Sidestone Press
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLeiden, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Sidestone Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sidestone Press
- Legal name
- Sidestone Press
- Website
- https://sidestone.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sidestone Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Books Printing (323117)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF)
Keywords
Where Sidestone Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leiden
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sidestone Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed paperback and hardback books through direct webshop and international distribution partners (UK, USA). Prices vary by format and market region.
- Open Access E-books: Free digital access to e-books funded through alternative models, with authors retaining full copyright. Revenue generated from print sales rather than digital access.
- Pre-order Sales: Advance sales of forthcoming publications with discount coupon codes (e.g., 'PRE-ORDER' for €5 discount)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ebook (PDF) - €15.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback EU/UK - €48.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hardback EU/UK - €95.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | USA Paperback - $60.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | USA Hardback - $120.00 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-order Discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sidestone Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sidestone Press is an academic publishing house that produces and sells full-colour printed books (paperback and hardback) in archaeology, anthropology, history, digital humanities, and related disciplines. The company pairs every printed title with a free Open Access e-book accessible via its online bookviewer platform under Creative Commons licensing, while distributing print copies globally through its own webshop, UK and USA distribution partners, libraries, and bookstores. Authors retain full copyright and Sidestone also offers publishing services including manuscript submission, peer review coordination, and dedicated imprint series.
Product overview
Sidestone Press is an academic publishing house offering a portfolio of printed and Open Access digital books across multiple disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, history, digital humanities, and related fields. The company operates through two primary product lines: printed academic books (available as paperbacks and hardbacks) distributed globally through international bookstore and library channels, and free Open Access e-books accessible through the company's bookviewer platform. The company maintains several branded imprint series including ROOTS Studies (from Kiel University's Cluster of Excellence), Taboui Caribbean Archaeology Series, Open Series in Prehistoric Archaeology (OSPA), and The Iranian Highlands series—all publishing scholarly works under Creative Commons licenses. The publishing ecosystem is supported by author submission tools, sales distribution networks, and library programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sidestone Press Academics:
- Sidestone Press Dissertations
Products and services
- Sidestone Press Academic Books Full-colour printed academic books (paperback and hardback) covering archaeology, anthropology, history, digital humanities, and related fields, paired with free Open Access e-books and sold to scholars, libraries, and bookstores worldwide.
- Open Access E-books Free digital editions of Sidestone publications available for online reading or PDF download through the bookviewer platform, published under Creative Commons licensing and registered with DOIs for citation.
- Bookviewer Platform Web-based digital reading platform providing free access to Sidestone e-books with features including zoom, presentation mode, text selection, and scrolling options for in-browser reading.
- Publishing Services End-to-end academic publishing services for scholars including manuscript submission, peer review coordination, Open Access policy implementation, Creative Commons licensing, and international sales and distribution support.
- ROOTS Studies Series Dedicated book series publishing scientific research from the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS at Kiel University, covering social, environmental, and cultural connectivity in past societies.
- Taboui Caribbean Archaeology Series Academic book series focused on Caribbean archaeology research, part of the Sidestone Press Academics imprint, developed in partnership with Brown University.
- Open Series in Prehistoric Archaeology (OSPA) Open access book series dedicated to prehistoric archaeology topics, published under Sidestone Press with Creative Commons licensing.
- The Iranian Highlands Series Multi-volume book series from the German-Iranian research cooperation covering early societies, resilience, and integration in the Iranian highlands.
- Sidestone Library Program Dedicated acquisition program for university and academic libraries to build scholarly collections of Sidestone publications, including Open Access companion materials for institutional users.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free access to academic publications through Open Access model
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sidestone Press
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sidestone Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Sidestone Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- OneTreePlanted.orgcoreEnvironmental partnership where for each order containing a paperback or hardback book via the Sidestone webshop, and for each author's copy shipped, a tree is planted through OneTreePlanted.org. This partnership addresses climate change by supporting carbon capture through tree planting initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sidestone Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Open Book Publishers: Open Book Publishers is a non-profit Open Access academic publisher covering humanities and social sciences. Closely matches Sidestone's OA-first model and reliance on print sales to fund free digital access.
- Oxbow Books: Oxbow Books publishes archaeology, ancient history, and classical studies titles, including a dedicated Open Access program. Overlaps directly with Sidestone's core subject focus and academic-trade hybrid distribution strategy.
- Berghahn Books: Berghahn Books is an independent academic publisher in anthropology, archaeology, and humanities with a selective Open Access program. Comparable to Sidestone in scale, subject focus, and scholar-led ethos.
- Archaeopress: Archaeopress is an Oxford-based independent academic publisher specializing in archaeology and related humanities, with a strong Open Access component via the Access Archaeology imprint. Directly comparable to Sidestone in subject focus, OA-first philosophy, and scholar-driven publishing model.
- Equinox Publishing: Equinox Publishing is an independent academic publisher with strong coverage in archaeology, religious studies, and linguistics. Similar independent academic publishing model with selective OA offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Cambridge University Press: Cambridge University Press is a global incumbent in academic book publishing with deep archaeology, anthropology, and humanities catalogs. Represents the large-scale competition Sidestone competes against for authors and library acquisitions.
- Oxford University Press: Oxford University Press publishes extensively in archaeology, history, and humanities with growing OA offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent against which Sidestone positions its independent, scholar-led alternative.
- De Gruyter: De Gruyter is a major international academic publisher with significant archaeology, history, and humanities coverage and an established Open Access program. Comparable as a broad incumbent European academic publisher.
- Routledge (Taylor & Francis): Routledge, part of Taylor & Francis, is a leading academic publisher with major archaeology and humanities lists under the Routledge imprint. A dominant incumbent whose OA transition (Open Select) competes with Sidestone's native OA model.
Emerging players
- UCL Press: UCL Press is a university-led Open Access academic publisher focused on humanities and social sciences. Shares the OA-first model but operates from a single UK institution rather than as an independent house.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sidestone Press social profiles
Digital presenceSidestone Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sidestone Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sidestone Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sidestone Press 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 Sidestone Press
What does Sidestone Press do?
Sidestone Press is an academic publishing house that produces and sells full-colour printed books (paperback and hardback) in archaeology, anthropology, history, digital humanities, and related disciplines. The company pairs every printed title with a free Open Access e-book accessible via its online bookviewer platform under Creative Commons licensing, while distributing print copies globally through its own webshop, UK and USA distribution partners, libraries, and bookstores. Authors retain full copyright and Sidestone also offers publishing services including manuscript submission, peer review coordination, and dedicated imprint series.
Is Sidestone Press a public or private company?
Sidestone Press is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sidestone Press founded?
Sidestone Press was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sidestone Press based?
Sidestone Press is headquartered in Leiden, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Sidestone Press make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are open Access E-books and pre-order Sales.
Who are Sidestone Press's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Open Book Publishers, Oxbow Books, Berghahn Books, Archaeopress and Equinox Publishing. Broad incumbents are Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, De Gruyter and Routledge (Taylor & Francis). UCL Press is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sidestone Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sidestone Press.
What industry is Sidestone Press in?
Sidestone Press's product category is Academic Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAF, Self-Publishing & Author Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.