What Éditions du Faubourg does

Éditions du Faubourg is an independent French publishing house headquartered at 42 rue Planchat in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, founded by Sophie Caillat in 2019-2020. Operating under the tagline 'la petite maison des grandes causes' (the small house of big causes), it publishes a curated catalog of essays, novels, graphic novels, and pocket editions focused on contemporary social, political, environmental, and cultural issues — including platform-economy regulation, overtourism, neurodivergence, African history, and cultural exclusion. The catalog is organized into the Essais et documents, Poche, Dialogue, and Bandes dessinées collections, and includes both original French works and French translations of significant international titles such as Zeinab Badawi's 'Une histoire africaine de l'Afrique'.

The company's revenue model combines physical book sales (priced €10-€21) through bookstore retail and direct online orders, with direct digital sales of ePub and .mobi editions priced at more than half the physical price. Distribution to bookstores is handled by Harmonia Mundi Livre under a partnership established in January 2020, while direct-to-consumer sales, including the digital platform with online reading capability, are run through the publisher's own website. Major projects are supported by Ulule crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., funding author visits and pre-release offerings for the Badawi title), and the publisher supplements sales with author events, book launches, media appearances, and co-publishing partnerships (Fondation Jean-Jaurès, Festival des Idées). The team is small (~10 employees, including the founder and named collaborators Clémentine, Kézia, and Julia), the company is privately held with no disclosed external investment, and the operating geography is primarily France with selected international rights expansion on flagship titles.

Name

Éditions du Faubourg

Legal name

Éditions du Faubourg

Website

https://editionsdufaubourg.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Éditions du Faubourg is an independent Paris-based French publishing house founded by Sophie Caillat in 2019-2020, publishing essays, graphic novels, novels, and pocket editions on contemporary social, political, and environmental issues for engaged general readers in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book 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 industries

Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE), Digital Publishing Creation & Formatting Tools (EPUB, conversion, layout) (MPAJAMAG)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• Literary essays
• Graphic novels publishing
• Documentary publishing
• Socially engaged nonfiction

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed books through bookstores and direct online orders with delivery
2. Digital Book Sales: Direct sale of e-books in ePub and .mobi formats through the publisher's website at reduced prices (more than half the price of physical editions)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Éditions du Faubourg is an independent Parisian publishing house that produces and sells socially-engaged books — essays, documentaries, novels, graphic novels, and pocket editions — in physical and digital formats. Books are priced at €10–21 in print and are also sold digitally (ePub/.mobi) directly via its website at reduced prices, with retail distribution handled by Harmonia Mundi.

Product overview

Éditions du Faubourg is an independent, committed publishing house based in Paris (42 rue Planchat 75020 Paris), founded by Sophie Caillat. The company publishes a portfolio of books including novels, essays, graphic novels, and pocket editions. Their core products include titles such as 'Une histoire africaine de l'Afrique' (a landmark book on African history from African perspectives), 'Trop beau' (a satirical novel), 'Désubériser, reprendre le contrôle' (an essay on the platform economy), 'Hypertourisme' (on overtourism), and 'Mes labyrinthes' (on neurodivergence). The company operates collections including Essais et documents (essays and documents), Poche (pocket editions), Dialogue, and Bandes dessinées (graphic novels). Books are available in both physical and digital formats (ePub and .mobi), sold directly through their website and distributed via Harmonia Mundi. Their distribution is handled by Harmonia Mundi Livre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trop beau A satirical novel by Emmanuelle Heidsieck exploring discrimination based on physical appearance and the excesses of victimhood culture in contemporary society, for general readers.
• Une histoire africaine de l'Afrique Comprehensive African history from African perspectives by Zeinab Badawi, covering the continent from the dawn of humanity to the independences. For general educated readers.
• Souffrance en milieu engagé Investigative book by Pascale-Dominique Russo examining workplace suffering in social economy and solidarity enterprises. For readers of social and labor nonfiction.
• Déubéirser, reprendre le contrôle Collective essay analyzing the platform economy (Uber, Deliveroo, etc.) and proposing solutions for a new social contract in the digital age. For readers interested in work, platforms, and economic policy.
• Mes labyrinthes Autobiographical essay by Florian Forestier exploring his experience of autism and neurodivergence as a sensitive exploration of difference. For general readers.
• Hypertourisme Geographer Rémy Knafou's analysis of overtourism as a global phenomenon, examining its profound effects on societies, territories, and the environment. For readers interested in geography and tourism.
• Le Silence du juju (nouvelle édition) Diane Morel & Armandine Penna's book recounting a Nigerian woman's journey from prostitution to emancipation. For readers of social and human-interest nonfiction.
• Venir après Danièle Laufer's book collecting testimonies from children of Holocaust survivors about how the trauma of deportation affected the second generation. For readers interested in history and testimony.
• Loi Duplomb, le débat confisqué Philippe Grandcolas's book examining false information on health and environment related to the Duplomb law. For readers of environmental and public-policy nonfiction.
• Pisser dans les cours d'eau Serge Hastom's collection of independent reportages. For readers of travel, reportage, and journalistic nonfiction.
• À quoi rêvons-nous ? Julien Vidal's book arguing that the ecological and social crisis is a crisis of the dream, proposing paths to desire a better future. For readers of social/ecological transformation.
• Voyage au pays des ultrariches Tomek Heydinger and Aymeric Mantoux's investigation into the discreet but lucrative tax niches behind the passions of the ultra-rich in France. For readers of economics and investigative reporting.
• Des idées pour faire tomber les murs Collective book from the Festival des Idées presenting concrete utopias and proposals for democratic, social, and ecological transitions. For engaged readers.
• Digital book editions (ePub and .mobi) Digital versions of Éditions du Faubourg titles sold directly through the publisher's website in ePub (tablets) and .mobi (Kindle) formats, with single-page online reading; priced at more than half the price of physical editions. For individual digital readers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Best-seller status in UK with 100,000+ copies sold for 'An African History of Africa'
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harmonia MundicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Harmonia Mundi Livre handles the diffusion and distribution of Éditions du Faubourg books to bookstores. They have two representative teams and a new sales director, Julie Giunti. Éditions du Faubourg joined as new arrivals in the January 2020 season.
• UlulecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrowdfunding platform used for major publishing projects. Launched a campaign for Zeinab Badawi's 'An African History of Africa' to fund author visits to France and provide exclusive pre-release offerings.
• Festival des IdéesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Festival des Idées for the book 'Des idées pour faire tomber les murs'. The festival inspired and contributed to the book's creation.
• Fondation Jean-JaurèsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing partnership with the Jean-Jaurès Foundation for certain titles like Victorien Bornéat's 'L'Exclusion culturelle'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Éditions Rue de l'Échiquier: Small independent French publisher focused on ecological transition, social innovation, and engaged nonfiction. Directly comparable mission, scale, and reader profile to Éditions du Faubourg.
• La Fabrique Éditions: Independent French publisher of critical essays, political theory, and engaged nonfiction with strong documentary bent. Highly comparable editorial identity and target reader.
• La Découverte: Independent French publisher specializing in social sciences, essays, and critical nonfiction. Closely comparable to Éditions du Faubourg in mission, format mix (essais/documents), and politically engaged editorial line, though larger and longer-established.
• Éditions Allia: Small independent French publisher of short-form essays, political texts, and documentary reissues. Comparable small-team scale and politically engaged catalog.
• Lux Éditeur: Québécois/Francophone publisher of politically engaged essays and social critique. Highly comparable editorial mission around independent perspectives on contemporary issues, though primarily Canadian distribution.
• Le Passager Clandestin: Independent French publisher of engaged nonfiction on social, ecological, and political themes. Similar catalog scope, distribution approach, and grassroots author-event-driven marketing model.
• Les Liens qui Libèrent: Independent French publisher focused on social, ecological, and political nonfiction with strong documentary and essay catalog. Directly comparable in size, mission, and the engagement-driven editorial positioning.
• Anamosa: Small independent French publisher of literary essays, reissues, and documentary nonfiction. Comparable scale and curatorial approach to socially engaged titles.

Broad incumbents

• Éditions du Seuil: Major French general-interest publisher with significant essay, documentary, and graphic novel programs. Provides incumbent scale benchmark and competes for the same engaged nonfiction authors.
• Actes Sud: Established independent French publisher with a catalog spanning literary fiction, essays, and graphic novels. Comparable genre breadth (essais, BD, novels) but materially larger scale and longer catalog history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%C3%A9ditions-du-faubourg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Éditions du Faubourg