What Advantage Books does

Advantage Books (legal entity Advantage Media Group, Inc.) is a done-for-you book publishing company founded in 2005 by Adam Witty and headquartered in Charleston, SC. It serves entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business leaders seeking authority positioning through authorship, with selective author application and consultative, enterprise-field-sales engagement. The company operates a tiered publishing program structure (Advantage Books, Advantage Books SELECT, Advantage Books PREMIER) plus affiliated imprints Forbes Books (Forbes Media partnership since 2016), Entrepreneur Books (Entrepreneur Media), and SXSW Books, collectively representing more than 2,000 published authors with 90% being CEOs and entrepreneurs. Underlying delivery combines in-house editorial, ghostwriting, design, and PR teams, with distribution executed via a Simon & Schuster partnership reaching 25K+ online and offline retailers across 100+ countries.

The company's technology stack is a publishing and media-services platform rather than a software product: Authority Brand Websites (personal brand sites with SEO), SMART Social (100 evergreen social posts over 12 months), SMART Content (monthly thought leadership and SEO articles, ~3,000 words/month), done-for-you podcasting (12 episodes/year distributed to YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify), and PR/media placement workflows. Pricing is quote-based across publishing tiers ($25k, $50k, $100k+ budget bands) with authors retaining rights and earning royalties; Authority Media Services are structured as subscriptions (monthly SMART Content, annual SMART Social, annual podcasting).

The business model is hybrid: one-time/perpetual-license publishing fees ($25k-$100k+) plus recurring subscription media services (SMART Social, SMART Content, podcasting, PR). Go-to-market combines consultative enterprise field sales, a community-led motion via the 2,000-author Authority Collective, and event-driven demand generation through author speaking appearances and PR-driven media placements (4,500+ "A" placements in three years). Revenue is concentrated within the United States with selective international reach via UK hires and Forbes Books foreign-language rights; the company has remained privately held and bootstrapped since founding.

Name

Advantage Books

Legal name

Advantage Media Group, Inc.

Website

https://advantagebooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Advantage Books is a done-for-you publishing company serving entrepreneurs and CEOs, offering book creation, ghostwriting, and recurring Authority Media Services (podcasting, PR, social, content), with distribution via Simon & Schuster.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL)

Keywords

• Business book publishing
• Ghostwriting services
• Thought leadership media
• Authority marketing
• Book distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Publishing Services: One-time fees for comprehensive publishing services including ghostwriting, editing, design, and distribution. Authors retain rights to their work and earn royalties on sales. Three program tiers (Advantage Books, Advantage Books SELECT, Advantage Books PREMIER) with varying levels of service and support.
2. Authority Media Services: Ongoing services including digital media engagement, podcast production (12-month service), SMART Social (12-month service), PR campaigns, and ongoing content development.
3. Syndicated Content Services: SMART Content monthly delivery of 3,000 words of premium content across various online platforms, with 36,000 words accumulated annually for potential future book use.
4. Manuscript Evaluation: Professional manuscript evaluation service priced at $895, with credit toward future publishing agreement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Advantage Books is a done-for-you business book publishing and authority-media platform that helps entrepreneurs and industry leaders convert their expertise into published books and ongoing thought leadership. Service offerings span manuscript ideation, ghostwriting, editorial, design, print and audiobook production, bookstore and online distribution (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, airports, libraries), PR/media campaigns, Authority Brand Websites with SEO, SMART Social (100 evergreen posts over 12 months), SMART Content (monthly thought leadership and SEO articles), and done-for-you podcasting, delivered under Advantage Books, Advantage Books SELECT, Advantage Books PREMIER, Forbes Books, and Entrepreneur Books imprints.

Product overview

Advantage Books is a done-for-you authority publishing platform for entrepreneurs and business leaders, offering a portfolio of publishing programs (Advantage Books, Advantage Books SELECT, Advantage Books PREMIER) alongside sub-brands Forbes Books and Entrepreneur Books. The platform provides end-to-end publishing services including book creation, ghostwriting, manuscript publishing, book promotion, book distribution, digital media engagement (authority brand websites, SEO), SMART Social (100 posts/year), SMART Content (5 articles/month), PR services, and podcasting services. Distribution is handled through a partnership with Simon & Schuster, reaching 25K+ online and offline retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and airport bookstores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Authority Company: Parent brand for career-related pages and employment information
• SMART Social
• SMART Content
• Authority Advantage Media Services
• The Authority Collective

Products and services

• Advantage Books Publishing Program Base-tier done-for-you business book publishing program for entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Includes manuscript or ghostwritten book creation and distribution to online retailers, with authors retaining rights and earning royalties.
• Advantage Books SELECT Mid-tier publishing program with 100 book copies, enhanced promotion options, Authority Collective membership, and additional services beyond the base Advantage Books tier.
• Advantage Books PREMIER Top-tier done-for-you publishing program including dedicated ghostwriter, audiobook option, full distribution (online, offline, library, airport), and premium promotional bundles.
• Forbes Books Imprint Exclusive business book imprint created in partnership with Forbes Media, offering prestige publishing for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
• Entrepreneur Books Imprint Business book imprint in partnership with Entrepreneur Media for thought-leadership content serving entrepreneurs.
• Ghostwriting Services Award-winning ghostwriting service that pairs authors with writers to capture their voice and produce manuscript content for a business book.
• SMART Social 12-month social media management service for published authors and thought leaders, including a social media audit, 100 ready-to-publish evergreen posts, and ongoing optimization.
• SMART Content Monthly thought leadership content service delivering one thought leadership article and four SEO-driven articles per month, with a Master Content Plan and quarterly optimization and strategy updates.
• Public Relations and Media Coverage Services PR services including media audits, personalized PR strategy, monthly outreach, monitoring, and 4-month book launch publicity campaigns securing coverage in outlets such as Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, and Forbes.
• Done-For-You Podcasting Service 12-month done-for-you podcast service producing 12 interview-style episodes per year in video and audio formats, with turnkey production, co-pilot logistics, and distribution to YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms.
• Digital Media and Engagement Authority brand website development with SEO and UX optimization, audience email engagement campaigns, social distribution, and coaching services.
• Book Distribution Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors achieve media placements in top-tier outlets including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon bestseller status
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Forbes MediaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2016, Forbes partnered with Advantage Media to launch Forbes Books, a premium business book imprint. This partnership leverages Forbes brand recognition and media relationships to attract high-profile business authors. Forbes Books is positioned as an exclusive publishing brand serving leaders building authority. The partnership combines Advantage's publishing expertise with Forbes brand prestige.
• Simon & SchustercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSimon & Schuster, founded in 1924 and ranked as the 5th largest book publisher globally, serves as the distribution partner for Advantage Books, Forbes Books, Entrepreneur Books, and SXSW Books imprints. Their distribution network enables books to be available in 100+ countries across online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
• The Authority CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company providing shared infrastructure, careers page, and data protection services. Privacy policy references The Authority Company along with brand names including Advantage Media Group, Entrepreneur Authorities, Entrepreneur Books, and Forbes Books as affiliated entities under common corporate governance.
• Entrepreneur MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneur Books imprint is distributed alongside Forbes Books and Advantage Books through Simon & Schuster. Partnership with Entrepreneur brand extends reach into entrepreneur-focused audience and leverages Entrepreneur's media presence.
• Major Media OutletsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR team has secured coverage for authors in top-tier outlets including Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Fox News, and Forbes. These media relationships enable authors to gain national exposure and credibility through earned media placements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greenleaf Book Group: Hybrid publisher offering author services (editing, design, marketing) plus distribution to business and thought-leader authors, with a comparable mix of one-time and ongoing revenue.
• Scribe Media: Done-for-you business book publisher serving entrepreneurs and executives, with a similar ghostwriting-led, premium-pricing model. Often cited as the most direct competitor to Advantage's core publishing program.
• Lioncrest Publishing: Done-for-you publishing company for business and self-help authors, offering ghostwriting, editing, cover design, and marketing packages aligned to a similar customer profile.
• Berrett-Koehler Publishers: Independent publisher focused on business and self-help books for practitioners and executives, sharing the business-book, author-services orientation of Advantage's core catalog.
• Sound Wisdom Publishing: Business and personal-development book publisher with a similar author-services, multi-imprint approach and executive-author focus.
• Page Two: Independent publishing services firm specializing in business, leadership, and personal-brand books for professionals and thought leaders, with comparable ghostwriting, editing, and distribution services.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley: Major incumbent publisher with a large business and leadership books division, including imprints serving executives and thought leaders; competes for the same Fortune-500 and senior-executive author pool at a much larger scale.
• McGraw-Hill: Long-established publisher with a deep business, management, and professional development catalog; broad incumbent competing for the same executive-author segment with traditional publishing economics.
• HarperCollins Leadership: Imprint of HarperCollins focused on business, leadership, and personal-development titles; offers broader distribution and brand reach than Advantage, but a less bespoke, more traditional publishing model.

Emerging players

• Influence & Co. Content and thought-leadership services firm helping executives and companies produce and distribute branded content; overlaps with Authority Media Services (SMART Content, SMART Social) rather than core book publishing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Advantage Books