Laurence King Publishing
Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK that publishes illustrated books, jigsaw puzzles, card games, and gifts focused on creative arts, design, nature, and popular culture. It serves general consumers, students, educators, and retailers through D2C e-commerce and a global distribution network spanning 20+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Laurence King Publishing does
Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK Limited that publishes illustrated books, games, jigsaw puzzles, and gift products centered on creative arts, design, nature, and popular culture. It operates within the Orion Publishing Group division of Hachette UK and maintains a catalog of 876 products across four categories: Trade Books (art, design, fashion, architecture, photography), Children's (activity books, puzzles, and games for ages 0–11+), Gifts (puzzles, card games, playing cards, tarot, sticker books), and Student & Professional (academic textbooks for creative-arts disciplines). The German subsidiary Laurence King Verlag GmbH supports DACH-region markets, and a registered "LAURENCE KING" UK trademark protects the brand.
The business runs three concurrent go-to-market motions: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through laurenceking.com (with free UK delivery over £35 and international shipping to Europe and the rest of the world), wholesale trade distribution via Hachette UK Distribution supplemented by the Faire marketplace for independent UK retailers, and an academic field-sales program offering inspection copies to university lecturers. Distribution extends to North America (Chronicle Books), Latin America, France (Interart), the Netherlands (BIS Publishers), India (Hachette India), South Africa (Jonathan Ball), and Australia (Hachette Australia). Pricing is unit-based, with card games around £9.99, hardback books typically £20–£30, and premium items up to £399.
Customer segments span general consumers and gift buyers, students and educators in creative-arts disciplines, and trade retailers. The company maintains organic social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo, supported by email newsletters and an author-content blog. Six new product launches are scheduled across 2026 spanning card games, jigsaw puzzles, an art book, and a sticker book. No AI capabilities are disclosed, no funding rounds exist (the imprint is wholly owned within Hachette UK), and no leadership changes or M&A activity are reported in the input data.
Laurence King Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Laurence King Publishing
- Legal name
- Laurence King Publishing (imprint of Hachette UK Limited)
- Website
- https://laurenceking.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK that publishes illustrated books, jigsaw puzzles, card games, and gifts focused on creative arts, design, nature, and popular culture. It serves general consumers, students, educators, and retailers through D2C e-commerce and a global distribution network spanning 20+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Laurence King Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN), Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO)
Keywords
Where Laurence King Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Laurence King Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Product Sales: Direct sales of published books, games, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, and gifts through their e-commerce platform. One-time purchase model with physical goods shipped to customers globally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for books, games, and gifts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels5 records
Laurence King Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK Limited that publishes and sells illustrated books, card games, jigsaw puzzles, sticker books, playing cards and novelty gift products across creative arts, nature, children's, and academic categories. The company sells its own published titles directly to consumers via its e-commerce storefront (laurenceking.com) and to trade/wholesale customers through Hachette UK Distribution and regional international partners.
Product overview
Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK Limited that publishes books, games, and gifts across four main categories: Books (art, design, fashion, architecture, photography), Children's (activity books, picture books, puzzles, games for ages 0-11+), Gifts (puzzles, card games, playing cards, tarot, sticker books), and Student & Professional (academic textbooks for creative arts). The product portfolio includes jigsaw puzzles (The Story of Iconic Artists, Around the World in 50 Trees/Plants/Birds series), card games (Whose Hooves?, Space Snap, Bird Bingo, Tree Bingo, Bug Bingo), sticker books (Stickerbomb series), art books (The Female Body in Art, Gizmo), and educational reference materials (Tree Vision, Wild about Weeds). The company operates e-commerce websites for direct consumer sales and wholesale distribution through Hachette UK Distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Laurence King Verlag: German edition imprint for Central European market
- Laurence King Academic
Products and services
- Books Trade illustrated books across art, design, fashion, architecture, photography, popular culture and creative subjects for general readers and enthusiasts.
- Children's Books and Games Activity books, picture books, puzzles, novelty items and educational games designed for children in age ranges 0-11 and 11+.
- Gifts and Novelty Products Gift products including jigsaw puzzles, card games, playing cards, tarot decks, sticker books, and stationery items targeted at adult gift buyers.
- Student and Professional Academic Textbooks Academic textbooks and professional reference resources for creative arts education including fashion, textiles, graphic design, art, architecture, photography, and business courses. Served through the Laurence King Academic division with an inspection copy program for lecturers.
- Whose Hooves? Card Game An animal mix-and-match card game featuring 50 illustrated cards with 25 animals. Players match animals to their bottom halves or create absurd creatures in multiple game modes.
- Space Snap Card Game A cosmic-themed card game where players race to pair up planets, stars, astronauts and aliens, with jumbo-sized cards designed for children.
- Bird Bingo Game A bingo game featuring 64 species of birds from around the world with beautifully illustrated tokens, game board, bingo cards and educational leaflet.
- Tree Bingo Game A traditional bingo game featuring 64 of the world's most fascinating trees with detailed illustrations and an informational booklet.
- Bug Bingo Game A bingo game featuring 64 species of bugs from around the world, from the giant hawker dragonfly to the sacred scarab, with illustrated tokens and an educational leaflet.
- Around the World in 50 Trees Jigsaw Puzzle A 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring 50 trees from around the world with intricately detailed illustrations by Lucille Clerc, accompanied by a comprehensive poster guide by Jonathan Drori.
- Around the World in 50 Plants Jigsaw Puzzle A 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring 50 stunning plants from around the globe with detailed illustrations and a companion poster by Jonathan Drori revealing botanical stories.
- Around the World in 50 Birds Jigsaw Puzzle A 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle showcasing birds from across the globe with artwork by Ryuto Miyake and a fold-out poster guide by natural history writer Mike Unwin.
- A Book Lover's Garden Jigsaw Puzzle A 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring literary garden scenes from classic novels, poems, short stories and fairy tales, accompanied by a fold-out poster with text extracts.
- The Story of Iconic Artists 500-Piece Jigsaw A 500-piece search-and-find jigsaw puzzle depicting art history from Botticelli's Birth of Venus to Damien Hirst's skull, featuring pop-art style artwork with famous artists.
- Did You Fart? Jigsaw Puzzle A 100-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring 24 animals and facts about animal flatulence, accompanied by an educational poster.
- Stickerbomb Sneakers Sticker Book A collectable, fully-peelable sticker book featuring over 200 specially commissioned sneaker stickers by artists, illustrators and graffiti artists from around the world.
- Gizmo Book A 224-page hardback comprehensive survey book of electronic and time-saving gadgets and devices, their evolution, genealogy, and cultural impact from the late 20th century to present.
- The Female Body in Art Book An art history book exploring the female form from Renaissance to present day, featuring over 80 works of art and examining depictions of beauty, identity, power and resistance. Foreword by Hettie Judah.
- Wild about Weeds Gardening Book A gardening guide profiling over 50 weeds and showing surprising ways to grow them across different garden types, written by garden designer Jack Wallington.
- Official Agatha Christie Gift Collection Official Agatha Christie branded products including puzzles, jigsaws, playing cards, trivia games and reference materials featuring Poirot, Miss Marple and other characters.
- Birds Playing Cards A playing cards set featuring the world's most beautiful birds, with suits organized by bird colour alongside standard playing card suits and numbers.
- Tree Vision Reference Cards A 30-card flashcard set to help learn about trees, their leaves, seeds, flowers and features, illustrated by Holly Exley with text by Tony Kirkham of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Match a Leaf Memory Game A tree memory game where players match leaves to corresponding trees, featuring common UK and US trees as well as interesting species from around the world.
Companies that use Laurence King Publishing
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Laurence King Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Laurence King Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.
- Hachette UK LimitedcoreLaurence King is an imprint of Hachette UK Limited. Parent company provides distribution infrastructure, administrative services, and corporate governance. Registered in England under company number 02020173. Laurence King is part of the Orion Publishing Group division.
- Chronicle BookscoreUS distribution partner for books, Canada, Central and South America and Mexico. Located at 680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107. Phone: 415-537-4200.
- Hachette Distribution (HUKD)coreUK trade distribution and accounts through Hachette UK Distribution at the Hely Hutchinson Centre, Milton Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7HH. Customer Services: +44 (0)1235 759555.
- Hachette AustraliamajorAustralasian distribution partner for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands. Level 17, 207 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000. Phone: 02 8248 0800.
- Laurence King Verlag GmbHmajorGerman subsidiary handling Austria, Germany and Switzerland distribution. Jablonskistrasse 27, 10405 Berlin, Germany. Managed by Max Erbe. Phone: +49 030-21300640.
- Interart S.A.R.L.regionalFrench distribution partner. 1 rue de l'Est, 75020 Paris, France. Phone: +33 (1) 43 49 36 60.
- BIS PublishersregionalNetherlands sales manager Linda van Gaalen handles Dutch market. Postjesweg 1, 1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Jonathan Ball PublisherregionalSouth African distribution for South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. 66 Mimetes Road, Denver Extn 9, Johannesburg 2091. Phone: +27 11 601 8000.
- Hachette IndiaregionalIndian subcontinent distribution for India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Phone: +91 11 4068 2000.
- FaireregionalUK wholesale marketplace for retailers. Sign up at hachetteukltd.faire.com with 50% off first order up to £150 and 1 year free shipping. Limited to UK customers only.
- PubEasyregionalTrade ordering platform for Hachette Distribution account holders. Free to join for trade accounts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Laurence King Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Usborne Publishing: UK children's book and puzzle/game publisher. Comparable in the children's illustrated books, puzzles, and card games categories.
- Nosy Crow: Independent UK children's publisher producing illustrated children's books and novelty formats. Overlaps with LKP's Children's division in illustrated and giftable formats.
- Abrams Books: US publisher of art, design, and illustrated gift books including the Abrams & Chronicle gift and game line. Direct competitor in the illustrated gift and game space.
- Thames & Hudson: Long-established illustrated book publisher specialising in art, design, and visual culture. Closely overlaps LKP's core creative arts and illustrated non-fiction book list.
- Quarto Group: Illustrated book publisher spanning art, craft, design, and lifestyle categories including children's books and gift products. Closely mirrors LKP's mix of books plus non-book formats.
- Quadrille Publishing: UK illustrated book publisher covering design, food, and lifestyle. Comparable in scale, visual style, and trade book focus within the same UK market.
- Chronicle Books: US-based publisher of visually distinctive illustrated books, games, and gifts. Highly comparable in product mix (art/design books, puzzles, giftable novelty) and serves as LKP's actual distribution partner in the Americas.
- TASCHEN: Publisher of high-quality art, design, and visual culture books with strong giftable format range. Comparable in design-led positioning and premium price points.
- Phaidon Press: Global publisher of books on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, and food. Direct competitor in the creative arts illustrated book category with similar premium positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Walker Books: Established UK children's illustrated book publisher with broader scale and brand. Adjacent incumbent in the illustrated children's book and gift space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Laurence King Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceLaurence King Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Laurence King Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Laurence King Publishing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Laurence King Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Laurence King Publishing 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 Laurence King Publishing
What does Laurence King Publishing do?
Laurence King Publishing is an imprint of Hachette UK Limited that publishes and sells illustrated books, card games, jigsaw puzzles, sticker books, playing cards and novelty gift products across creative arts, nature, children's, and academic categories. The company sells its own published titles directly to consumers via its e-commerce storefront (laurenceking.com) and to trade/wholesale customers through Hachette UK Distribution and regional international partners.
Is Laurence King Publishing a public or private company?
Laurence King Publishing is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Laurence King Publishing founded?
Laurence King Publishing was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Laurence King Publishing based?
Laurence King Publishing is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Laurence King Publishing make money?
One revenue line is on record: physical Product Sales.
Who are Laurence King Publishing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Usborne Publishing, Nosy Crow, Abrams Books, Thames & Hudson, Quarto Group, Quadrille Publishing, Chronicle Books, TASCHEN and Phaidon Press. Walker Books is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Laurence King Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Laurence King Publishing.
What industry is Laurence King Publishing in?
Laurence King Publishing's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAA, General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction), with a secondary code of MPAJAAAN, Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.