Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers is one of the Big Five English-language trade publishers, publishing adult fiction, nonfiction, children's books, audiobooks, and educational content across trade, higher education, and 50-country education divisions under parent Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1843
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Macmillan does
Macmillan Publishers is one of the Big Five English-language trade publishers, founded in 1843 and headquartered in New York with its parent, Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The company publishes across adult fiction and nonfiction, children's books, audiobooks, and audio originals through imprints including St. Martin's Essentials, Macmillan Audio, and a portfolio of well-known publishing houses. Beyond trade, it operates Macmillan Learning, which delivers higher-education course solutions and interactive content primarily in the US and Canada, and Macmillan Education, which provides language learning and schools curriculum publishing across 50 countries. Distribution spans major bookstore chains, independent bookstores, Amazon and other e-tailers, public and academic library systems, and audiobook platforms such as Audible, Apple Books, and Google Play Books. Macmillan's technology footprint includes the Folio 1.0 Digital Library (launched November 2024) for digital content distribution and Macmillan Audio's full-stack audiobook and audio original production capabilities, including original music composition. The company is privately held, owned by the Holtzbrinck family, and generates revenue primarily through one-time book sales across print, e-book, and audio formats. Recent strategic activity — including the October 2025 acquisition of Sounds True's wellness catalog, a March 2026 CTO hire focused on AI, and participation in coalition copyright litigation against Meta and Anna's Archive — points to active positioning around digital formats, new verticals, and IP protection in the AI era.
Macmillan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Macmillan
- Legal name
- Macmillan Publishers
- Website
- https://macmillan.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1843
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Macmillan Publishers is one of the Big Five English-language trade publishers, publishing adult fiction, nonfiction, children's books, audiobooks, and educational content across trade, higher education, and 50-country education divisions under parent Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Macmillan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audiobook Publishers (Trade & Consumer) (MPAJAIAA), Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE), Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where Macmillan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Macmillan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Publishing and Sales: Traditional book publishing model generating revenue through sale of physical and digital books across multiple imprints including adult fiction, nonfiction, and children's books
- Audiobook Publishing: Growing audiobook revenue stream through Macmillan Audio imprint; audio editions increasingly competing with or surpassing traditional print sales as demonstrated by S.A. Cosby's 'King of Asias' audiobook outselling hardcover
- Catalog Acquisitions: Acquisition of publisher catalogs and backlists (such as Sounds True) to expand content library and revenue streams under Macmillan imprints
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Macmillan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Macmillan Publishers is a leading trade book publisher that produces adult fiction, nonfiction, and children's books across print, digital, and audio formats through multiple imprints. The company also operates Macmillan Learning, providing higher education course solutions, and Macmillan Education, offering language learning and schools curriculum publishing across 50 countries. Its audio publishing arm, Macmillan Audio, along with imprints such as St. Martin's Essentials, produces audiobooks and audio originals for consumer markets.
Product overview
Macmillan is a diversified publishing company comprising multiple brands and imprints. The core Macmillan Publishers division publishes adult and children's books through various imprints. The company also operates Macmillan Learning (higher education course solutions) and Macmillan Education (language learning and curriculum publishing in 50 countries). Audio content is published under Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Essentials. The November 2024 Folio 1.0 Digital Library launch expanded their digital distribution capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- St. Martin's Essentials: Imprint publishing wellness content under Macmillan, including acquired Sounds True catalog
- Macmillan Audio
Products and services
- Macmillan Publishers Trade Books
Companies that use Macmillan
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Macmillan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Macmillan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PEN AmericacoreMacmillan joined Hachette Book Group and Penguin Random House in contributing nearly $1 million to PEN America's U.S. Safety Program, a coalition initiative to provide safety training and resources for authors facing escalating harassment and threats amid censorship efforts.
- AI@Media ConferenceminorDarryll Colthrust, Macmillan's newly appointed CTO, delivered a keynote at the AI@Media conference to discuss the application of AI in the publishing industry, focusing on leveraging AI for innovation and growth.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Macmillan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HarperCollins: Big Five publisher owned by News Corp, operating similar adult/children's trade publishing and audiobook businesses. Competes head-to-head for authors, bestseller slots, and shelf space.
- Simon & Schuster: Big Five trade publisher (now under KKR ownership), competing in adult fiction/nonfiction and audio. Comparable in scale, author base, and multi-imprint publishing strategy.
- Hachette Book Group: Big Five publisher and direct trade competitor, also co-plaintiff with Macmillan in the Meta copyright suit. Operates similar multi-imprint trade model in the U.S. and globally.
- Scholastic: Major children's book publisher with comparable trade and educational channels; directly competes for children's titles, authors, and school/library distribution.
- Penguin Random House: The largest of the Big Five trade publishers, owned by Bertelsmann. Direct competitor across adult fiction, nonfiction, children's, and audio formats with comparable imprint-based structure and distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- John Wiley & Sons: Scholarly and academic publisher comparable to Macmillan Learning's higher education content, also a co-plaintiff in the Anna's Archive copyright suit.
- Pearson: Global education publisher directly comparable to Macmillan Learning and Macmillan Education divisions, competing in higher education and English-language learning markets worldwide.
- Cengage Group: Higher education and library reference publisher that competes with Macmillan Learning for institutional course materials; also co-litigant against Meta and Anna's Archive.
Others
- Audible (Amazon): Largest audiobook distribution platform and a key channel partner for Macmillan Audio; also a competitive threat as Amazon expands into original audiobook production and exclusive content.
Emerging players
- Hay House: Independent wellness/self-help publisher now competing directly with Macmillan's Sounds True/St. Martin's Essentials imprint in the wellness category Macmillan is trying to expand into.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Macmillan social profiles
Digital presenceMacmillan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Macmillan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Macmillan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Macmillan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Macmillan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A6 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Macmillan
What does Macmillan do?
Macmillan Publishers is a leading trade book publisher that produces adult fiction, nonfiction, and children's books across print, digital, and audio formats through multiple imprints. The company also operates Macmillan Learning, providing higher education course solutions, and Macmillan Education, offering language learning and schools curriculum publishing across 50 countries. Its audio publishing arm, Macmillan Audio, along with imprints such as St. Martin's Essentials, produces audiobooks and audio originals for consumer markets.
Is Macmillan a public or private company?
Macmillan is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Macmillan founded?
Macmillan was founded in 1843. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Macmillan based?
Macmillan is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Macmillan make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Publishing and Sales are the primary driver. The others are audiobook Publishing and catalog Acquisitions.
Who are Macmillan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Scholastic and Penguin Random House. Broad incumbents are John Wiley & Sons, Pearson and Cengage Group. Audible (Amazon) is listed as an others. Hay House is listed as an emerging player.
Does Macmillan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Macmillan.
What industry is Macmillan in?
Macmillan's product category is Trade Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJAIAA, Audiobook Publishers (Trade & Consumer). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.