Setanta Books

What Setanta Books does

Setanta Books Limited is a UK-incorporated private limited company (registration 10683425) operating from Richmond, Surrey, that functions as both an online bookseller and a publisher of photography books. Founded in 2017 with a headcount of 1-10 employees, the company runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront on a Shopify-based platform, curating rare, signed, and limited-edition photography books alongside contemporary photography titles from emerging and established photographers worldwide. The catalog spans genres including Fashion, Fine Art, Landscape, Portrait, Street, War, Reportage, Music, and Nude, with unit prices ranging from roughly $35 for bi-monthly zines to over $4,762 for high-end signed rare editions. Its technology is a conventional e-commerce stack rather than a proprietary platform; core integrations are limited to payment processing (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay, major credit cards, plus regional methods such as Bancontact, iDEAL, Wero, and Union Pay), and distribution logistics are fulfilled in-house from the UK headquarters to a global customer base.

The business makes money through five streams: one-time sales of new and rare photography books, sales of fine art prints through the Print Gallery, sales of curated portfolio boxes featuring signed prints from notable photographers, a recurring bi-monthly zines subscription-like series at $35 per issue, and digital e-book publications. In addition to its own Setanta-branded publications (Bi-Monthly Zines, Special Editions, Portfolio Editions, E-Books, Posters), the company holds distribution partnerships with Nazraeli Press and Atelier EXB (Editions Xavier Barral), distributing their titles alongside a curated Magnum Square Prints selection. Marketing relies on organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest), an email newsletter, and the e-commerce storefront itself, with no disclosed paid acquisition or institutional funding.

The customer base spans photography collectors and enthusiasts (primary segment), photography students and hobbyists, and gift buyers, served through a horizontal segmentation approach with global shipping and multi-currency support. The company appears to be independent and founder-operated, with no disclosed venture capital backing, no reported management team in the data, no M&A activity, and no financial metrics shared publicly.

Name

Setanta Books

Legal name

Setanta Books Limited

Website

https://setantabooks.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Setanta Books is a UK-based online retailer and publisher of rare and contemporary photography books, serving global photography collectors, enthusiasts, students, and gift buyers through its Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Book Retail and Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAAAF

Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

Keywords

• Photography book publishing
• Rare photography books
• Fine art photography prints
• Limited edition zines
• Online bookstore

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photography Book Sales: One-time sales of new and rare photography books, including signed editions and limited editions. Revenue generated from individual book purchases at varying price points from $35 to over $4,000.
2. Print Sales: Sale of photography prints through the Print Gallery, including exclusive prints, special edition prints, and Magnum Square Prints.
3. Portfolio Boxes: Sale of curated portfolio collections, often featuring signed prints from notable photographers like Carrie Mae Weems and Mike Brodie.
4. Bi-Monthly Zines: Recurring bi-monthly publication of zines featuring emerging and established photographers, sold as a subscription-like series at $35 per issue.
5. E-Books and Digital Publications: Digital publication sales through the e-books collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Setanta Books is a UK-based photography publisher and online bookseller that curates and sells rare, signed, and limited edition photography books, fine art prints, portfolio boxes, e-books, posters, and bi-monthly zines. It operates both as a self-publisher (Setanta-branded zines, special editions, portfolio editions) and as a distributor for partner publishers including Nazraeli Press and Atelier EXB (Editions Xavier Barral), alongside a Print Gallery featuring Magnum Square Prints and exclusive prints.

Product overview

Setanta Books is a UK-based photography publisher and online retailer offering a multi-product portfolio of rare and contemporary photography books. The core offering centers on a curated photography books marketplace featuring signed editions, limited prints, and carefully selected titles from emerging and established photographers worldwide. The company operates both as a direct publisher (producing its own Bi-Monthly Zines, Special Editions, Portfolio Editions, E-Books, and Posters under the Setanta brand) and as a distributor for partner publishers including Nazraeli Press, Atelier EXB, and Magnum Photos. Additional product lines include a Print Gallery for fine art prints and a Rare & Collectable section for out-of-print and collector's editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Photography Books Curated collection of new and rare photography books across genres such as Fashion, Fine Art, Landscape, Portrait, Street, War, and Travel, available for purchase by photography enthusiasts and collectors worldwide.
• Rare & Collectable Books Limited, out-of-print, and signed collectible photography books, art objects, and signed fiction editions targeted at photography and rare-book collectors.
• Print Gallery (Photography Prints) Fine art photography prints including exclusive prints, special edition prints, Magnum Square Prints, and posters sold to individual collectors and enthusiasts.
• Bi-Monthly Zines Setanta's self-published bi-monthly zines featuring emerging and established photographers, sold at $35 per issue on a recurring publication cycle to photography enthusiasts and collectors.
• Special Editions Limited special edition photography books and prints published under the Setanta Books brand, sold to collectors seeking exclusive items.
• Portfolio Editions Premium portfolio box editions curated and sold by Setanta Books, featuring signed work from notable photographers such as Carrie Mae Weems and Mike Brodie, targeted at high-end collectors.
• E-Books Digital publication editions of Setanta Books' photography titles sold as e-books to digital readers.
• Setanta Posters Setanta-branded poster prints featuring photography artwork, sold to enthusiasts and gift buyers.
• Setanta Gift Cards Setanta Books gift cards redeemable for merchandise in the Setanta storefront, used by gift buyers purchasing for photography enthusiasts.
• Magnum Square Prints Curated square-format fine art prints from Magnum Photos photographers, sold through the Setanta Books storefront to collectors and enthusiasts.
• Nazraeli Press Publications Nazraeli Press photography publications, including Regular Editions, Special Editions, One Picture Books, and NZ Library collections, distributed by Setanta Books through its online storefront.
• Atelier EXB (Editions Xavier Barral) Publications Editions Xavier Barral (Atelier EXB) photography art books and exhibition catalogs distributed by Setanta Books through its online storefront.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nazraeli PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSetanta Books distributes Nazraeli Press publications, including Regular Editions, Special Editions, One Picture Books, and NZ Library collections. Nazraeli Press is a photography book publisher known for limited edition works.
• Atelier EXB (Editions Xavier Barral)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSetanta Books distributes Atelier EXB publications, a French photography book publisher known for high-quality art books and exhibition catalogs. Now distributing these titles through the Setanta Books platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• photo-eye: US-based photography book retailer and gallery with a curated catalog of new, rare, and out-of-print photography books. Direct competitor to Setanta Books for collector-focused online sales of photography monographs.
• Steidl: German photography and art book publisher producing high-end monographs for major photographers globally. Comparable in scale of photography book publishing and collector-focused editions.
• Idea Books: Amsterdam-based distributor and retailer of independent art and photography publishers. Direct comparable as a specialty photography book seller serving international collectors and institutions.
• Mack Books: UK-based independent photography book publisher producing limited editions, monographs, and art books. Highly comparable in that Mack is both a publisher and a bookseller targeting photography collectors, similar to Setanta's dual model.
• Aperture Foundation: Iconic nonprofit photography publisher and bookseller producing monographs, limited editions, and prints. Comparable to Setanta in publishing photography books and selling them directly to enthusiasts and collectors.
• Editions Xavier Barral (Atelier EXB): French photography and art book publisher producing exhibition catalogs and high-quality art books. Direct comparable in photography publishing and a current Setanta distribution partner.
• Nazraeli Press: US-based fine art photography book publisher known for limited editions, One Picture Books, and the NZ Library series. Direct peer in the curated photography book niche, and an existing distribution partner of Setanta Books.
• Dashwood Books: NYC-based independent bookstore and publisher specializing in photography, art, and contemporary culture titles. Direct peer in the boutique photography book retail and publishing space.

Broad incumbents

• Phaidon: Large global publisher of art, photography, design, and visual culture books. Broad incumbent whose photography list overlaps Setanta's curated catalog and competes for the same collector customers.

Emerging players

• Loose Joints: Independent photography book publisher producing limited-edition monographs for emerging and established photographers. Comparable to Setanta's own-publishing arm in audience, format, and limited-edition approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/setantabooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/setantabooks
• Instagraminstagram.com/setantabooks
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/setantabooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/setanta-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Setanta Books