Electric Literature, Public Books, The Baffler, The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review and n+1. AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are The Nation, Harper's Magazine and The Atlantic.
Does Los Angeles Review of Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for Los Angeles Review of Books.
What industry is Los Angeles Review of Books in?
Los Angeles Review of Books's product category is Literary and Cultural Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAM, Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2721.