What Shadow Mountain Publishing does

Shadow Mountain Publishing is a privately held general trade book publisher founded in 1994 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, operating with a small team of 1–10 employees. The company publishes fiction and non-fiction across multiple verticals: children's and middle-grade fantasy (including the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven and Dragonwatch series by Brandon Mull), young adult fiction, the branded Proper Romance line of clean/sweet romance, general fiction, inspirational and religious titles, biographies, cookbooks (notably Six Sisters' Stuff and Tara Bench), and seasonal/holiday titles. Its catalog exceeds 390 active titles with 152 authors represented and a continuously refreshed new releases slate of 107 titles, plus launches scheduled into 2026. The portfolio includes high-visibility IP such as Jason F. Wright's Christmas Jars (adapted into a major motion picture), Camron Wright's award-winning The Rent Collector, and the New York Times bestselling history title 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World.

The business operates a conventional book publishing model with no platform technology layer beyond a WordPress-based website and third-party tools (QueryManager.com for manuscript submissions; Edelweiss/Above the Treeline and NetGalley for catalog distribution and reviewer access). Revenue is generated primarily through one-time book sales across physical and digital formats via direct website commerce, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deseret Book, and wholesale channels to booksellers and educational/library buyers, supplemented by a rights and licensing stream that has translated titles into 28+ foreign language editions and includes subsidiary and media/film rights. Go-to-market is sales-led: manuscripts are acquired through literary agents year-round plus four unagented submission windows per year, with author careers actively supported via book tours, school presentations, and virtual appearances, and the company maintains direct relationships with major retail accounts and wholesalers.

Brand positioning is built around a clean-content editorial policy and faith- and family-friendly values, anchored by the registered Proper Romance trademark and high-recognition franchises. Marketing combines a content-rich website, genre-segmented email newsletters, social media event announcements, and an author-driven events program spanning bookstore signings, school visits, and virtual appearances. Distribution is multi-channel but concentrated through Amazon (primary online retailer and direct-site payment processor), Barnes & Noble (lead physical retail partner), Deseret Book (regional religious chain), and standard wholesale and reviewer platforms, with global reach extended through foreign rights licensing at major international book fairs.

Name

Shadow Mountain Publishing

Legal name

Shadow Mountain Publishing

Website

https://shadowmountain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shadow Mountain Publishing is a privately held Salt Lake City trade book publisher founded in 1994, releasing 390+ fiction and non-fiction titles across children's, YA, romance, inspirational, cookbook, and seasonal verticals, including the NYT bestselling Fablehaven and Dragonwatch franchises and the Proper Romance brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Trade book publishing
• Children's fantasy fiction
• Clean romance novels
• Family-friendly publishing
• Foreign rights licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Revenue from selling physical and digital books through direct website sales, major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), wholesale distribution to booksellers, and library/educational channels
2. Rights and Licensing: Foreign rights licensing to international publishers, subsidiary rights, and media rights (film/TV adaptations). Books have been translated into 28 foreign language editions. They partner with literary agents and attend book fairs in New York, Frankfurt, Los Angeles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shadow Mountain Publishing is a general trade book publisher that acquires, edits, designs, produces, and distributes fiction and non-fiction titles through physical retail, online retailers, wholesale, library, and educational channels. Its catalog spans the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven and Dragonwatch children's fantasy series, the Proper Romance sweet romance line, cookbooks, YA, inspirational, biography, and seasonal titles, complemented by foreign rights licensing and manuscript acquisition services for authors.

Product overview

Shadow Mountain Publishing is a general trade book publisher offering a diverse portfolio of fiction and non-fiction titles. The core offerings include the Fablehaven and Dragonwatch fantasy series by Brandon Mull (New York Times bestsellers), the Proper Romance sweet romance line, cookbooks from bloggers like Six Sisters' Stuff, and various children's, YA, inspirational, biography, and seasonal titles. The company also provides author services including manuscript submission management and rights/permissions licensing for their catalog of over 390 available titles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proper Romance: A registered trademark line of sweet romances published by Shadow Mountain, encompassing both contemporary and historical romance genres for young adult and adult readers.

Products and services

• Fablehaven Series New York Times bestselling five-book children's/middle-grade fantasy series by Brandon Mull, published with illustrated editions and companion works, in which siblings discover their grandfather's secret preserve for magical creatures.
• Dragonwatch Series Sequel series to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, continuing the magical adventures of the original series across multiple titles and boxed sets.
• Proper Romance Line Registered trademark line of clean romance novels for young adult and adult readers, spanning historical and contemporary romance sub-brands from authors including Julianne Donaldson, Sarah M. Eden, and Jennifer Moore.
• Children and Young Readers Books Middle-grade fiction and children's books including fantasy series, dog adventure tales (e.g., Best Friends Dog Tales), and illustrated editions for elementary-age readers.
• Young Adult Books Young adult fiction spanning fantasy, romance, and contemporary stories, including series like Casters and Crowns and individual YA titles.
• Cookbooks Cooking and recipe books featuring family-friendly recipes and meal-planning content from authors and bloggers such as Six Sisters' Stuff and Tara Bench.
• General Fiction General fiction titles including mysteries, thrillers, and contemporary fiction such as the Luke Steele novel series by Traci Hunter Abramson.
• Inspirational Books Inspirational and religious content including devotionals, biographies of religious figures, and faith-based non-fiction for non-denominational audiences.
• Biography Titles Biography and memoir titles covering notable figures and personal histories.
• Non-Fiction Books Non-fiction titles including history, self-help, and reference works, encompassing the New York Times bestselling history book '7 Tipping Points that Saved the World'.
• Seasonal/Christmas Books Seasonal books including Christmas-themed titles, holiday stories, and nativity collections such as 'A Magical Christmas Collection'.
• Christmas Jars Bestselling novel by Jason F. Wright, published by Shadow Mountain and subsequently adapted into a major motion picture.
• Manuscript Submission Services Manuscript submission service for authors, accepting agented submissions year-round and unagented submissions during four quarterly windows (March, June, September, December), processed through QueryManager.com.
• Rights and Permissions Licensing Foreign rights, subsidiary rights, and media rights licensing service for the Shadow Mountain catalog, including 28 foreign language editions and participation in the New York, Frankfurt, and Los Angeles book fairs.
• A Lady's Guide to Love and Pirates (Proper Romance Historical) Upcoming historical romance novel in the Proper Romance line, authored by Jennifer Moore; ISBN 9781639935192, 320 pages.
• A Magical Christmas Collection Upcoming children's Christmas collection featuring five timeless stories illustrated by Dan Burr, including stories by Thomas S. Monson, George Durrant, Rachelle Pace Castor, Bruce Lindsay, and Henry van Dyke; 176 pages.
• Homestyle Heritage: A Collection of Our Most-loved Recipes | Six Sisters' Stuff Upcoming cookbook compiling the most-loved recipes from the Six Sisters' Stuff blog over 15+ years, including family favorites, holiday staples, and kitchen tips; 352 pages.
• Greg Olsen: The Complete Paintings Upcoming art book showcasing the complete paintings of Christian artist Greg Olsen with behind-the-scenes stories, featuring more than 300 pieces across a 50-year career; 288 pages.
• Blackmoore Deluxe Edition Upcoming deluxe edition of Julianne Donaldson's Blackmoore historical Regency romance, including a never-before-published bonus chapter; 304 pages.
• Edenbrooke Deluxe Edition Upcoming deluxe edition of Julianne Donaldson's Edenbrooke historical romance, annotated by the author; 344 pages.
• Forever Ripley (Paperback) Upcoming middle-grade novel by McCall Hoyle about aging German Shepherd Ripley and her bond with Max and Charlie; 192 pages.
• Nando (Best Friends Dog Tales) Upcoming children's adventure in the Best Friends Dog Tales series about a border collie named Nando who is separated during a tropical storm.
• Expressions of Jesus, Children's Edition: Cultural Representations of the Savior of the World Upcoming children's art book showcasing images of Jesus by 22 artists from 10 countries; 48 pages.
• Fablehaven: The Illustrated Edition Upcoming 20th anniversary illustrated edition of Fablehaven featuring 100 color illustrations by Brandon Dorman; ISBN 9781639934768.
• One Silent, Starry Night: The Apollo 8 Christmas Story Upcoming non-fiction book by David Warner recounting the Apollo 8 Christmas story.

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Edelweiss (Above the Treeline)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdelweiss online catalog provided by Above the Treeline serves as the professional catalog system for booksellers to browse and order Shadow Mountain titles. Booksellers can access current title information and place wholesale orders through this platform.
• NetGalleycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShadow Mountain Publishing maintains a NetGalley catalog where librarians and reviewers can request digital review copies of upcoming titles for professional reviews and library acquisition decisions.
• QueryManager.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationQueryManager.com is used as the submission management platform for both agented and unagented manuscript submissions to Shadow Mountain Publishing, streamlining the query and review process.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon serves as the primary online retail channel for Shadow Mountain book sales, with direct buy links on product pages.
• Barnes & NoblecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarnes & Noble is a key retail partner hosting author signings and stocking Shadow Mountain titles in stores and online.
• Deseret BookcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeseret Book is a regional retail partner operating physical bookstore locations. Shadow Mountain content appears aligned with Deseret Book's faith-friendly audience, and the publisher uses their online privacy policy infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Major children's book publisher dominating school/library channels; directly comparable on Fablehaven-style middle-grade fantasy series given shared school tour, teacher/librarian, and book fair distribution.
• Penguin Random House: Largest global trade publisher and primary wholesale competitor for bookstore shelf space, library acquisitions, and NYT bestseller slots across all of Shadow Mountain's categories.
• HarperCollins Publishers: Major trade publisher with overlapping general fiction, romance, and children's/YA lines, competing for the same author agents, retail placement, and foreign rights deals at Frankfurt and New York book fairs.
• Harlequin Books: Global category leader in romance publishing and the dominant incumbent in the romance category Shadow Mountain targets with Proper Romance, though Harlequin operates at much larger scale and broader content spectrum.

Direct peers

• Bethany House Publishers: Christian fiction and non-fiction publisher (Baker Publishing Group) with comparable romance, historical, and inspirational titles, including clean/values-driven romance overlap with Proper Romance.
• Shadow Mountain (Deseret Book Imprint): Listed separately for emphasis — Deseret Book and Shadow Mountain share distribution infrastructure, faith-aligned content positioning, and Salt Lake City headquarters, with Deseret Book acting as Shadow Mountain's key regional retail partner.
• Thomas Nelson Publishers: Well-known Christian publisher (now HarperCollins-owned) publishing inspirational, Bible, and family-friendly fiction comparable to Shadow Mountain's Proper Romance and Inspirational lines.
• Tyndale House Publishers: Major Christian/inspirational trade publisher with comparable inspirational non-fiction, fiction, and children's lines. Closest direct peer on the faith-aligned publishing side given overlap in inspirational titles and trade publishing model.

Regional players

• Deseret Book: Regional faith-based publisher and retailer based in Salt Lake City with overlapping values-aligned audience and physical distribution channel partnerships. Direct overlap on inspirational/religious titles and Salt Lake City ecosystem presence.

Emerging players

• Sourcebooks: Independent trade publisher that has scaled aggressively in niche categories including romance and children's; comparable in operating model as a focused, mid-size independent with strong category-brand positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShadowMountn
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShadowMountainPublishing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shadowmountain

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 Shadow Mountain Publishing