Journalstone Publishing
JournalStone Publishing is an independent small press (founded 2009, 1–10 employees) publishing horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction in print, digital, audio, and limited-edition formats via DTC e-commerce, retail bookstore distribution, and its quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCarbondale, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Journalstone Publishing does
JournalStone Publishing is an independent small press founded in 2009 that specializes in horror, dark fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and bizarro fiction. The company maintains a catalog of 458+ book titles and 116 audio titles, distributed through a direct-to-consumer WordPress e-commerce storefront at journalstone.com, the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, major retail bookstore chains (Barnes & Noble, Chapters, Powell's, Tattered Cover), and a network of roughly 500 specialty horror and fantasy bookstores across the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany. Product format spans paperback, hardcover, premium limited-edition leatherette-bound collectibles, ebook (ePub/Mobi/PDF), and audiobook, with pricing typically ranging from $2.99–$9.95 for digital titles up to $49.95 for numbered limited editions.
The business operates through multiple sub-brands and imprints, including the flagship JournalStone BookStore, the quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine (in continuous publication for nearly a decade), the Bizarro Pulp Press imprint for experimental fiction, the Trepidatio Publishing horror imprint, and a network of sister sites (Hellnotes, Horror World, Horror Review, BuyZombie) that provide cross-promotion within the horror reader community. The catalog features work by NYT bestselling authors including Jonathan Maberry, Joe Hill, and Stephen Graham Jones, and the company sells free electronic copies bundled with physical purchases as a customer acquisition mechanism.
JournalStone is privately held, founder/small-team operated with 1–10 employees, and managed through a single primary contact (Christopher Payne). Its legal/operational headquarters is listed at 1261 Peachwood Court, San Bruno, California, with a mailing address at 3205 Sassafras Trail, Carbondale, Illinois. No institutional funding, revenue figures, leadership team disclosures, or M&A activity are present in the source data; revenue derives from one-time book purchases, limited-edition collectibles, Amazon affiliate referral fees, and quarterly/annual magazine subscriptions.
Journalstone Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Journalstone Publishing
- Legal name
- JournalStone Publishing
- Website
- https://journalstone.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- JournalStone Publishing is an independent small press (founded 2009, 1–10 employees) publishing horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction in print, digital, audio, and limited-edition formats via DTC e-commerce, retail bookstore distribution, and its quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Journalstone Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)
Keywords
Where Journalstone Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carbondale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Journalstone Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Physical and Digital): One-time purchase revenue from selling physical books (paperback, hardcover) and digital books (ePub, Mobi, PDF) through the company's own website storefront. The company also offers free electronic versions bundled with physical purchases.
- Audio Book Sales: Sale of audio book formats, including Audible-compatible versions. The company lists 116 audio titles across 8 pages of archives.
- Magazine Subscriptions (Dark Discoveries): Quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine sold via single-issue purchases and annual or two-year subscriptions in both hardcover and paperback formats, with domestic, Canada, and Europe shipping options.
- Amazon Associates Affiliate Revenue: JournalStone participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, earning advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Electronic/digital book format (ePub, Mobi, PDF) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hardcover format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Edition Hardcover |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dark Discoveries Magazine Single Issue (Paperback) |
| Subscription | Annual | Dark Discoveries Magazine Annual Subscription (Paperback) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Dark Discoveries Magazine 2-Year Subscription (Paperback) |
| Unit Pricing | — | Audio Books |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Journalstone Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JournalStone Publishing is an independent small press that publishes and sells horror, dark fantasy, paranormal, and speculative fiction books in multiple formats, including paperback, hardcover, digital (ePub, Mobi, PDF), and audiobook. The catalog spans the main JournalStone imprint, the Bizarro Pulp Press imprint for experimental fiction, and premium numbered/limited edition hardcovers, with free electronic copies bundled with physical purchases. The company also publishes the quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine and operates supporting genre community sites.
Product overview
Journalstone Publishing is an independent horror, dark fantasy, and speculative fiction publisher operating under a multi-platform model. The core offering is the JournalStone BookStore (405+ titles) supplemented by the quarterly Dark Discoveries Magazine, the Audio product line (116+ audiobooks), the Bizarro Pulp Press imprint for experimental fiction, and Limited Edition releases. The company also operates a broader network including Hellnotes, Horror World, Horror Review, and BuyZombie. Products are available in print (paperback/hardcover), ebook (mobi, epub, PDF), and audiobook formats with direct-to-consumer sales through their website and distribution to retail stores.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dark Discoveries: A quarterly horror/dark fantasy magazine featuring interviews, articles, fiction, and columns, available in nearly 500 stores in the US, Canada, and overseas.
- Bizarro Pulp Press
- Trepidatio Publishing
Products and services
- Dark Discoveries Magazine A quarterly horror/dark fantasy/SF magazine featuring in-depth interviews, articles, columns, short fiction, dark poetry, and artwork, available in paperback and hardcover formats via single-issue purchase or annual/two-year subscriptions, with domestic, Canada, and Europe shipping.
- JournalStone BookStore The company's primary online bookstore offering horror, dark fantasy, paranormal, and speculative fiction titles in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats, with free electronic copies bundled with physical book purchases.
- JournalStone Audio Audiobook editions of JournalStone titles spanning horror, dark fantasy, adventure, and paranormal genres, with over 116 audio products available, including versions compatible with Audible.
- Bizarro Pulp Press An imprint of JournalStone Publishing focused on experimental and unconventional horror/bizarro fiction titles.
- Limited Editions Special numbered, limited edition hardcover releases often featuring leatherette binding, oversewn binding, and autographed copies, offered as premium collectible editions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly a decade of continuous publication for Dark Discoveries magazine
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Journalstone Publishing
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Journalstone Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Journalstone Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Amazon Services LLC Associates ProgramminorJournalStone is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows the company to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com for book sales.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Journalstone Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Raw Dog Screaming Press: Independent horror and experimental fiction small press with an emphasis on bizarro/weird fiction. Directly comparable to JournalStone's Bizarro Pulp Press imprint and overall niche-horror positioning.
- Cemetery Dance Publications: Long-running independent horror small press publishing limited editions and trade paperbacks, plus the Cemetery Dance magazine. Directly comparable niche focus, limited-edition collectibles model, and magazine-plus-books structure.
- Word Horde: Independent horror small press publishing trade editions and anthologies. Comparable niche-genre editorial identity and small-press scale.
- Dark Regions Press: Independent horror/dark fiction small press publishing limited and trade editions. Comparable to JournalStone's Trepidatio imprint in scope and collector focus.
- Apex Publications: Independent publisher of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, including the Apex Magazine. Closely mirrors JournalStone's combined book-plus-magazine model in the same niche.
- Subterranean Press: Independent small press specializing in horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction in deluxe signed limited editions and trade editions. Closely aligned model of premium collectibles and genre fiction.
- Earthling Publications: Small press focused on deluxe signed limited editions of horror and literary dark fiction. Closely comparable to JournalStone's premium limited-edition line at similar price points.
- PS Publishing: UK-based independent press publishing horror, science fiction, and fantasy in signed limited hardcovers and trade editions. Comparable premium-edition model and genre breadth.
- Night Shade Books: Independent publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror trade editions. Comparable genre scope and trade-format distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Tor Books: Major science fiction, fantasy, and horror imprint publishing across trade formats at scale. Operates in the same genre space as JournalStone but with vastly broader catalog, marketing budget, and author acquisition capacity.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Journalstone Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceJournalstone Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Journalstone Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Journalstone Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Journalstone 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 Journalstone Publishing
What does Journalstone Publishing do?
JournalStone Publishing is an independent small press that publishes and sells horror, dark fantasy, paranormal, and speculative fiction books in multiple formats, including paperback, hardcover, digital (ePub, Mobi, PDF), and audiobook. The catalog spans the main JournalStone imprint, the Bizarro Pulp Press imprint for experimental fiction, and premium numbered/limited edition hardcovers, with free electronic copies bundled with physical purchases. The company also publishes the quarterly Dark Discoveries magazine and operates supporting genre community sites.
Is Journalstone Publishing a public or private company?
Journalstone Publishing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Journalstone Publishing founded?
Journalstone Publishing was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Journalstone Publishing based?
Journalstone Publishing is headquartered in Carbondale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Journalstone Publishing make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Physical and Digital) is the primary driver. The others are audio Book Sales, magazine Subscriptions (Dark Discoveries) and amazon Associates Affiliate Revenue.
Who are Journalstone Publishing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Raw Dog Screaming Press, Cemetery Dance Publications, Word Horde, Dark Regions Press, Apex Publications, Subterranean Press, Earthling Publications, PS Publishing and Night Shade Books. Tor Books is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Journalstone Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Journalstone Publishing.
What industry is Journalstone Publishing in?
Journalstone Publishing's product category is Independent Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAD, Mass Market & Paperback Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAE, Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.