The word and the rest

What The word and the rest does

Le mot et le reste is an independent French publishing house (SARL) based in Marseille, founded in 1996, that specializes in books on music, literature, social criticism, and visual arts. The catalog is organized across five verticals — Musiques (rock, jazz, electronic, world music, hip-hop, and artist biographies), Littératures (fiction and nonfiction), Critiques sociales (cultural and societal analysis), Arts visuels (visual arts), and Carte Blanche (author-driven creative freedom) — and includes both original titles and curated reissues, evidenced by a 2026 slate of at least four new releases alongside updates to cornerstone music books. The publisher generates revenue through one-time book sales priced between €19.00 and €28.00, distributed via direct e-commerce on its own website and through third-party bookstores and libraries; the company additionally maintains a Foreign Rights page, signaling limited international licensing activity.

Operationally, the company is run with a minimal team led by Directeur des éditions Yves Jolivet, with website development and hosting outsourced to William Dodé (Flibuste.net on Hetzner). Corporate structure is a closely-held SARL with €1,000 share capital, registered as SIRET 507 941 656 00021 at 109 boulevard de la Libération, 13001 Marseille; no external investment, parent company, or M&A activity is disclosed. Marketing relies on the website, a Facebook events page, an email newsletter, and significant earned-media coverage in French cultural press (Rolling Stone, France Musique, RTL, Le Monde, L'Humanité). The catalog has produced literary recognition, including the 2017 Prix du Festival du premier roman de Chambéry and Prix Québec-France Marie-Claire-Blais for Catherine Gucher's 'Transcolorado', and 2026 shortlistings for 'Rose, Marie & Dalida' at the Prix Hors Concours and Prix Louis-Guilloux.

Name

The word and the rest

Legal name

Le mot et le reste SARL

Website

https://lemotetlereste.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le mot et le reste is a Marseille-based independent French publishing house producing books on music, literature, social criticism, and visual arts, distributing through its own website, bookstores, and libraries across a 30+ title catalog priced €19–€28.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE), Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• Music criticism books
• Literary fiction publishing
• Cultural nonfiction publishing
• French publishing house

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: The publisher generates revenue through the sale of published books across music, literature, social criticism, and visual arts categories. Books are sold directly via its website and distributed through bookstores and libraries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Le mot et le reste is an independent French publishing house based in Marseille that publishes and sells books across five thematic collections: music books (Musiques), literature (Littératures), social criticism (Critiques sociales), visual arts (Arts visuels), and an author-driven Carte Blanche series. The publisher produces over 30 titles spanning music history, rock and pop culture, jazz, electronic music, literary fiction, and cultural nonfiction, distributed directly via its own e-commerce website and through bookstores and libraries in the French market.

Product overview

Le mot et le reste is a French independent publishing house based in Marseille that produces a diverse catalog of books across five main categories: Musiques (music books covering rock, jazz, electronic music, and artist biographies), Littératures (literary fiction and non-fiction), Critiques sociales (social criticism and cultural analysis), Arts visuels (visual arts), and Carte Blanche (author-driven creative works). The publishing house operates as a single unified publishing platform with multiple thematic collections, distributing through bookstores and libraries, and managing rights for authors including foreign rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Musiques (Music Books Collection) A catalog of music books covering rock, pop, jazz, electronic music, hip-hop, and musical history, with titles including artist biographies, music criticism, and cultural studies aimed at music enthusiasts and culture readers.
• Littératures (Literature Books Collection) Literary fiction and non-fiction works published by the house, including novels and social commentary, featuring authors such as Catherine Gucher and Stéphane Chamak.
• Critiques sociales (Social Criticism Collection) Books examining social issues, cultural criticism, and societal analysis for readers interested in cultural history and social commentary.
• Arts visuels (Visual Arts Collection) Books dedicated to visual arts, artistic movements, and visual culture aimed at art-interested readers.
• Carte Blanche Series A publication series offering authors creative freedom to explore topics of their choosing, distinct from the publisher's thematic collections.
• Rose, Marie & Dalida Novel by Catherine Gucher published on 2026-01-23, ISBN 9782384317622, 240 pages, priced at €21.00. Selected for Prix Hors Concours 2026 and Prix Louis-Guilloux 2026.
• Les Années bloghouse Book by Maxime Delcourt published in 2026, ISBN 9782384318179, 256 pages, priced at €22.00. Reportage, historical inquiry, and music criticism on the bloghouse movement from 2005 to 2011.
• Rock australien - Un continent en 100 disques Book by Emmanuel Chirache published on 2026-02-20, ISBN 9782384318070, 368 pages, priced at €26.00. A study of Australian rock music through 100 essential albums.
• Les Inrockuptibles - Du fanzine à la marque culturelle Book by Véronique Servat published in 2026, ISBN 9782384318278, 348 pages, priced at €28.00. History of Les Inrockuptibles magazine from 1984 to 2010.
• Bob Dylan - Modern Times Book by Yves Bigot published on 2025-01-24, ISBN 9782384315529, 304 pages. Analysis of Bob Dylan's cultural and literary inspirations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Catherine Gucher's 'Transcolorado' won the Prix du Festival du premier roman de Chambéry and the Prix Québec-France Marie-Claire-Blais
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Le Diable Vauvert: Independent French publisher of literary fiction, essays, and cultural nonfiction. Comparable profile as a small-to-mid independent house with overlapping readership.
• Éditions Verdier: Independent French publisher of literature, essays, and cultural criticism. Comparable in size, independent editorial stance, and breadth of literary and social nonfiction catalog.
• Éditions MF: Independent French publisher of literary fiction and essays. Comparable as a similarly-sized independent French house spanning literature and cultural criticism.
• Le Castor Astral: Bordeaux-based independent publisher with strong overlap in rock, music, and cultural essay titles. Closely comparable to Le mot et le reste on size, niche music-book focus, and independent editorial identity.
• Éditions Philippe Rey: Independent Parisian literary publisher with literary fiction and essays. Comparable profile to Le mot et le reste as a mid-sized independent publishing house pursuing both literary and cultural nonfiction.
• Anamosa Éditions: Independent French publisher of literature, essays, and cultural subjects. Comparable size and editorial focus on literary and cultural nonfiction.
• Éditions Allia: Small independent Parisian publisher of literary essays, philosophy, and cultural criticism. Comparable as a similarly-sized independent house focused on intellectually distinctive nonfiction.
• Éditions du Rouergue: Independent French publisher spanning literature, music, and culture. Comparable in size and category mix, with overlapping music and literary nonfiction titles.
• Naïve Éditions: Independent French publisher known for music-related titles, biographies, and cultural works. Strong direct overlap with Le mot et le reste's music-book focus.

Broad incumbents

• Actes Sud: Larger independent French publisher based in Arles with a broad catalog including music titles. Comparable as an independent French house spanning literature, music, and arts, though at materially greater scale than Le mot et le reste.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Le-mot-et-le-reste-157709614286431/events?ref=page_internal
• Xx.com/LeMotetleReste
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-mot-et-le-reste

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 The word and the rest