The Black Library
The Black Library is the publishing division of Games Workshop, producing novels, audiobooks, and audio dramas based exclusively on the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes. It sells direct via blacklibrary.com and through Audible, Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo, serving Warhammer hobbyists and sci-fi/fantasy readers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Black Library does
The Black Library is the official fiction publishing division of Games Workshop, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Nottingham, England. It exclusively produces novels, novellas, short stories, audiobooks, and audio dramas set within Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar intellectual property universes, including major series such as The Horus Heresy, Dawn of Fire, Gaunt's Ghosts, Ciaphas Cain, Eisenhorn, Gotrek & Felix, and newer imprints Warhammer Crime and Warhammer Horror.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform at blacklibrary.com with shared account credentials and synchronized content libraries with warhammerdigital.com, complemented by native mobile applications (the Black Library Audio App on iOS and Android) and a proprietary multi-format publishing pipeline supporting ePub, ePub3, Mobi, and MP3 outputs. Distribution is global across third-party platforms including Audible, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo, with localized storefronts (French and German) and VAT-registered operations across major EU markets.
Monetization is primarily through one-time ebook and audiobook/audio drama purchases, supplemented by monthly promotional pricing (Audio of the Month), subscription bundles that deliver new instalments as zip files, and curated audio collections. The core customer base is fans of Games Workshop's Warhammer tabletop gaming universes seeking expanded canonical fiction, with a secondary audience of general dark science fiction and fantasy readers. The catalog draws on established authors such as Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, and Sandy Mitchell.
The Black Library firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Black Library
- Legal name
- Games Workshop Limited
- Website
- https://blacklibrary.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Black Library is the publishing division of Games Workshop, producing novels, audiobooks, and audio dramas based exclusively on the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes. It sells direct via blacklibrary.com and through Audible, Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo, serving Warhammer hobbyists and sci-fi/fantasy readers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Black Library industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiction Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)
Keywords
Where The Black Library is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Black Library business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Book Sales: Sale of ebooks in various formats (ePub, ePub3, Mobi) and audiobooks/audio dramas (MP3) directly through blacklibrary.com and via third-party platforms
- Promotional Pricing: Monthly promotional pricing for Audio of the Month titles at reduced prices during specific promotional periods
- Subscription Bundles: Pre-purchase subscriptions for eBook or audio drama selections provided as zip files updated with new instalments
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Audio of the Month promotional pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Black Library product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Black Library is a publishing division that produces and sells Warhammer-branded fiction across multiple digital and physical formats, including novels, novellas, short story anthologies, audiobooks, and audio dramas. It serves fans of the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes, licensing intellectual property from its parent company Games Workshop to release titles through its own web store and major third-party digital platforms.
Product overview
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop that publishes fiction based on the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform offering both digital and physical products across multiple formats including Quick Reads (digital-only short stories), Novellas, Novels, Audiobooks, Audio Dramas, and Enhanced Audio Editions (Apple-only ePub3 with embedded audio). Content is distributed through Black Library's own website and mobile app, as well as third-party platforms including Audible, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and Warhammer Digital. The product portfolio spans numerous intellectual property series including The Horus Heresy, Dawn of Fire, Gaunt's Ghosts, Ciaphas Cain, Eisenhorn, Gotrek & Felix, Space Marine Battles, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Warhammer Chronicles, Necromunda, Blackstone Fortress, Warhammer Horror, and Warhammer Crime, with dedicated audio drama collections and periodical publications like Hammer and Bolter.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Warhammer Novels and Novellas
Companies that use The Black Library
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Black Library technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature3 records
The Black Library partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Games WorkshopcoreBlack Library is a division of Games Workshop, the parent company that owns the Warhammer intellectual property. Black Library serves as the official publishing division for all Warhammer fiction content.
- AudiblecoreAudio distribution partner making Black Library audiobooks available on Audible platform
- Amazon KindlecoreEbook distribution partner making Black Library ebooks available in Mobi format through Kindle store
- Apple BookscoreEbook distribution partner making Black Library content available through Apple Books platform
- KobocoreEbook distribution partner making Black Library content available through Kobo platform
- Warhammer CommunitycoreCross-promotional marketing partner through the official Warhammer community website at warhammer-community.com
- Warhammer DigitalcoreShared platform partner where Black Library account login and content is integrated with warhammerdigital.com
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Black Library competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Solaris Books: Imprint of Rebellion Publishing (the publisher of 2000 AD) that publishes sci-fi/fantasy novels, including IP-based fiction from the 2000 AD universe. Direct comparable in combining licensed IP fiction with genre publishing.
- Aconyte Books: Publishing imprint of Asmodee that publishes fiction based on tabletop game IPs (Arkham Horror, Twilight Imperium, KeyForge). Highly comparable to Black Library as a publisher whose entire output is licensed tabletop-game fiction in digital formats.
- Titan Books: Publisher of genre fiction and entertainment tie-in novels (video games, film, TV). Overlaps with Black Library on game/genre IP-based fiction publishing for enthusiast audiences.
- Angry Robot Books: Independent sci-fi/fantasy genre publisher producing novels across digital and print formats. Comparable as a genre-focused fiction publisher relying on direct-to-consumer and digital marketplace distribution.
- Wizards of the Coast (D&D fiction line): Publishes novels and short fiction tied to Dungeons & Dragons tabletop IP, currently via Penguin Random House. Closest structural analog: tabletop-IP fiction for an enthusiast community, with decades of established series.
Broad incumbents
- Gollancz: Long-running UK-based sci-fi/fantasy imprint of Orion/Hachette. Comparable in publishing genre fiction for a global audience with strong author-driven catalog depth.
- Orbit Books: Hachette imprint specializing in science fiction and fantasy. Comparable as a genre-specialist trade publisher with deep series continuity and global digital distribution.
- Tor Books: Major sci-fi/fantasy imprint of Macmillan. Comparable as a dominant genre publisher; differs in scale, breadth of catalog, and lack of single-IP dependence.
- DAW Books: Long-established science fiction/fantasy publisher distributed by Penguin Random House. Comparable as a genre trade publisher with multi-decade catalog and series-driven publishing program.
- Baen Books: Independent sci-fi/fantasy publisher with strong enthusiast/loyal-fanbase distribution model and digital-first ethos. Comparable in genre focus and direct relationship with dedicated readership.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Black Library social profiles
Digital presenceThe Black Library financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Black Library leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Black Library funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Black Library 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 The Black Library
What does The Black Library do?
The Black Library is a publishing division that produces and sells Warhammer-branded fiction across multiple digital and physical formats, including novels, novellas, short story anthologies, audiobooks, and audio dramas. It serves fans of the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes, licensing intellectual property from its parent company Games Workshop to release titles through its own web store and major third-party digital platforms.
Is The Black Library a public or private company?
The Black Library is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Black Library founded?
The Black Library was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Black Library based?
The Black Library is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Black Library make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are promotional Pricing and subscription Bundles.
Who are The Black Library's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Solaris Books, Aconyte Books, Titan Books, Angry Robot Books and Wizards of the Coast (D&D fiction line). Broad incumbents are Gollancz, Orbit Books, Tor Books, DAW Books and Baen Books.
Does The Black Library have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Black Library.
What industry is The Black Library in?
The Black Library's product category is Fiction Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJAAAA, General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.