Penny Press

What Penny Press does

Penny Press Ltd is a privately-held, independent book and website publisher based in Coventry, United Kingdom. Founded in 1995 and operating with 1-10 employees, the company specializes in two product domains: technology publishing — primarily books and resources about developing Android applications using B4A (Basic4Android), a third-party rapid app development tool from Anywhere Software — and science publishing, including the History of the Universe ebook, the Time Crystal fiction series, and children's titles such as Science of Christmas and Halloween Magic. The B4A book is offered in English, Spanish, and Russian editions and is described as the world's best-selling book dedicated to B4A development.

The company's technology stack is built on WordPress for web publishing and supports PDF/A-compliant ebook creation distributed in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI (Kindle) formats, with paperback editions bundled alongside digital versions. A signature commercial feature is the "Free Updates Policy," offering lifetime ebook updates to direct-store customers when new editions are released. Distribution operates through two primary channels: a proprietary direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (pennypress.co.uk/store) with global shipping, and Amazon Marketplace for paperback and Spanish-edition distribution. The company is operated by publisher Philip Brown and resident author Wyken Seagrave, with no external funding, parent company, or enterprise customers identified.

Penny Press runs a direct-to-consumer one-time-license model with low-priced offerings (£10-£38), supplemented by foreign rights licensing on a regional or world exclusive basis. Marketing is conducted through a network of educational content websites, email newsletters, and content marketing tied to science communication. There is no disclosed revenue, no subscription or enterprise revenue streams, and an explicit policy of not accepting new submissions for publication (as of June 2023). The customer base spans Android developers (primary), science enthusiasts, and children/parents — all reached through horizontal, persona-based segmentation rather than enterprise sales.

Name

Penny Press

Legal name

Penny Press Ltd

Website

https://pennypress.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Penny Press Ltd is an independent Coventry, UK-based publisher of science and technology books and websites. It specializes in B4A Android development guides (English, Spanish, Russian) and science titles, selling direct-to-consumer via its own store and Amazon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE), Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)

Keywords

• Book publishing
• Science publications
• Android development books
• Ebook publishing
• Educational content

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. eBook Sales: Digital sales of programming and science books in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats with free lifetime updates for store purchases.
2. Paperback Book Sales: Physical book sales through their store with free delivery, often bundled with ebook versions.
3. Foreign Rights Licensing: Foreign language rights available for all books in all languages on regional or world exclusive basis.
4. Amazon Marketplace Sales: Distribution through Amazon for paperback versions of books.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Penny Press publishes and sells educational books and companion websites on science and technology, anchored by the B4A book on Android app development using BASIC and a catalogue of science titles spanning cosmology, the history of the universe, and children's science. Titles are released as ebooks (PDF, EPUB, MOBI/Kindle) and paperbacks through the company's own online store and Amazon, with free lifetime updates for direct ebook purchases.

Product overview

Penny Press is an independent publisher based in Coventry, UK that publishes books and websites dealing with science and technology. Their product portfolio centers on educational books and related digital content across two main domains: (1) Technology publications focusing on Android app development using B4A (Basic4Android), including comprehensive guides available in English, Spanish, and Russian with free updates; and (2) Science publications that use the history of the universe as a framework to introduce scientific concepts. Their science fiction Time Crystal series includes two published volumes and an upcoming single-volume edition. Additional products include the History of the Universe eBook, Science of Christmas for children, Halloween Magic, and Cronclast. They also operate multiple educational websites including History of the Universe and Time Crystal. Books are available as ebooks in multiple formats (PDF, EPUB, Kindle/MOBI) and as paperbacks, with free lifetime updates offered to customers who purchase directly from their store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• B4A Book Comprehensive guide to developing Android apps using B4A (Basic4Android), a rapid application development tool using the BASIC language. Covers installation, visual editor, app planning, design, development, testing, publishing, and monetization for beginners through to expert developers. Available as ebook (£15.99) and paperback bundle with free ebook and lifetime updates (£37.99, ISBN 9781512296259).
• B4A eBook en Español Spanish-language edition of the B4A book covering version 9.80 of B4A, presented as a 764-page ebook with nearly 4,000 images, aimed at Spanish-speaking Android developers learning B4A.
• B4A en Español (Paperback) Spanish-language paperback edition of the B4A book priced at £37.99, including free shipping, the companion ebook, and free updates, distributed primarily through Amazon.es.
• B4A Russian Edition (Быстрая разработка приложений на Бейсике) Russian-language version of the B4A book covering version 7.01, titled 'Быстрая разработка приложений на Бейсике' (Rapid Application Development in BASIC), priced at £14.99 for Russian-speaking developers.
• History of the Universe eBook An ebook that reviews knowledge from a wide range of sciences to piece together the story of how we arrived, starting from the Big Bang, using the history of the universe as a unifying narrative to introduce diverse scientific concepts to general readers.
• Time Crystal Volume 1: Illustrated Cosmic Monopole First volume in the Time Crystal science-fiction series, telling the fictional story of a CERN disaster in which a cosmic monopole creates a black hole, time stops, and blue Time Crystals appear, distributed via Kindle on Amazon.
• Time Crystal Volume 2: The Time Tunnel Second volume in the Time Crystal series, telling the story of how scientists at CERN broke the LHC and almost destroyed the universe and how it was ultimately fixed, published as 456-page ebook and paperback editions.
• Science of Christmas A children's book by Simon Cotton, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, describing fun science experiments children can do at home on the theme of Christmas and exploring science through holiday traditions.
• Halloween Magic A children's ebook in the 'Silly Science' series that uses a tongue-in-cheek approach to help children under 10 understand that magic has a scientific basis, explaining how to perform science-based magic tricks.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's best-selling B4A book
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anywhere SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationAnywhere Software creates B4A (Basic4Android), the rapid Android app development tool that Penny Press publishes books about. Penny Press is a niche publisher specializing in B4A documentation, with in-house author Wyken Seagrave writing comprehensive guides for the B4A platform.
• Gutenberg ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organization performing digitization of Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910-1911) which Penny Systems publishes online at eb11.co.uk.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pragmatic Programmers: Pragmatic Programmers is an independent technical publisher focused on software development books in ebook, print, and screen-friendly formats. It is comparable to Penny Press as a small-to-mid independent publisher with a developer-first catalog and direct-to-consumer ecommerce.
• O'Reilly Media: O'Reilly is the dominant technical book publisher specializing in programming, software development, and technology titles. Penny Press's B4A book competes in the same technical programming book category, both targeting developers with comprehensive guides and offering digital and print formats.
• No Starch Press: No Starch Press is an independent publisher specializing in technical books with quirky, accessible angles (e.g., science, programming, making). Penny Press's mix of science-meets-technology titles and illustrated children's science books shares No Starch's independent, niche-driven publishing approach.
• Packt Publishing: Packt is a technology-focused book publisher offering in-depth programming and IT titles in ebook and print formats, with frequent updates and a broad international author base. It directly competes with Penny Press's B4A book in the developer-education niche, particularly for mobile and Android development.
• Manning Publications: Manning publishes technical and programming books with a strong focus on in-depth developer education, including mobile development titles. It shares Penny Press's niche publisher model of premium technical books sold direct and through retailers like Amazon.
• Apress: Apress is a major technical book publisher covering programming, IT, and engineering topics, with strong distribution across print and digital channels. It competes with Penny Press in the Android development and broader developer education categories.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley: Wiley is a major global publisher with extensive technical, scientific, and educational divisions (including Wiley-Blackwell). Penny Press's science and technology catalog overlaps with Wiley's broader publishing portfolio, but Penny Press is a far smaller, specialized player.
• Springer Nature: Springer Nature is a leading academic and scientific publisher producing scholarly books, journals, and reference works. Penny Press's History of the Universe, Time Crystal, and children's science titles sit in adjacent territory to Springer Nature's popular science and educational publishing.
• DK (Dorling Kindersley): DK is a global illustrated book publisher with strong science, technology, and children's educational catalogs. Penny Press's illustrated cosmic history and children's science titles compete in adjacent illustrated nonfiction categories.

Regional players

• Usborne Publishing: Usborne is a major UK-based independent children's book publisher known for activity books, science experiments, and educational titles. Penny Press's Science of Christmas and Halloween Magic titles compete in the same UK children's science/activity book category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wykenseagrave
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penny-press-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Penny Press