Bragelonne
Bragelonne is a French independent publisher, founded in 2000 and owned by Hachette Livre, specializing in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror) through eight imprints serving French-speaking readers with print, digital, and translated editions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersMeximieux, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bragelonne does
Bragelonne is a French independent trade publishing group founded in 2000 and headquartered in Vanves, Île-de-France, operating under the Hachette Livre corporate umbrella alongside its eight imprints (Bragelonne, Milady, Castelmore, Hauteville, HiComics, Mangetsu, Big Bang, Fibs, and Stéphane Marsan). The flagship Bragelonne imprint is the leading French-language publisher of speculative fiction (Imaginaire), with a catalog of more than 550 authors and 2,500 references; group-wide the company holds over 4,000 titles and has sold approximately 24 million books, including nearly 5 million digital copies. Its product mix spans hardcover (grand format), paperback (poche), eBook, and special/moyen format editions, with pricing ranging from €5 for pocket editions to premium hardcover tiers (e.g., €26 for special formats), monetized primarily through one-time unit sales plus a foreign rights licensing stream covering translation, film/TV, audio, and subsidiary publication rights.
The company's go-to-market is omnichannel direct-to-consumer plus retail: physical and online distribution via partner bookstores, Fnac, Amazon, and Bragelonne's own website, augmented by active participation in literary festivals (notably Imaginales), the Hellfest Inferno award partnership, and coverage in major French press (Le Monde, Le Point, Paris Match, Livres Hebdo). Foreign rights are managed in-house under a dedicated director, enabling both outbound licensing of the French catalog and inbound translation deals with international publishers. Operating revenue is reported across three streams: physical book sales, digital book sales (where Bragelonne became France's #1 digital publisher by 2014), and rights licensing, though consolidated revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution scale is materially supported by Hachette Livre's infrastructure, providing a structural advantage versus standalone indies of similar size.
Bragelonne firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bragelonne
- Legal name
- BRAGELONNE
- Website
- https://bragelonne.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Bragelonne is a French independent publisher, founded in 2000 and owned by Hachette Livre, specializing in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror) through eight imprints serving French-speaking readers with print, digital, and translated editions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bragelonne industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Speculative Fiction Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE), Adult/Seinen/Josei Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Bragelonne is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Meximieux
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bragelonne business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: Traditional book publishing revenue from print editions including grand format (hardcover), paperback (poche), and special editions sold through bookstores and online retailers.
- Digital Book Sales (eBooks): Digital publishing with Bragelonne becoming the #1 digital publisher in France with over 1 million eBooks sold by 2014 and nearly 5 million digital books sold to date. Multiple format offerings including dedicated digital releases.
- Licensing and Rights: Foreign rights licensing for translation of their catalog of authors. Active foreign rights department handling translation rights, film/TV rights, audiobooks, and subsidiary publications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Pocket/Trade Paperback (Poche) editions |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Hardcover/Grand Format editions |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | eBook/Digital editions |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Special/Moyen Format editions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bragelonne product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bragelonne is a French publishing house that publishes speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, thriller) in the French language across multiple formats (hardcover/grand format, paperback/poche, eBook, and special/moyen format editions). It operates seven imprints covering core Imaginaire, comics, manga, young adult, juvenile, women's fiction, and literature, and supplements domestic sales with foreign rights licensing of its catalog to international publishers.
Product overview
Bragelonne is a French publishing house and the first independent publisher of speculative fiction (fantasy, science-fiction, horror) in the French language. The company operates as a group comprising seven distinct imprints: Bragelonne (core fantasy/sci-fi), HiComics (comics), Hauteville (literary fiction), Milady (women's fiction/paranormal romance), Castelmore (youth fiction with Big Bang and Fibs sub-labels), Mangetsu (manga), and Stephane Marsan (general literature). The group publishes books in multiple formats including grand format (hardcover), poche (paperback), eBook, and moyen format. Their catalog includes over 550 authors, 4,000+ titles, and features major fantasy franchises such as The Witcher (Sorceleur), The Name of the Wind (Le Nom du vent), and The Wheel of Time (La Roue du Temps). The company also operates Bragelonne Connect, a customer account platform, and Espace Pro for professional partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HiComics: Comics imprint of the Bragelonne group.
- Hauteville
- Milady
- Castelmore
- Mangetsu
- Big Bang
- Fibs
Products and services
- Bragelonne (Imprint) Core imprint of the Bragelonne group publishing fantasy, science-fiction, and horror literature in French. Books are released in multiple formats (grand format hardcover, poche paperback, eBook) by an editorial team led by the company's director of publication.
- Milady Bragelonne group imprint specializing in women's fiction and bit-lit (vampire/werewolf/urban fantasy romance), targeting adult readers of paranormal romance in French.
- Castelmore Bragelonne group imprint dedicated to juvenile fiction, publishing books for young and middle-grade readers in French.
- HiComics Bragelonne group imprint publishing graphic novels and comic book adaptations in French.
- Mangetsu Bragelonne group imprint launched in 2021 to publish Japanese manga in French translation for the French-speaking comics market.
- Hauteville Bragelonne group imprint focused on general literature and women's fiction, publishing titles for adult readers seeking mainstream literary fiction.
- Big Bang Young Adult imprint of the Bragelonne group, publishing fiction for teenage readers within the Castelmore division.
- Fibs Young Adult imprint of the Bragelonne group, publishing fiction for teenage readers within the Castelmore division.
- Stéphane Marsan Bragelonne group imprint publishing general literary works for adult readers.
- Collection Bragelonne SF Science fiction collection within the Bragelonne imprint, dedicated to publishing works by major international SF authors in French translation.
- Collection 10 ans Value collection of the Bragelonne imprint launched in 2010 as part of the publisher's 10th anniversary, offering selected titles at a uniform €10 price point.
- L'Ombre Collection Horror and dark fiction collection within the Bragelonne imprint, launched in 2008 as a dedicated home for terror/horror titles.
- Bragelonne Thriller Thriller fiction collection within the Bragelonne imprint, launched in 2014 and featuring crime and thriller authors translated into French.
- Bragelonne Historique Historical fiction collection within the Bragelonne imprint, launched in 2018 to publish historical novels by international authors in French.
- Foreign Rights Licensing Program Licensing program offering translation, film/TV, audiobook, and subsidiary publication rights for the Bragelonne group's catalog of 550+ authors to international publishers, managed by the Foreign Rights department.
Quantifiable outcome
- First non-anglosaxon publisher nominated for World Fantasy Award (2011)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bragelonne
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bragelonne technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bragelonne partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Hachette LivrecoreBragelonne is a publishing house owned by the Hachette Livre group, one of the largest publishing conglomerates in the world. This provides Bragelonne with extensive distribution infrastructure and financial backing.
- HiComicscoreHiComics is one of seven labels under the Bragelonne group umbrella, specializing in comics and graphic novels.
- MiladycoreMilady is a Bragelonne group label specializing in bit-lit (vampire/urban fantasy) and women's fiction.
- CastelmorecoreCastelmore is a Bragelonne group label focused on young adult and juvenile fiction.
- HautevillecoreHauteville is a Bragelonne group label focused on general literature and women's fiction.
- MangetsucoreMangetsu is a Bragelonne group label launched in 2021, specializing in manga publications.
- Hellfest FestivalstrategicBragelonne partnered with the Hellfest metal festival to create the Prix Hellfest Inferno award for fantasy novels in 2017, creating a unique cross-promotional opportunity between heavy metal culture and fantasy literature.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bragelonne competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Le Livre de Poche: Mass-market paperback imprint of Hachette Livre (Bragelonne's sister company within the same parent). Operates in the same mass-market format and shares distribution, but covers a broader general catalog than Bragelonne's speculative-fiction focus.
- Hugo & Cie: French publisher focused on science fiction, fantasy, and thriller genres. Comparable as a French-language genre fiction publisher with overlapping catalog and target readership.
- Albin Michel Imaginaire: The speculative fiction and fantasy imprint of major French publisher Albin Michel. Directly comparable as a French-language speculative fiction publisher competing for the same readers, authors, and shelf space as Bragelonne across fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres.
- J'ai Lu: French imprint of Univers Poche specializing in mass-market paperback science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction. Directly comparable as a French genre fiction publisher with overlapping catalog and distribution channels.
- Folio SF (Gallimard): Gallimard's mass-market paperback imprint dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. Directly competes with Bragelonne in French-language genre paperback publishing, leveraging Gallimard's distribution and backlist.
- Pocket (Editions Pocket): French mass-market paperback imprint publishing science fiction and fantasy alongside general fiction. Comparable on format (poche) and genre overlap, competing directly for French speculative fiction paperback shelf space.
- Mnemos: Independent French publisher specializing in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, fantasy). Closely comparable as a French-language Imaginaire publisher with similar author base and genre focus, though at a smaller scale than Bragelonne.
- Le B\u00e9lial': Independent French publisher of speculative fiction, both fiction and essays, with a strong reputation for literary SF. Comparable on genre focus, language market, and independent editorial identity.
Broad incumbents
- Gallimard: One of France's largest and most established publishing houses, with Folio SF as a key speculative fiction imprint. A broad incumbent whose Folio SF line directly overlaps with Bragelonne, but Gallimard also publishes across literary fiction, non-fiction, and many other genres at much greater scale.
Emerging players
- ActuSF: Smaller French publisher specializing in science fiction and fantasy novels. Comparable on genre focus and French-language market, but operates at a much smaller scale with a niche catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bragelonne social profiles
Digital presenceBragelonne financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bragelonne leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Bragelonne subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Bragelonne funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bragelonne 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 Bragelonne
What does Bragelonne do?
Bragelonne is a French publishing house that publishes speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, thriller) in the French language across multiple formats (hardcover/grand format, paperback/poche, eBook, and special/moyen format editions). It operates seven imprints covering core Imaginaire, comics, manga, young adult, juvenile, women's fiction, and literature, and supplements domestic sales with foreign rights licensing of its catalog to international publishers.
Is Bragelonne a public or private company?
Bragelonne is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Bragelonne founded?
Bragelonne was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Bragelonne based?
Bragelonne is headquartered in Meximieux, France, in the Europe region.
How does Bragelonne make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Book Sales (eBooks) and licensing and Rights.
Who are Bragelonne's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Le Livre de Poche, Hugo & Cie, Albin Michel Imaginaire, J'ai Lu, Folio SF (Gallimard), Pocket (Editions Pocket), Mnemos and Le B\u00e9lial'. Gallimard is listed as a broad incumbent. ActuSF is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bragelonne have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bragelonne.
What industry is Bragelonne in?
Bragelonne's product category is Speculative Fiction Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAD, Mass Market & Paperback Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAE, Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.