Jean-Claude Lattès

What Jean-Claude Lattès does

Editions Jean-Claude Lattès is a French book publishing house founded in 1968 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hachette Livre (itself part of Lagardère SA). The company is headquartered at 17 rue Jacob in the 6th arrondissement of Paris and is registered as a Société en Nom Collectif (SNC) with €2,026,215 share capital. It runs a multi-imprint publishing program: the flagship Le Masque imprint, positioned as France's first publisher exclusively dedicated to noir/crime literature; Nouveaux jours for contemporary essays and graphic works; La Grenade for societal-themed fiction and non-fiction; and a general JC Lattès catalog spanning French and foreign literature, polar, documents, témoignages, historical novels, and romance.

The business operates without proprietary technology platforms — book discovery, sales, and marketing are conducted through the official editions-jclattes.fr website, social media channels, an email newsletter, four original podcasts (Parole d'écrivain, Conversation dans le noir, Sac à dos et libido, Tomber les murs), and a broad network of physical and online French bookstores. Distribution leverages Hachette Livre's group infrastructure, including partner online retailers and physical bookstore networks across France and French-speaking Europe (Quai du Polar Lyon, Salon du livre de Genève, Foire du livre de Bruxelles).

JC Lattès monetizes exclusively through book sales in multiple formats — grand format (hardcover) at approximately €20.90, paperback/poche editions, and digital/ebook editions priced €13.99–€16.99, with selected illustrated and graphic works priced up to €24.90. The author roster includes major international names such as Dan Brown (Le secret des secrets, September 2025), John Boyne (Les éléments, Prix Femina étranger), Patricia Cornwell, and E.L. James, alongside French literary figures Olivia Ruiz, Aurélie Valognes, and Nina Bouraoui. Recent momentum is evidenced by Simon François's debut novel La proie et la meute, which swept six French crime-fiction prizes in 2024–2025 including the Prix du Masque de l'année. Pricing is uniform unit-based with no subscription or licensing model beyond one-time book purchases.

Name

Jean-Claude Lattès

Legal name

Editions Jean-Claude Lattès

Website

https://editions-jclattes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès is a 1968-founded French book publisher and subsidiary of Hachette Livre, operating multi-imprint programs in crime fiction (Le Masque), contemporary literature, and translated works for French-speaking readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

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

Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC), Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM), Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Book publishing
• Literary fiction
• Crime fiction
• French literature
• Digital publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: JC Lattès generates revenue primarily through the sale of physical and digital books. The publisher offers books in multiple formats including grand format (hardcover), poche (paperback), and digital editions at various price points ranging from €13.99 to €24.90 depending on format and collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès is a French publishing house that acquires, edits, produces, and distributes books — primarily literary fiction, crime/thriller fiction, foreign literature, documents, testimonies, historical novels, and romance — in print (grand format hardcover and poche paperback) and digital formats, under three imprints: Le Masque, Nouveaux jours, and La Grenade. The company also produces original author podcasts and runs an active literary events program.

Product overview

Jean-Claude Lattès is a French book publisher (Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès), founded in 1968 and part of the Hachette Livre group. The company operates as a multi-imprint publisher with a core JC Lattès brand publishing French and foreign literature, crime fiction (Polar), documents, testimonies, historical novels, and romance. The publishing house includes three distinct imprints: Le Masque (premier éditeur consacré exclusivement à la littérature noire - the first publisher dedicated exclusively to noir literature), Nouveaux jours (contemporary themes, essays, and graphic works), and La Grenade (societal themes). The company also produces original podcasts and maintains a catalog accessible through its website, with sales directed through partner online bookstores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le Masque: Premier éditeur consacré exclusivement à la littérature noire (crime/thriller imprint, the first publisher dedicated exclusively to noir literature).
• Nouveaux jours
• La Grenade

Products and services

• Le Masque (Imprint) Crime fiction and mystery imprint publishing thrillers, detective novels, and noir literature. The first publisher in France exclusively dedicated to noir literature. Includes sub-collections such as Agatha Christie, Le Poche, grands formats, and Le Tour du Monde en Polars.
• Nouveaux jours (Imprint) Literary imprint focused on contemporary themes and new voices, publishing essays and graphic works on social issues.
• La Grenade (Imprint) Literary collection exploring contemporary social and societal themes through fiction and non-fiction.
• JC Lattès Catalog (French Literature) General catalog encompassing French-language literature including novels, essays, and literary fiction published under the JC Lattès brand.
• Foreign Literature Collection (Littérature étrangère) Foreign literature collection featuring translated works from international authors.
• Polar Collection Crime and thriller genre collection featuring detective novels, police procedurals, and mystery fiction.
• Documents Collection Non-fiction document collection covering current events, social issues, and investigative journalism.
• Témoignages (Testimonies) Collection Testimony and memoir collection featuring personal accounts and autobiographical works.
• Romans historiques (Historical Novels) Collection Historical fiction collection featuring novels set in various historical periods.
• Romance Collection Romance and romantic fiction collection.
• Podcasts JC Lattès Four original podcast series — Parole d'écrivain, Conversation dans le noir, Sac à dos et libido, and Tomber les murs — exploring writing origins and extending reader engagement with authors.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hachette LivrecoreOthersJC Lattès is a subsidiary of Hachette Livre, one of the world's largest publishing groups. This parent company relationship provides distribution infrastructure, capital resources, and operational support.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plon: Long-standing French trade publisher within Editis, publishing literary fiction, history, and documents. Comparable in catalog breadth and target segments to JC Lattès.
• Albin Michel: Leading independent French trade publisher with broad fiction, non-fiction, and documentary catalog. Comparable in scale, genre mix, and target readership to JC Lattès.
• Éditions Grasset: French literary trade publisher, also a subsidiary of Hachette Livre. Directly comparable as a fellow Hachette literary imprint publishing major French and translated authors across fiction and non-fiction.
• Gallimard: France's most prestigious literary publisher and flagship of Madrigall. Directly competes with JC Lattès for top literary authors, Prix-winning fiction, and foreign literature rights in the French market.
• Éditions du Seuil: Major French literary and non-fiction publisher within Editis. Directly comparable across literary fiction, essays, and translated works competing for the same authors and shelf space.
• Éditions Flammarion: French literary and trade publisher under Madrigall. Comparable mid-to-large French trade house publishing literary fiction, foreign literature, and essays for general French readership.
• Actes Sud: Independent French literary publisher with strong presence in literary fiction, foreign literature, and crime fiction (Actes Noirs imprint). Comparable catalog and editorial positioning.
• Fayard: Major French trade and non-fiction publisher, also part of Hachette Livre. Highly comparable in catalog breadth (fiction, essays, documents, history) and in leveraging shared Hachette distribution.
• Mercure de France: Historic French literary publisher (part of Gallimard/Madrigall). Comparable as a literary imprint focused on French-language fiction and essays targeting the same general French reading audience.
• Éditions Robert Laffont: French trade publisher (within Editis) with a broad catalog spanning fiction, foreign literature, documents, and essays — directly comparable to JC Lattès' catalog mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/editionslattes
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.editions-jclattes.fr%2F
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.editions-jclattes.fr%2F&media=&description=JC%20Latt%C3%A8s%2C%20Le%20Masque

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jean-Claude Lattès