Walter Foster Publishing
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersBeverly, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Walter Foster Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Walter Foster Publishing
- Legal name
- Walter Foster Publishing
- Website
- https://walterfoster.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Walter Foster Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Instructional Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)
Keywords
Where Walter Foster Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Walter Foster Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Walter Foster Publishing generates revenue through the sale of instructional art and craft books, kits, and activity books. Products are sold as one-time purchases through major retail channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indigo, Waterstones, Booktopia, and Bookshop.org. The company also sells directly through its e-commerce website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coloring and Activity Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drawing and Painting Instruction Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Craft and Project Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art Kits with Materials |
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels4 records
Walter Foster Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Walter Foster Publishing is a book publishing imprint that produces instructional art and craft books, activity books, and art kits for adults and children. Its catalog covers drawing, painting (watercolor, acrylic, oil, gouache), colored pencil, mixed media, and craft techniques including crochet, embroidery, and origami, using a step-by-step teaching methodology. The company sells its titles through its own e-commerce site and major book retailers globally.
Product overview
Walter Foster Publishing is the world's leading publisher of instructional art and craft books and kits for adults and children, founded in 1922. The company offers a diverse portfolio of products including drawing and illustration books, painting guides, coloring books, and craft project books across multiple imprints. Key product lines include the Quick Start Drawing series with interactive art pads, the Cozy Capy Coloring series for adults, the For Artists series for advanced instruction, and Chartwell Coloring Books for deluxe coloring experiences. The company also publishes craft books covering crochet, watercolor techniques, and manga drawing through various imprints including Walter Foster Jr. for children's products. An Art Studio platform provides free video tutorials and downloadable projects. Products are sold through major retail channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and international booksellers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quick Start Drawing Series Interactive art pads with traceable figures and step-by-step exercises for beginners to master drawing people, animals, and basics; aimed at beginning artists of all ages.
- Cozy Capy Coloring Series Adult coloring book series featuring adorable capybara illustrations designed for relaxation, stress relief, and creative self-care; targeted at adult coloring and craft enthusiasts.
- For Artists Series Instructional series for intermediate to advanced artists covering classical drawing and painting skills including portraits, anatomy, still life, and landscape.
- Chartwell Coloring Books Deluxe coloring book series featuring intricate patterns, foil accents, and premium paper quality across various themes; targeted at adult coloring enthusiasts.
- Create Your Own Webcomics with WEBTOON Comprehensive guide to creating vertical scroll webcomics with insider tips from WEBTOON creators, covering storytelling, art, and publishing; for aspiring webcomic artists.
- Making Manga Comprehensive manga creation guide from Saturday AM covering storytelling, character development, layouts, and publishing options; for aspiring manga creators.
- Acrylic Painting Kits All-in-one painting kits containing paints, brushes, paper, and instruction books for beginners to start painting; includes multiple kit variants across mediums.
- Art Studio Free online learning platform offering video tutorials and downloadable art projects that complement the company's instructional book catalog.
- Walter Foster Jr. Children's publishing imprint offering age-appropriate art and craft activity books and instructional titles for young learners.
Companies that use Walter Foster Publishing
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Walter Foster Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Walter Foster Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WEBTOONcoreWalter Foster Publishing partnered with WEBTOON, the world's largest digital comics platform, to publish 'Create Your Own Webcomics with WEBTOON.' This comprehensive guide teaches readers how to master webcomic creation using WEBTOON's vertical scroll format. The partnership includes guidance from popular WEBTOON creators and covers pre-production development, comic creation techniques, and how to succeed on WEBTOON Canvas platform.
- Saturday AMcoreWalter Foster Publishing partnered with Saturday AM, the world's leading showcase of diverse manga and comics stories, to publish 'Making Manga.' Created by the Saturday AM team, this book provides comprehensive guidance on developing, creating, and publishing manga stories. The partnership includes Saturday AM's hit series content including 'Apple Black' and 'Clock Striker' inspiration.
- Long Island Academy of Fine Art (LIAFA)minorSteve Forster, author of 'Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists,' serves as co-director of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art (LIAFA) in Glen Cove, New York. This educational connection provides credibility and expertise to Walter Foster's art instruction offerings.
- Lion Brand YarnminorLee Sartori, author of 'Amigurumi Affirmations' crochet book, is an in-house designer for Lion Brand Yarn, a major craft materials company. This connection provides expertise and industry relationships for Walter Foster's crochet and craft book content.
- Let's Make ArtminorSarah Cray, author of 'Watercolor Your Way,' is co-founder of Let's Make Art, an art education platform and retail company. Let's Make Art is a sister brand of Missouri Star Quilt Company and provides art supplies, kits, and online tutorials. This partnership enhances Walter Foster's watercolor instruction content.
- Chartwell BookscoreChartwell Books is an imprint under Walter Foster Publishing/Quarto Group that publishes across a wide range of subjects including history, craft, home reference, puzzles and games, music, art instruction, and transportation. Chartwell has been publishing for over 60 years.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Walter Foster Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dover Publications: Dover Publications is a long-established US niche book publisher specializing in art instruction, coloring, crafts, and reference titles. It is the closest direct competitor to Walter Foster in adult art instruction and activity book publishing, with overlapping product categories and similar price-point strategies.
- C&T Publishing: C&T Publishing specializes in quilting, sewing, and fiber-craft books, with a strong instructional focus. While narrower than Walter Foster, it is comparable in the craft-instruction niche, sells through the same major retail channels, and operates a similar kit-and-book merchandising model.
- Quarry Books: Quarry Books is a sister imprint under The Quarto Group publishing creative arts, crafts, and maker-focused titles. It is a direct peer — even operating within the same corporate parent — and shares distribution, editorial standards, and the same target readership of hobbyists and creative learners.
- Chartwell Books: Chartwell Books is a sibling imprint under Walter Foster/Quarto Group publishing coloring books, history, puzzles, and home reference titles. While adjacent rather than head-to-head, it shares the same distribution, customer base, and operational backbone, making it a structurally direct comparator.
- Search Press: Search Press is a UK-based publisher of art and craft instructional books covering drawing, painting, needlecraft, and general crafts. It directly competes with Walter Foster in the art-instruction category, particularly across drawing, watercolor, and crochet titles, and operates globally through retailer distribution.
- Workman Publishing: Workman Publishing publishes a wide range of lifestyle, craft, activity, and how-to books, including titles in art, coloring, and creative hobbies. It is a direct peer in the craft and creative-hobby book segment and operates in a comparable price band and distribution footprint.
- Klutz: Klutz, owned by Scholastic, publishes activity books and kits for children that blend instruction with hands-on creative projects. It directly competes with Walter Foster Jr. in the children's art, craft, and activity-book category, particularly through kit-and-book products.
- Thunder Bay Press: Thunder Bay Press publishes an extensive catalog of coloring books, activity books, puzzles, and gift/reference titles sold through mass-market retail. It overlaps with Walter Foster in adult coloring and children's activity books, sharing major retailer distribution.
- Design Originals: Design Originals publishes activity, coloring, and craft books for adults and children, with a strong specialty retailer and mass-market presence. It is a direct peer in the coloring and activity-book segments that overlap materially with Walter Foster's Cozy Capy, sticker, and workbook lines.
Broad incumbents
- Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House is the world's largest trade publisher, with broad activity and adult coloring lists across multiple imprints. While not a niche specialist, its scale, retail relationships, and marketing power dwarf Walter Foster's and shape the dynamics of the categories in which Walter Foster competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Walter Foster Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceWalter Foster Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Walter Foster Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Walter Foster Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Walter Foster Publishing 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 Walter Foster Publishing
What does Walter Foster Publishing do?
Walter Foster Publishing is a book publishing imprint that produces instructional art and craft books, activity books, and art kits for adults and children. Its catalog covers drawing, painting (watercolor, acrylic, oil, gouache), colored pencil, mixed media, and craft techniques including crochet, embroidery, and origami, using a step-by-step teaching methodology. The company sells its titles through its own e-commerce site and major book retailers globally.
Is Walter Foster Publishing a public or private company?
Walter Foster Publishing is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Walter Foster Publishing founded?
Walter Foster Publishing was founded in 1922. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Walter Foster Publishing based?
Walter Foster Publishing is headquartered in Beverly, United States, in the North America region.
How does Walter Foster Publishing make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are Walter Foster Publishing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dover Publications, C&T Publishing, Quarry Books, Chartwell Books, Search Press, Workman Publishing, Klutz, Thunder Bay Press and Design Originals. Penguin Random House is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Walter Foster Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Walter Foster Publishing.
What industry is Walter Foster Publishing in?
Walter Foster Publishing's product category is Instructional Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAFAG, Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAFAF, Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.