Company Performance Metrics
Since 1933, Kirkus has been one of the most trusted and authoritative voices in book reviews and book discovery. When Kirkus was started by Virginia Kirkus (1893-1980), it was an innovation in the publishing field.
Kirkus’ Indie program was started in 2005 when the editors wanted to expand their coverage to include the fastest growing segment in
the book industry — self-publishing. To meet scale, selection and financing challenges, Kirkus created a review service for self-publishers called Kirkus Discoveries, now Kirkus Indie.
In 2011, after the company was acquired by its current owners, Herb Simon and Marc Winkelman, Kirkus began expanding its audience in other ways. First, Kirkus launched a consumer-facing website, growing its audience beyond the industry insiders who subscribe to Kirkus Reviews magazine. Meanwhile, Kirkus grew its coverage of traditionally published books and enhanced Kirkus Reviews magazine.
Today, Kirkus reviews more than 7,000 books published by traditional houses and more than 3,000 self-published books every year. The magazine is published on the 1st and 15th of every month, and because of the scope of our coverage, our authoritative voice and the timeliness of our reviews, Kirkus Reviews is revered by many as the first indicator of a book’s potential.
