Third State Books

What Third State Books does

Third State Books is a San Francisco-based independent book publisher founded in 2022 that focuses on amplifying AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) voices across multiple genres and age groups. The company publishes picture books, middle-grade novels, graphic novels, adult fiction, true crime, and non-fiction, with 2024 launches including The Vale (a VR/AI-themed middle-grade novel), The People vs. the Golden State Killer (true crime), Fighting to Belong! Vol. 2 (children's graphic novel), and Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken (picture book). The catalog features recognized AAPI authors such as Neil G. Ruiz, Dr. Jenny Wang, Abigail Hing Wen, and Dion Lim, and has a forward pipeline of titles in pre-order for 2026 release, including Everyday Americans: Asians in the U.S. Today, Too Much Tony, and AMPLIFY!.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer commerce model via the Fourthwall e-commerce platform, which supports 17 global currencies and enables international reach without traditional wholesale retail distribution. Revenue is generated through per-title book sales at standard independent-press price points, with no subscription, institutional, or enterprise customer segment disclosed. The technology stack is a standard low-cost SaaS commerce build rather than proprietary infrastructure, and there is no evidence of in-house AI/ML capability, proprietary data assets, or technology-focused hiring.

Strategically, Third State Books positions itself in a structurally underserved niche of AAPI-focused publishing, with editorial curation as its primary differentiator rather than technology or scale. Operational scale is small (1–10 employees), there is no disclosed funding or revenue, and growth signals rest on catalog velocity and international DTC reach rather than enterprise contracts, recurring revenue, or platform economics.

Name

Third State Books

Website

https://thirdstatebooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Third State Books is a San Francisco-based independent publisher founded in 2022 that publishes fiction, non-fiction, and children's books centered on AAPI voices, selling direct-to-consumer via a Fourthwall storefront supporting 17 global currencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Middle Grade Publishing (MPAJAFAC), Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI), Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• AAPI literature publishing
• Children's book publishing
• Direct-to-consumer books
• Fiction and nonfiction publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Third State Books generates revenue through the sale of published books including children's picture books, middle-grade novels, graphic novels, and adult non-fiction titles. Books are sold as one-time purchases through their e-commerce storefront with both immediate availability and pre-order options for upcoming releases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Third State Books is an independent publishing house that publishes fiction and nonfiction books focused exclusively on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices, stories, and issues. The catalog spans children's picture books, middle-grade novels, graphic novel series, and adult non-fiction, sold directly to readers worldwide through a proprietary e-commerce storefront with multi-currency support.

Product overview

Third State Books is a book publisher offering a portfolio of titles focused on Asian American and Pacific Islander voices, stories, and issues. The company's product line includes novels (The Vale), true crime accounts (The People vs. the Golden State Killer), graphic novels for children (Fighting to Belong! series), picture books (Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken), and non-fiction titles (Everyday Americans, Too Much Tony, AMPLIFY!). The publisher operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, selling books across multiple genres with international currency support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Vale A novel featuring a 13-year-old tech prodigy whose virtual-reality AI world starts to unravel, requiring the protagonist and an elf companion to work together to save it. Written by Abigail Hing Wen.
• The People vs. the Golden State Killer The first official account of the Golden State Killer criminal case, providing the definitive narrative of the investigation and prosecution.
• Fighting to Belong! Vol. 2 A graphic novel series for children exploring Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history through epic, time-traveling adventures.
• Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken A heartfelt picture book set in NYC Chinatown about thinking outside of the box. By Kimberly Tso and Louie Chin.
• Everyday Americans: Asians in the U.S. Today Book by Neil G. Ruiz exploring Asian experiences in the United States today.
• Too Much Tony Book by Dr. Jenny Wang.
• AMPLIFY! Book by Dion Lim.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Coffee House Press: An independent nonprofit literary publisher producing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Comparable to Third State as a small, mission-oriented trade publisher with curated catalog and limited team.
• Akashic Books: An independent publisher known for genre literary fiction, nonfiction, and the Noir series. Comparable to Third State as a small, mission-driven imprint producing titles across multiple adult formats.
• Tin House Books: An independent literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with a strong direct-to-consumer imprint and curated catalog. Comparable to Third State in indie-press scale, editorial curation, and DTC reliance.
• Soho Press: An independent publisher of literary fiction, crime fiction, and nonfiction. Comparable to Third State as an indie imprint with broad genre adult catalog and similar scale.
• Graywolf Press: A nonprofit independent literary publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Comparable to Third State on indie scale, editorial curation, and reliance on community-driven distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Penguin Random House: The largest trade book publisher in the world, publishing across all genres and age groups. Comparable as the dominant incumbent competing for the same authors and shelf space Third State serves.
• Scholastic: A major children's book publisher with deep distribution into schools, libraries, and bookstores. Comparable to Third State on the children's literature side, particularly middle-grade and graphic novel formats.

Direct peers

• Lee & Low Books: A diversity-focused children's book publisher offering multicultural titles across picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Directly comparable on the children's-format side of Third State's catalog and its underrepresented-voices editorial stance.
• The Feminist Press at CUNY: An independent publisher of fiction and nonfiction centered on underrepresented voices and social justice themes. Comparable to Third State's mission-driven editorial model and direct-to-consumer audience building.
• Kaya Press: An independent publisher dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora literature and culture. Closest comparable to Third State Books in thematic mission, audience, and independent-press operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thirdstatebooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/thirdstatebooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-state-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Third State Books