Adams Media
Adams Media is a lifestyle, self-help, and reference book imprint operating within Simon & Schuster's publishing portfolio, distributing titles in print, ebook, and audio to consumer readers through wholesale retailers and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersAvon, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Adams Media does
Adams Media operates as a publishing imprint within Simon & Schuster, one of the "Big 5" global trade book publishers, producing titles primarily in lifestyle, self-help, and reference categories. Following KKR's 2024 acquisition of Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global, Adams Media sits within a private-equity-owned publishing portfolio that also includes imprints such as Everything, Halo Books, Simon Teen, and Star Trek Books, plus the "The Write Reasons" podcast and "Your Lifestyle Digest" content vertical.
The imprint's products are books delivered across print, ebook, and audio formats, with the parent operating a digital publishing platform and direct-to-consumer website alongside wholesale distribution to major retailers. Underlying technical components include digital rights management, e-commerce infrastructure, and content syndication across an international footprint spanning the US, Australia, Canada, India, and the UK.
Adams Media generates revenue primarily through one-time book sales (print and digital) supplemented by ebook subscription and deal arrangements. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer sales via the publisher website with wholesale relationships to major book retailers, augmented by editorial partnerships such as the Reese Witherspoon Book Club and discovery partnerships with TikTok to drive frontlist demand. The imprint serves a broad consumer readership across lifestyle, personal development, and reference categories rather than enterprise or institutional buyers.
Adams Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Adams Media
- Legal name
- Simon & Schuster, LLC
- Website
- https://adamsmediastore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Adams Media is a lifestyle, self-help, and reference book imprint operating within Simon & Schuster's publishing portfolio, distributing titles in print, ebook, and audio to consumer readers through wholesale retailers and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Adams Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)
- 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 industries
- Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals) (MPAJAJAA), Self-Publishing Distribution Aggregators (Wide E-book/Audiobook/Print) (MPAJAJAC), Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF)
Keywords
Where Adams Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Avon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Adams Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue generated from selling physical books, eBooks, and audiobooks directly to consumers through their website and through wholesale distribution to retailers and bookstores.
- Ebook Subscriptions and Deals: Revenue from ebook deals, promotional offers, and free ebook offers that drive customer acquisition and repeat purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual book purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Adams Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Adams Media is a nonfiction book publishing imprint of Simon & Schuster that publishes and distributes practical, self-help, how-to, and lifestyle titles in physical, ebook, and audiobook formats. As an imprint, its titles are sold through the parent company's direct-to-consumer website, wholesale retail channels, and digital audiobook platforms, leveraging Simon & Schuster's global distribution network across the US, Australia, Canada, India, and the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Everything: Reference and how-to books series
- Halo Books
- History in Five
- Simon Teen
- Star Trek Books
- Your Lifestyle Digest
- The Write Reasons
Companies that use Adams Media
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Adams Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Adams Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club)flagshipSimon & Schuster partners with Reese Witherspoon's Reese's Book Club to feature books and authors. Natalie Messier's debut novel 'Every Version of You' was featured as Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow selection.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Adams Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hachette Book Group: Part of the 'Big Five' and a direct competitor to S&S in trade publishing, with overlapping author lists, similar multi-format (print, ebook, audiobook) distribution, and comparable D2C e-commerce platforms.
- HarperCollins: Another of the 'Big Five' publishers with similar genre breadth, bestseller author rosters, and global distribution. S&S and HarperCollins directly compete for both literary and commercial fiction, nonfiction, and children's titles.
- Penguin Random House Audio: Audiobook-specific unit of a direct competitor. Directly comparable to S&S's audio platform at simonandschuster.com/p/audio, competing for the same narrator, production, and distribution partnerships in the rapidly growing audiobook market.
- Penguin Random House: The largest trade book publisher globally, directly comparable to Simon & Schuster as one of the 'Big Five' publishers. Competes head-to-head for bestselling authors, shelf placement at major retailers, and reader mindshare across fiction, nonfiction, and children's categories.
- Macmillan Publishers: The fifth member of the 'Big Five' publishers. Comparable to S&S across trade publishing, bestselling author development, and international operations, competing for the same pool of authors and retailer partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- John Wiley & Sons: A larger publisher with overlapping nonfiction, professional, and reference categories that compete with S&S titles from authors like Walter Isaacson and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Operates a broader academic and professional portfolio rather than pure trade focus.
- Scholastic: A major publisher with significant overlap in children's and teen publishing (adjacent to S&S's Simon Teen imprint). Operates a broader portfolio including education distribution, but competes directly for young-adult author titles and classroom-channel visibility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Adams Media social profiles
Digital presenceAdams Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Adams Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Adams Media subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Adams Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Adams Media 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 Adams Media
What does Adams Media do?
Adams Media is a nonfiction book publishing imprint of Simon & Schuster that publishes and distributes practical, self-help, how-to, and lifestyle titles in physical, ebook, and audiobook formats. As an imprint, its titles are sold through the parent company's direct-to-consumer website, wholesale retail channels, and digital audiobook platforms, leveraging Simon & Schuster's global distribution network across the US, Australia, Canada, India, and the UK.
Is Adams Media a public or private company?
Adams Media is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Adams Media founded?
Adams Media was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Adams Media based?
Adams Media is headquartered in Avon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Adams Media make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are ebook Subscriptions and Deals.
Who are Adams Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Random House and Macmillan Publishers. Broad incumbents are John Wiley & Sons and Scholastic.
Does Adams Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Adams Media.
What industry is Adams Media in?
Adams Media's product category is 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 MPAJAJAA, Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.