Editis
Editis is France's second-largest publishing group and a Vivendi subsidiary, operating 55 imprints across literary, educational, and reference publishing. It serves general readers, the French National Education system, and Canal+ audiobook subscribers with 5,000 new titles and 37,000+ backlist titles annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Editis does
Editis is the second-largest publishing group in France and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi (acquired in January 2019 from Grupo Planeta). Headquartered in Paris with 2,500 employees, the group operates as a federation of 55 publishing houses covering the full spectrum of written content: literary fiction (Belfond, Julliard, Robert Laffont, Plon, Le Cherche Midi), educational (Bordas, Nathan, CLE International, Retz), reference (Le Robert), travel (Lonely Planet France), manga (Kurokawa), geek culture (404 Éditions), and mass-market paperbacks (Pocket, 10/18). The group produces approximately 5,000 new titles annually and maintains a backlist catalog of over 37,000 titles.
The business is built on three revenue streams: one-time book sales through wholesale distribution (Interforum) to bookstore chains (FNAC, Cultura) and independents; direct institutional sales to the French National Education system via a dedicated force of pedagogical representatives; and rights licensing (translation, film/TV adaptation, international co-editions). Digital and audio formats are an expanding layer: Lisez.com serves as a discovery and digital-reading platform, while Lizzie, launched in 2019, is a 100% audiobook brand with over 150 titles from authors including Harlan Coben and Michel Bussi, integrated into Canal+ subscriptions under the Vivendi umbrella.
The group goes to market through traditional bookstore distribution, a direct educational sales force, dedicated rights sales teams in each publishing house, and emerging digital/audio channels. Recent strategic moves have concentrated on (i) acquisitive expansion across literary, illustration, and graphic novel imprints, (ii) buildout of audio and podcast products (Lizzie, 'Des livres et moi'), and (iii) operational consolidation under Vivendi governance, including a CEO transition to Michèle Benbunan in September 2019.
Editis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Editis
- Legal name
- EDITIS
- Website
- https://editis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Editis is France's second-largest publishing group and a Vivendi subsidiary, operating 55 imprints across literary, educational, and reference publishing. It serves general readers, the French National Education system, and Canal+ audiobook subscribers with 5,000 new titles and 37,000+ backlist titles annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Editis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Book Publishers (51313), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audiobook Production & Studios (Narration, Recording, Editing, Mastering) (MPAJAIAB), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE), Translation & Localization Services for Indie Authors (MPAJAJAN)
Keywords
Where Editis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Editis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue from publishing and selling physical and digital books through retail distribution channels including bookstores, online retailers, and direct institutional sales to schools and libraries.
- Audiobook Sales: Revenue from Lizzie audiobook brand through digital platform sales, streaming subscriptions (via Canal+ partnership), and direct audio format sales.
- Rights Licensing: Cession and licensing of translation rights, adaptation rights (film/TV), and international co-editions through dedicated rights sales teams.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Editis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Editis is a French publishing group that publishes, distributes, and sells physical and digital books across 55 publishing houses covering all written content genres — French and foreign literature, youth, history, essays, practical guides, art books, manga, educational, and reference materials. The group produces around 5,000 new titles per year, maintains a backlist of 37,000+ titles, distributes through bookstores, schools, and digital platforms (Lisez.com, Lizzie audiobook brand), and licenses translation and audiovisual adaptation rights across its catalog.
Product overview
Editis is one of France's leading publishing groups, operating as a conglomerate of 55 publishing houses under a unified corporate structure. The group produces approximately 5,000 new titles annually across all genres of written works, including general literature, youth, educational, reference, manga, and practical books. The portfolio includes flagship imprints such as Belfond, Bordas, Nathan, Robert Laffont, Pocket, Julliard, La Découverte, and Le Robert (language reference). Editis also operates digital platforms including Lisez.com for e-books and audiobooks, and Lizzie, its 100% audiobook brand. The group is a subsidiary of Vivendi and employs approximately 2,500 people.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lisez!: Digital platform for book discovery and audio books
- Lizzie
Products and services
- Editis Publishing (books across 55 imprints) Physical and digital book publishing across 55 publishing houses (e.g. Belfond, Bordas, Robert Laffont, Nathan, Pocket, Julliard, La D\u00e9couverte, Le Robert) covering French and foreign literature, youth, history, essays, practical guides, art books, manga, educational, and reference. ~5,000 new titles annually; catalog of 37,000+ titles; targeted at general consumer readers, schools, and institutional buyers.
- Lizzie Audiobook Brand Editis's 100% audiobook brand offering more than 150 titles from major authors, distributed through Lisez.com, direct digital sales, and Canal+ subscription services. Target audience: French readers and Canal+ subscribers seeking audiobook format.
- Lisez.com Digital Reading Platform Digital reading discovery platform hosting books, audiobooks, and podcasts (including the 'Des livres et moi' literary podcast) for reader engagement and content discovery. Targeted at general consumer readers seeking digital and audio reading formats.
- Rights Licensing Services Cession and licensing of translation rights, adaptation rights (film/TV), and international co-editions from Editis's 37,000+ title catalog, managed through dedicated rights acquisition teams at each publishing house. Target audience: foreign publishers and audiovisual producers.
- Des livres et moi (Literary Podcast Series) Literary podcast series produced with Le Poste G\u00e9n\u00e9ral, featuring bimonthly author interviews from Editis's publishing houses, available on Lisez.com. Targeted at general consumer readers and literary podcast audiences in France.
- Educational Publishing (Bordas, Nathan, Retz, CLE International, Editions MDI) School textbooks, pedagogical resources, educational tools, and learning materials distributed via a direct sales force of delegated pedagogical representatives targeting schools, institutions, and the French National Education system (Éducation Nationale). Targets primary, secondary, and higher education; includes reference and language-learning imprints (Le Robert, CLE International).
Quantifiable outcome
- Ranked among top 2 French publishing groups
Companies that use Editis
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Editis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Editis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Deutsche GrammophonminorCollaboration with Deutsche Grammophon (Universal Music) for Harlan Coben audiobook soundtrack project 'Ne t'enfuis plus' featuring music by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
- JungleminorPartnership with Jungle editions for graphic novels and manga expansion, allowing Editis to grow in the comic/graphic novel sector.
- L'AgrumeminorAcquisition of L'Agrume, an illustration-focused publishing house, joining Nathan within the Editis Group.
- Groupe l'ArchipelminorExclusive negotiations for acquisition of Groupe l'Archipel including Archipel, Archipoche, Presses du Châtelet, Ecriture and Bibliothèque des Classiques labels.
- Canal+coreStrategic collaboration integrating Lizzie audiobook brand into Canal+ subscription offerings. Part of broader Vivendi ecosystem synergies bringing books to audiovisual audiences.
- Editions Héloïse d'OrmessonminorAcquisition of Editions Héloïse d'Ormesson, continuing under founder Héloïse d'Ormesson's presidency.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Editis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Audible (Amazon): Dominant global audiobook platform competing with Editis' Lizzie brand for listener attention, subscription share, and exclusive narrator deals on French-language literary and thriller titles.
Broad incumbents
- Pearson: Global education and reference publishing group comparable to Editis' Bordas, Nathan, Retz and CLE International educational franchises, particularly for assessment and language-learning segments.
- Penguin Random House: World's largest trade publisher, parent to many imprints Editis competes against for English-language translation rights. Strategic acquirer of literary imprints and benchmark for global scale, including audiobook production via parent Penguin Audio.
- Scholastic: Large-scale children's and educational publisher; relevant comparator to Editis' Nathan, Bordas, Pocket Jeunesse, and youth ecosystem for school-channel distribution and curriculum-aligned publishing.
- HarperCollins: Global trade publisher whose authors (Harlan Coben, Douglas Kennedy are explicitly listed in Lizzie catalog) compete with Editis' domestic and translated bestsellers, and which pursues similar educational and audio growth strategies.
Others
- Kurokawa (Editions): French manga imprint now wholly-owned by Editis after the 2019 transaction; included here as a benchmark on the manga growth category, comparable to peers like Kana, Kazé, and Pika Edition in the French manga market.
Direct peers
- Gallimard (Madrigall): Leading independent French literary publisher (Gallimard, Flammarion, Actes Sud under Madrigall), competing head-to-head with Editis' Plon, Julliard, Robert Laffont, Le Cherche Midi literary imprints for literary prize authors and French bookstore shelf space.
- Albin Michel: Major independent French publisher with deep literary and practical non-fiction lists, directly comparable to Editis' trade imprints in author acquisition, retail distribution and rights licensing economics.
- Hachette Livre (Lagardère Publishing): The largest publisher in France and Editis' primary domestic competitor, operating Grasset, Fayard, Calmann-Lévy, Stock, and a global English-language business (Hachette Book Group in the US, Hodder & Stoughton in the UK). Same customer base (French readers, schools, international rights), same business model (multi-imprint publishing), making it the most direct comparable.
- Flammarion (Madrigall): General-interest trade publisher and part of Madrigall, with strong positions in illustrated books, lifestyle and youth - comparable to Editis' Art/Beaux livres, Lonely Planet (France) and youth segments including Nathan and Pocket Jeunesse.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Editis social profiles
Digital presenceEditis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Editis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Editis subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries57 records
Editis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Editis 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 Editis
What does Editis do?
Editis is a French publishing group that publishes, distributes, and sells physical and digital books across 55 publishing houses covering all written content genres — French and foreign literature, youth, history, essays, practical guides, art books, manga, educational, and reference materials. The group produces around 5,000 new titles per year, maintains a backlist of 37,000+ titles, distributes through bookstores, schools, and digital platforms (Lisez.com, Lizzie audiobook brand), and licenses translation and audiovisual adaptation rights across its catalog.
Is Editis a public or private company?
Editis is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Editis founded?
Editis was founded in 2004. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Editis based?
Editis is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Editis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are audiobook Sales and rights Licensing.
Who are Editis's main competitors?
Audible (Amazon) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Pearson, Penguin Random House, Scholastic and HarperCollins. Kurokawa (Editions) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Gallimard (Madrigall), Albin Michel, Hachette Livre (Lagardère Publishing) and Flammarion (Madrigall).
Does Editis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Editis.
What industry is Editis in?
Editis's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAG, Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting), with a secondary code of MPAJAIAB, Audiobook Production & Studios (Narration, Recording, Editing, Mastering). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.