What Ten Speed Press does

Ten Speed Press is an illustrated book publishing imprint operating under Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, one of the world's largest trade publishing conglomerates. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in New York, with additional presence in Emeryville, CA, the imprint employs 71 people and curates visually distinctive books across food and culinary, graphic novels, prescriptive nonfiction, humor, pop culture, art instruction, and lifestyle categories. Its editorial program is organized through specialized sub-brands: Ten Speed Graphic (adult graphic novels, the first such program inside PRH), Ten Speed Young Readers (children's fiction and nonfiction), 4 Color Books (BIPOC-authored nonfiction co-founded with Bryant Terry), Watson-Guptill (illustrated art instruction, founded 1937), and TASTE (a James Beard Award-winning online food publication and podcast).

The underlying technology stack is conventional trade publishing — editorial workflows, illustrated book design and production, and rights management — with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities. Distribution runs entirely through Penguin Random House's wholesale and retail infrastructure, reaching independent bookstores, chain retailers (Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million), Amazon, and other online platforms, plus Crown's international subsidiary rights network represented at major global book fairs.

Ten Speed Press monetizes through three revenue streams: (1) one-time book sales of frontlist and backlist titles in print and digital formats at standard publishing industry margins; (2) licensing royalties from subsidiary rights including foreign translation, audio, and film/TV adaptation, overseen by VP Rachel Berkowitz across all Crown imprints; and (3) licensing royalties from officially licensed publishing programs built around major entertainment IP including Dungeons & Dragons (Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast), Star Trek and Doctor Who (Paramount), Marvel, Magic: The Gathering, The Witcher, Black Mirror, Parks and Recreation, and The Crown. Co-branded publishing partnerships with New York Times Cooking, Rebel Girls, and Tupperware extend the imprint into branded lifestyle and food titles. The customer base spans consumer readers across multiple persona segments — home cooks and culinary professionals, graphic novel readers, self-improvement audiences, entertainment fans, and artists — with channel-side dependence on Amazon and major bookstore chains as principal retail counterparts.

Name

Ten Speed Press

Legal name

Ten Speed Press

Website

https://tenspeed.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ten Speed Press is a Penguin Random House / Crown Publishing imprint that publishes illustrated books across food, graphic novels, prescriptive nonfiction, humor, and pop culture, plus licensed titles for entertainment brands like D&D and Star Trek, serving consumer readers and licensing partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN), Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE), Children’s Licensed & Media Tie-In Publishing (MPAJAFAK)

Keywords

• Illustrated book publishing
• Cookbook publishing
• Graphic novel publishing
• Art instruction books
• Entertainment licensing publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Traditional book publishing and sales model. Publishes physical and digital books (e-books) through established retail and wholesale channels. Revenue generated from book sales at standard publishing industry margins.
2. Subsidiary Rights: Licenses subsidiary rights including foreign translation rights, audio rights, film/TV adaptation rights, and other derivative rights. Rachel Berkowitz oversees domestic and foreign rights across all Crown imprints including Ten Speed Press.
3. Licensed Publishing: Publishes officially licensed products with intellectual property from entertainment brands (Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Magic: The Gathering, The Witcher, Black Mirror, Parks and Recreation, The Crown). Revenue from licensing agreements with IP holders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ten Speed Press is a boutique trade book publisher that curates and publishes illustrated books at the intersection of culture and creativity, spanning food, drink, design, humor, reference, graphic novels, and prescriptive nonfiction. The imprint collaborates directly with tastemakers and trusted authorities to produce visually distinctive, content-rich works, supported by specialized sub-imprints for adult graphic novels, children's books, BIPOC-focused nonfiction, and art instruction. Distribution is handled through Penguin Random House's retail, wholesale, and digital channels, with revenue supplemented by subsidiary rights and entertainment IP licensing.

Product overview

Ten Speed Press is a publishing platform within Crown Publishing Group that publishes illustrated books across food, drink, design, humor, reference, graphic novels, and prescriptive nonfiction. The core Ten Speed Press program is supported by specialized sub-brands including Ten Speed Graphic (graphic novels and comics), Ten Speed Young Readers (children's books), 4 Color Books (BIPOC-focused titles), and Watson-Guptill (art instruction books). The platform also includes TASTE, a James Beard Award-winning online food culture publication and podcast. Crown Publishing Group distributes these titles through various retail channels and offers seasonal catalogs for Food, Drink & Home, Gift, Graphic, and Young Readers categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ten Speed Graphic: The first dedicated adult graphic novel program within Penguin Random House, focusing on history, biography, nonfiction and fiction adaptations, memoir, culinary comics, and original fiction works.
• Ten Speed Young Readers
• 4 Color Books

Products and services

• Ten Speed Press (illustrated trade books)
• Ten Speed Graphic Adult graphic novel and comics imprint publishing history, biography, nonfiction adaptations, memoir, culinary comics, and original fiction works aimed at adult graphic novel readers.
• Ten Speed Young Readers Children's book imprint publishing bold and imaginative fiction and nonfiction for young readers, with distinctive aesthetics and fresh perspectives.
• 4 Color Books Imprint publishing visually stunning nonfiction books by groundbreaking BIPOC chefs, writers, artists, activists, and innovators.
• Watson-Guptill Imprint publishing influential illustrated art books for amateur and professional artists, covering drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, craft, collage, comics, cartooning, manga, and animation.
• TASTE James Beard Award-winning online publication and podcast for home cooks, world travelers, and adventurous diners exploring food culture through recipes and cultural storytelling.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Penguin Random HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTen Speed Press is an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, which is a division of Penguin Random House. Benefits from PRH's distribution infrastructure, marketing capabilities, and global publishing network.
• Hasbro (Dungeons & Dragons)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLong-standing licensing relationship publishing Dungeons & Dragons titles including World Guide, Puncheons & Flagons, Young Adventurer's Guide series, Heroes' Feast cookbooks, and graphic adaptations. Eric Klopfer has long-standing relationships with evergreen licensors including Hasbro.
• ParamountOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partner for entertainment properties including Star Trek and other Paramount franchises. Eric Klopfer has long-standing relationships with Paramount.
• MarvelcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLong-standing licensing partner for Marvel entertainment properties. Eric Klopfer maintains long-standing relationships with Marvel.
• Wizards of the CoastcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPublishes Dungeons & Dragons branded books and products including the popular Heroes' Feast cookbook series, Young Adventurer's Guide series, and graphic novels.
• New York Times CookingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with New York Times Cooking to publish books that bring their unique voice to life, including titles with NYT Cooking branding and collaboration.
• Rebel GirlsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing partnership with Rebel Girls Inc to bring their unique voices to life, including forthcoming 'Rebel Girls Make Dessert'.
• TupperwareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing books in collaboration with Tupperware to publish books that bring their unique voices to life.
• People of Color in PublishingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClaire Yee is co-chair of mentorship and retention for People of Color in Publishing, a grassroots group dedicated to supporting, empowering, and uplifting racially and ethnically marginalized members throughout the publishing industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alfred A. Knopf: Penguin Random House literary imprint with strong illustrated and design-forward publishing. Shares distribution, marketing infrastructure, and rights organization with Ten Speed Press, with adjacent illustrated and literary nonfiction categories.
• Clarkson Potter: Sister Crown Publishing Group imprint sharing leadership (Aaron Wehner, Jill Flaxman, Allison Renzulli, Katherine Tyler, Eric Klopfer) with Ten Speed Press. Closely adjacent illustrated book program covering food, design, lifestyle, and licensing.
• Rodale Books: Crown Publishing Group imprint focused on wellness, health, and lifestyle nonfiction. Acquired into Crown under Aaron Wehner's leadership, with overlapping wellness/lifestyle adjacency to Ten Speed Press categories.
• Harper Wave: HarperCollins imprint focused on wellness, lifestyle, food, and prescriptive nonfiction. Comparable in category focus (wellness, lifestyle, prescriptive) to Ten Speed Press's prescriptive nonfiction and 4 Color Books programs.

Direct peers

• Chronicle Books: Independent San Francisco-based publisher specializing in illustrated books, cookbooks, design, gift, and children's titles. Closely comparable boutique model and editorial positioning to Ten Speed Press, with overlapping author and category overlap (food, design, illustrated nonfiction).
• Workman Publishing: Independent publisher (under Hachette) specializing in cookbooks, lifestyle, parenting, and gift/reference titles. Direct overlap with Ten Speed Press in lifestyle, prescriptive nonfiction, and illustrated reference categories.
• Phaidon Press: Global publisher of high-quality illustrated books on art, architecture, design, food, and culture. Comparable to Ten Speed Press in visually distinctive illustrated publishing targeting design-conscious and culinary enthusiast audiences.
• Quirk Books: Philadelphia-based independent publisher of illustrated, pop-culture, humor, and gift titles with strong design orientation. Comparable to Ten Speed's humor, gift, and pop-culture publishing programs in scale and visual sensibility.
• Artisan Books: Publisher under Workman/Hachette focused on illustrated cookbooks, design, and lifestyle titles. Direct overlap with Ten Speed Press on illustrated cookbook and lifestyle frontlists.
• Abrams Books: Publisher known for high-quality illustrated books across art, photography, cooking, design, and entertainment licensing. Eric Klopfer, Ten Speed's Publishing Director of Licensing, previously led Abrams' entertainment list, signaling direct category and editorial overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ten-speed-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 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 Ten Speed Press