Serpent's Tail
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Serpent's Tail firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Serpent's Tail
- Legal name
- Profile Books Limited
- Website
- https://serpentstail.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Serpent's Tail industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
Keywords
Where Serpent's Tail is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Serpent's Tail business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue generated from selling physical books and ebooks directly through their website serpentstail.com, as well as through retail bookshops and online retailers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical books sold individually at varying retail prices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Serpent's Tail product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Serpent's Tail is a London-based book publishing imprint that publishes literary fiction, crime and noir, translated world literature, and non-fiction across print, ebook, and audiobook formats. Operating under Profile Books Limited, the imprint curates 432+ titles through multiple sub-imprints including Viper Books (crime/thrillers), Tuskar Rock Press (literary fiction), and Serpent's Tail Classics (reissues), targeting adult readers seeking distinctive, award-winning works.
Product overview
Serpent's Tail is a book publishing imprint under Profile Books Limited. The portfolio consists of multiple imprints (Serpent's Tail Main Imprint with 432+ titles, Viper Books for crime/thrillers, Tuskar Rock Press for literary fiction, and Serpent's Tail Classics for reissues) plus curated series (The Red Riding Quartet, author-specific series by Attica Locke) and themed collections (LGBTQ+, Halloween, Audio). The offering is organized as a multi-imprint publishing house with subject-specific and format-specific product lines rather than a unified technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Serpent's Tail Main Imprint The flagship publishing imprint of Serpent's Tail, featuring 378+ titles across fiction, non-fiction, biography, crime, politics, popular culture, and world literature, targeted at adult readers seeking distinctive literary works.
- Viper Books Crime and thriller imprint publishing gripping crime fiction, psychological thrillers, and mystery novels. Won Imprint of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022.
- Tuskar Rock Press An imprint publishing literary fiction, featuring 30+ titles including works by Joy Williams and Constance Debré, aimed at readers seeking contemporary literary fiction.
- Serpent's Tail Classics A reissues imprint publishing cult masterpieces with new introductions by contemporary writers, featuring classic works by authors including Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Juan Rulfo.
- Serpent's Tail Audio Audiobook collection featuring Serpent's Tail and imprint titles available on all major audiobook platforms, serving readers who prefer audio format consumption.
Companies that use Serpent's Tail
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Serpent's Tail technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Serpent's Tail partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Profile Books LimitedcoreSerpent's Tail is an imprint of Profile Books Limited, a UK publishing company. Profile Books is the parent company and operates multiple imprints including Serpent's Tail, Viper Books, Tuskar Rock, and Profile Editions.
- Viper BookscoreViper Books is a crime and thriller imprint under Serpent's Tail, launched in November 2019. It publishes crime fiction, psychological thrillers, and mystery novels.
- Tuskar Rock PressminorTuskar Rock Press is an imprint of Serpent's Tail focused on literary fiction.
- Serpent's Tail ClassicsminorSerpent's Tail Classics is a reissues imprint publishing cult masterpieces with new introductions.
- WaterstonescoreWaterstones is a major UK book retailer that features Serpent's Tail titles prominently, including Waterstones Book of the Year and Thriller of the Month selections.
- Apple TV+minorApple TV+ produced the television adaptation of Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent, originally published by Serpent's Tail.
- Disney+minorDisney+ released Andri Snær Magnason's On Time and Water as a documentary/film adaptation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Serpent's Tail competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Galley Beggar Press: Norwich-based independent literary publisher known for literary fiction and bold editorial choices. Comparable in scale and curatorial style to Serpent's Tail's literary fiction program.
- Fitzcarraldo Editions: UK independent literary publisher known for essayistic fiction and translated works. Closely comparable in editorial ambition, prize visibility, and small-scale literary publishing to Serpent's Tail.
- Daunt Books Publishing: UK literary publishing arm of the Daunt Books bookshop chain, publishing literary fiction and non-fiction. Comparable curatorial, literary-focused catalog with associated retail channel.
- And Other Stories: UK independent publisher focused on literary fiction in translation. Directly comparable niche overlap with Serpent's Tail's world literature and translated fiction program.
- Pushkin Press: London-based independent publisher specializing in translated literary fiction and non-fiction. Directly comparable to Serpent's Tail's world literature and translated-fiction positioning.
- Granta Books: UK independent literary publisher known for literary fiction, translated works, and essays. Closely comparable to Serpent's Tail as a London-based prestige literary imprint with a comparable curated catalog and award exposure.
- Charco Press: UK independent publisher specializing in Latin American literature in translation. Niche-comparable to Serpent's Tail's world literature focus with a similar small-team operating model.
Broad incumbents
- Picador: Literary imprint of Pan Macmillan publishing literary fiction and non-fiction. Comparable literary catalog positioning but with the backing and scale of a major publishing group.
- Faber & Faber: One of the UK's most established literary publishers with a broad catalog including literary fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. A broader incumbent with overlapping literary and prize-winning roster but significantly larger scale than Serpent's Tail.
- Harvill Secker: Literary imprint under Penguin Random House focused on translated and literary fiction. Direct category overlap with Serpent's Tail but operates within a Big Five parent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Serpent's Tail social profiles
Digital presenceSerpent's Tail financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Serpent's Tail leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Serpent's Tail subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Serpent's Tail funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Serpent's Tail 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 Serpent's Tail
What does Serpent's Tail do?
Serpent's Tail is a London-based book publishing imprint that publishes literary fiction, crime and noir, translated world literature, and non-fiction across print, ebook, and audiobook formats. Operating under Profile Books Limited, the imprint curates 432+ titles through multiple sub-imprints including Viper Books (crime/thrillers), Tuskar Rock Press (literary fiction), and Serpent's Tail Classics (reissues), targeting adult readers seeking distinctive, award-winning works.
Is Serpent's Tail a public or private company?
Serpent's Tail is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Serpent's Tail founded?
Serpent's Tail was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Serpent's Tail based?
Serpent's Tail is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Serpent's Tail make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are Serpent's Tail's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Galley Beggar Press, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Daunt Books Publishing, And Other Stories, Pushkin Press, Granta Books and Charco Press. Broad incumbents are Picador, Faber & Faber and Harvill Secker.
Does Serpent's Tail have an API?
No public API is recorded for Serpent's Tail.
What industry is Serpent's Tail in?
Serpent's Tail's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.