Agenda Publishing

What Agenda Publishing does

Agenda Publishing is a UK-based academic and general-interest book publisher headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, operating as Agenda Publishing Limited (private limited company registered in England and Wales). The company publishes peer-reviewed scholarly books across 12 subject areas (Economics, Finance, Geography, History, International Relations, Philosophy, Political Economy, Politics, Public Policy, Sustainability, and Urban Studies), organized into 19 branded book series, with a catalog of approximately 246 titles. Core products are hardcover and paperback books alongside simultaneously released eBooks, distributed globally via Ingram Publisher Services for print and through JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Kortext for institutional library access.

The business model combines one-time print and eBook sales (priced from under £5 to over £50 depending on format and title) with subscription-based institutional access via library aggregators, plus international rights and translation royalties managed through Eulama Literary Agency. Global distribution is supported by ten regional sales representatives covering UK/Ireland, USA/Canada, Benelux/Scandinavia, China/HK/Taiwan, Eastern Europe, MENA/Greece/Cyprus, Japan, India, SE Asia, Spain/Portugal, and Australia/New Zealand. Marketing relies on the company's own e-commerce storefront, organic social channels, email newsletters, themed reading lists, author webinars, and conference participation at PSA, Council for European Studies, and BISA.

Agenda Publishing operates on a highly asset-light model with 1-10 employees, no proprietary technology platforms, and outsourced print, distribution, and translation functions. The publisher maintains an open-access program distributed through OAPEN. The company has been acquired by Edinburgh University Press, with all titles now available through the Edinburgh University Press website, marking an ownership transition from independent operator to UK university press subsidiary.

Name

Agenda Publishing

Legal name

Agenda Publishing Limited

Website

https://agendapub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Agenda Publishing is a Newcastle upon Tyne-based academic book publisher producing peer-reviewed monographs across 12 social-science subjects and 19 series, serving university libraries, faculty, and policy professionals via print, eBook, and open-access channels, now operating as a subsidiary of Edinburgh University Press.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Scholarly monographs
• Social science publishing
• Humanities books
• Open access publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Book Sales: Sale of hardback and paperback academic books to individuals, bookstores, and libraries through direct website sales and wholesale distribution via Ingram Publisher Services.
2. eBook Sales and Licensing: Distribution of ebooks through the company website and licensing to library aggregators including JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Kortext for institutional access.
3. Rights and Translations: International rights sales managed through Eulama Literary Agency for translations and other territorial rights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Agenda Publishing publishes and sells peer-reviewed academic monographs in print and ebook formats across 12 social science and humanities disciplines, organized into 19 branded book series. The publisher supplies hardback and paperback editions to individuals, bookstores, and libraries via direct website sales and wholesale distribution, and licenses digital editions to institutional libraries through JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Kortext. It also offers open access titles through OAPEN and curated themed reading lists for academic use.

Product overview

Agenda Publishing is an academic book publisher offering a portfolio of scholarly works across 12 subject disciplines (Economics, Finance, Geography, History, International Relations, Philosophy, Political Economy, Politics, Public Policy, Sustainability, and Urban Studies). The core products are hardcover and paperback academic books plus digital ebooks, all distributed through retail, library, and institutional channels. Publications are organized into 19 branded series (including Agenda Human Geographies, Economic Transformations, Finance Matters, and Understanding Europe) plus themed reading lists for academic conferences. The company operates primarily as a print and digital publishing house, not a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hardcover Academic Books Hardcover editions of peer-reviewed academic monographs across 12 social science and humanities disciplines, sold to individuals, libraries, and bookstores through direct website sales and wholesale distribution via Ingram Publisher Services.
• Paperback Academic Books Paperback editions of published academic titles across the Agenda catalog, priced between £15 and £50 and distributed through retail and wholesale channels.
• Academic eBooks Digital ebook editions of Agenda Publishing's academic titles, made available simultaneously with print editions through direct sales and licensing to library aggregators (JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO, Kortext) for institutional access.
• Open Access Books Free downloadable ebook versions of selected Agenda Publishing titles available through the publisher website and the OAPEN open access library platform, supporting increased research accessibility.
• Themed Reading Lists Curated themed collections of Agenda Publishing titles organized by topic (such as British Politics, Climate Change, China, Industrial Relations, European Studies, Brexit, Corruption, Latin America, and International Studies) for academic course and conference use.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Edinburgh University PressflagshipOthersAgenda Publishing was acquired by Edinburgh University Press. All Agenda books are now available on the Edinburgh University Press website (edinburghuniversitypress.com). This acquisition represents a significant consolidation in academic publishing.
• JSTORcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary ebook aggregator providing institutional access to Agenda Publishing titles through academic library collections.
• ProQuestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary ebook distribution partner offering Agenda titles through ProQuest's academic library platforms and print ordering services.
• EBSCOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary ebook distribution partner providing institutional access to Agenda Publishing's academic titles.
• KortextcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital learning platform providing institutional ebook access to Agenda Publishing titles for universities.
• Ingram Publisher ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary wholesale distribution partner handling print orders for UK, Europe, Africa, Asia and North/Central/South America.
• Columbia University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales representation for USA and Canada covering domestic book distribution.
• Compass IPScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK and Republic of Ireland sales representation partner.
• Eulama Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRights and translations agent handling international territorial rights sales for Agenda Publishing.
• OAPENcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpen access ebook platform where Agenda Publishing's open access titles are available for free download, supporting increased research accessibility.
• PSA Political Studies AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademic association partnership for conference book list promotion and academic community engagement.
• Council for European StudiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublishing partnership for the 'Understanding Europe' book series and conference book list promotions.
• British International Studies Association (BISA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademic association partnership for conference presence and book promotions at BISA annual conference.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Verso Books: Independent publisher with a strong list in politics, political economy, philosophy, and international affairs. Overlaps Agenda heavily on left-leaning social science scholarship and academic library sales.
• Zed Books: Independent publisher focused on politics, economics, and international development with academic and trade reach. Comparable niche positioning in critical political economy and global affairs.
• Polity Press: Independent academic publisher with strong social science and political economy lists. Highly comparable editorial positioning, print/digital model, and global academic distribution footprint.
• Manchester University Press: UK academic press publishing humanities and social sciences monographs with strong library distribution. Overlaps Agenda on political economy, history, and international relations titles distributed through similar library aggregators.
• Bristol University Press: Mid-sized UK university press with a comparable social-sciences and political-economy focus, including policy and international relations titles. Closely matched on catalog size, library distribution model, and disciplinary mix.
• Pluto Press: Independent academic publisher with a focused list in politics, economics, and social movements. Closely comparable editorial angle, catalog size, and library/wholesale distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Palgrave Macmillan: Large academic publisher (Springer Nature) with extensive social science and humanities monograph lists. Competes for the same library acquisition budgets and course adoption slots, with much greater scale.
• Routledge (Taylor & Francis): One of the world's largest academic publishers with deep social sciences and humanities coverage. Primary incumbent competitor for academic library purchasing and course adoption in Agenda's disciplines.
• Edinburgh University Press: Parent company of Agenda Publishing and a Scottish university press publishing across the humanities and social sciences. Direct overlap in academic book publishing for libraries and universities in the UK and internationally.
• Rowman & Littlefield / Lexington Books: Academic publisher with strong social science and humanities monograph programs across many subfields. Overlaps Agenda on political science, economics, and public policy titles distributed through similar library channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agendapub
• Facebookfacebook.com/agendapub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agenda-publishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/agendapublishing

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 Agenda Publishing