Reaktion Books
Reaktion Books is a London-based independent non-fiction publisher founded in 1985, releasing roughly 90 illustrated titles annually across art, history, food, philosophy, and popular science for academic and general readers, distributed globally via Wiley and the University of Chicago Press.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Reaktion Books does
Reaktion Books Ltd is a London-based independent book publisher founded in 1985 that produces approximately 90 new illustrated non-fiction titles per year and maintains a backlist of nearly 1,000 titles spanning art and visual culture, biography, food history, general history, music, natural history, philosophy, politics, and popular science. Its publishing program is organized into named series (Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives, Lost Civilizations) that provide consistent coverage of niche scholarly subjects for both academic and general audiences. The company operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees and is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent entity.
The business model is built on wholesale trade publishing with a direct-to-consumer overlay. Physical books are distributed globally through John Wiley & Sons for the UK, Europe, and all markets outside the Americas, and through the University of Chicago Press's Chicago Distribution Center for North and South America. UK sales representation is handled by Yale Representation Ltd, and regional stockholding agents cover Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The technology stack supporting direct sales is modest: a WordPress-based e-commerce website with Stripe payment processing for physical book orders, and Glassboxx for ebook hosting in epub and PDF formats. Print-on-demand editions, digital catalogues (Spring 2021 through Autumn 2026), and academic inspection/desk copy programs extend the commercial surface area.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time unit sales of physical books (paperback £10.99–£18.99, hardback £14.99–£35) and ebooks, supplemented by adoption-driven academic sales channels. Marketing is conducted through owned channels including a blog, email newsletter, multi-platform social media (Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Pinterest), and participation in literary festivals such as the Oxford Literary Festival. The company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with refreshed branding, and appointed LOGOS EUROPE as its EU GPSR Authorised Representative to maintain European market compliance.
Reaktion Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reaktion Books
- Legal name
- Reaktion Books Ltd
- Website
- https://reaktionbooks.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Reaktion Books is a London-based independent non-fiction publisher founded in 1985, releasing roughly 90 illustrated titles annually across art, history, food, philosophy, and popular science for academic and general readers, distributed globally via Wiley and the University of Chicago Press.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reaktion Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
Keywords
Where Reaktion Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Reaktion Books business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: Sale of physical books through direct website purchases and distribution network. Books are available in paperback and hardback formats at various price points ranging from approximately £9.99 to £35.
- Ebook Sales: Digital ebook sales in epub and PDF formats through Glassboxx platform. Hosted via the Glassboxx app for customer access.
- Inspection/Desk Copies: Academic sales through provision of desk and exam copies to lecturers, with a maximum of three titles for 28 days inspection. Adopted or unreturned copies charged at 20% discount.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback titles typically priced at £10.99-£18.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hardback titles typically priced at £14.99-£35 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ebook editions priced separately from physical |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Print-on-demand titles with extended delivery |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Reaktion Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher that commissions, edits, designs, prints and distributes non-fiction titles spanning art, visual culture, biography, food history, general history, music, natural history, philosophy, politics and popular science. The company releases approximately 90 new titles per year and maintains a backlist of nearly 1,000 titles in print, organised into themed series such as Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives and Lost Civilizations. It sells both physical books (paperback and hardback) and digital ebooks in epub and PDF formats.
Product overview
Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher founded in 1985, producing approximately 90 new non-fiction titles annually with nearly 1,000 titles in print. The publishing program spans art and visual culture, biography, food history, general history, music, natural history, philosophy, politics, and popular science. The company organizes its offerings into named book series (Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives, Lost Civilizations) and distributes both physical books and ebooks. Physical books are distributed globally through Wiley & Sons (UK/Europe/World) and University of Chicago Press (North/South America). Ebooks are available in epub and PDF formats through Glassboxx. Additional services include print-on-demand titles, inspection copies for educators, and review copies for media.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Non-fiction book publishing programme (Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives, Lost Civilizations series and standalone titles) Independently published illustrated non-fiction books spanning art, visual culture, biography, food history, general history, music, natural history, philosophy, politics and popular science, organised into themed series (Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives, Lost Civilizations) and standalone titles for general readers, libraries and academic course adoption.
- Ebooks (epub and PDF via Glassboxx) Digital editions of Reaktion Books titles delivered as epub and PDF files through the Glassboxx ebook platform and app, available for individual purchase with pricing set separately from physical editions.
- Print-on-demand titles Select backlist titles available as print-on-demand editions with approximately two-week despatch times, containing black and white illustrations only, sold through the Reaktion Books website and distribution partners.
- Inspection (desk and exam) copies for lecturers Academic service providing lecturers and course instructors with up to three desk or exam copies retained for 28 days inspection to evaluate books as course texts; adopted or unreturned copies are charged at a 20% discount.
- Review copies for media Physical and digital (via NetGalley) review copies provided to journalists, reviewers, and media outlets to support editorial coverage of Reaktion Books titles.
Companies that use Reaktion Books
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Reaktion Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Reaktion Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- John Wiley & SonscoreJohn Wiley & Sons serves as the primary distribution partner for Reaktion Books, handling UK, Europe and worldwide distribution (excluding North & South America) from their European Distribution Centre in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK. Contact: [email protected]
- University of Chicago PresscoreUniversity of Chicago Press handles all North and South American distribution through their Chicago Distribution Center, including trade enquiries, ordering, publicity and desk copies. Primary Americas distribution partner.
- Yale Representation LtdcoreYale Representation Ltd provides UK sales representation for Reaktion Books covering England, Wales, Scotland with regional sales contacts including Andrew Jarmain (Head of UK Sales), Sally Sharp (Northern England & North Wales), Colin Duncan (Scotland), and others for specific territories.
- GlassboxxcoreGlassboxx is the ebook hosting platform used by Reaktion Books for digital content distribution. Ebooks are available in epub or PDF format through the Glassboxx app.
- StripecoreStripe is the payment processing provider for the Reaktion Books e-commerce website, handling secure credit and debit card transactions.
- NewSouth BooksregionalStockholding agent for Australia and New Zealand distribution, located at University of New South Wales, Sydney.
- APD Singapore Pte LtdregionalDistribution partner covering Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from their Singapore office.
- Feel Books Pvt. Ltd.regionalDistribution partner for India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, based in New Delhi.
- MHM Ltd (Japan)regionalStockholding agent for Japan, handling distribution from their Tokyo office.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Reaktion Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pushkin Press: Independent London-based literary publisher producing literary fiction and non-fiction with international editorial ambition. Comparable as a small, independent UK publisher building a global catalog through thoughtful acquisitions.
- Profile Books: Independent London-based trade publisher producing high-quality non-fiction across history, culture, politics, popular science, and biography. Directly comparable in subject overlap, UK independent status, and trade non-fiction editorial remit.
- Phaidon Press: Independent global publisher of illustrated books on art, architecture, design, photography, food, and culture. Comparable to Reaktion Books in its emphasis on beautifully produced, illustrated non-fiction titles across cultural subjects.
- New York Review Books: Independent publisher of reprints, literary non-fiction, and intellectual essays. Comparable in its mission-driven independent publishing of high-quality non-fiction and its reliance on a strong backlist as an economic asset.
- Thames & Hudson: London-based independent illustrated book publisher founded in 1949, publishing high-quality illustrated non-fiction across art, architecture, design, and visual culture. Closely comparable in editorial remit, illustrated book focus, and independent UK-headquartered profile.
- Verso Books: Independent UK-based publisher of radical non-fiction on politics, history, philosophy, and culture. Comparable as an independent UK trade non-fiction house with similar editorial ambitions and global distribution.
- Taschen: Cologne-based independent publisher specializing in illustrated books on art, architecture, design, film, and cultural history. Shares Reaktion's premium illustrated non-fiction positioning and global distribution through book trade and specialty retail.
Broad incumbents
- Princeton University Press: University press with a strong list in illustrated art, architecture, and natural history books alongside academic monographs. Comparable subject overlap with Reaktion's illustrated non-fiction program but at greater scale and broader academic depth.
- Yale University Press: Major academic and trade publisher producing scholarly illustrated books on art, history, architecture, and culture. Comparable to Reaktion's illustrated scholarly non-fiction but operates at substantially larger scale as a university press incumbent.
Others
- University of Chicago Press: Major university press that distributes Reaktion Books in the Americas through its Chicago Distribution Center. Functions as a channel partner rather than a competitor, but its catalog of illustrated scholarly non-fiction overlaps thematically with Reaktion's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Reaktion Books social profiles
Digital presenceReaktion Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reaktion Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Reaktion Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reaktion Books 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 Reaktion Books
What does Reaktion Books do?
Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher that commissions, edits, designs, prints and distributes non-fiction titles spanning art, visual culture, biography, food history, general history, music, natural history, philosophy, politics and popular science. The company releases approximately 90 new titles per year and maintains a backlist of nearly 1,000 titles in print, organised into themed series such as Animal, Edible, Critical Lives, Renaissance Lives and Lost Civilizations. It sells both physical books (paperback and hardback) and digital ebooks in epub and PDF formats.
Is Reaktion Books a public or private company?
Reaktion Books is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Reaktion Books founded?
Reaktion Books was founded in 1985. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Reaktion Books based?
Reaktion Books is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Reaktion Books make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are ebook Sales and inspection/Desk Copies.
Who are Reaktion Books's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pushkin Press, Profile Books, Phaidon Press, New York Review Books, Thames & Hudson, Verso Books and Taschen. Broad incumbents are Princeton University Press and Yale University Press. University of Chicago Press is listed as an others.
Does Reaktion Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reaktion Books.
What industry is Reaktion Books in?
Reaktion Books's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.