Laurence King Publishing

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.

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

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

• Illustrated book publishing
• Creative arts publishing
• Children's book publishing
• Card game publishing
• Jigsaw puzzle publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

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

1. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Hachette UK LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurence 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 BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS 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)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK 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 AustraliamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralasian 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 GmbHmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman 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.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distribution partner. 1 rue de l'Est, 75020 Paris, France. Phone: +33 (1) 43 49 36 60.
• BIS PublishersregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetherlands sales manager Linda van Gaalen handles Dutch market. Postjesweg 1, 1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
• Jonathan Ball PublisherregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth 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 IndiaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndian subcontinent distribution for India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Phone: +91 11 4068 2000.
• FaireregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK 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.
• PubEasyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade ordering platform for Hachette Distribution account holders. Free to join for trade accounts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/LaurenceKingPub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/laurencekingpub
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaurenceKingPublishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/LaurenceKingPub
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/LaurenceKingPub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2123442

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Laurence King Publishing