La silueta

What La silueta does

La silueta is an independent Colombian publisher headquartered in Bogotá that specializes in art books, graphic novels, photography books, and cultural publications, primarily in Spanish for the Latin American market. Its catalog of 40+ titles features collaborations with named creators such as Powerpaola (graphic novels) and Timothy Prus via the Archive of Modern Conflict (photography/archival content), as well as work tied to Systema Solar, indicating a positioning at the intersection of contemporary Latin American graphic narrative and international art/photography publishing. The company operates its own print shop, "La Jefa," in the Santa Teresita neighborhood of Bogotá, using vintage 1970s printing equipment to produce small runs in-house rather than depending on third-party printers.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, with sales conducted through the company's online shop at lasilueta.com/shop and through cultural distribution channels such as the FILBO (Feria Internacional del Libro de Bogotá) book fair. Per-unit pricing ranges from COP 5,000 to COP 120,000 (approximately USD 1.25 to 30), reflecting low-margin, high-curation economics typical of independent art publishers rather than mass-market book retail. Institutional partnerships — including the British Council (international cultural cooperation), IDARTES (Bogotá District Institute of the Arts), CEDODAL, Polen Records, and Fundación Equilibrio — provide grant funding, content collaboration, and distribution/recognition, but the company does not appear to derive significant enterprise or B2B contract revenue from these relationships.

La silueta is founder-owned and privately held, with no disclosed outside funding. The combination of in-house production, a curated editorial brand, institutional cultural-sector partnerships, and a niche D2C customer base positions the company as a culturally significant but commercially small independent press within the Colombian and Latin American publishing ecosystem. Data on financial scale is limited; headcount signals are inconsistent with the catalog size described, and revenue is not disclosed, making any quantitative assessment inherently uncertain.

Name

La silueta

Legal name

La Silueta

Website

https://lasilueta.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

La silueta is an independent Bogotá-based publisher specializing in art books, graphic novels, and photography publications, operating an in-house print shop ("La Jefa") and serving cultural consumers in Latin America through direct-to-consumer sales and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult/Seinen/Josei Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Independent art publishing
• Limited edition books
• Graphic novels
• Photography books
• Letterpress printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book and Publication Sales: La silueta generates revenue through the direct sale of published books and artistic publications via their e-commerce platform and through distribution partners. Products include art books, graphic novels, photo books, limited edition prints, and music releases. Pricing ranges from $5,000 to $120,000 COP depending on the publication.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

La silueta is an independent Colombian art publisher based in Bogotá that designs, edits, and self-prints a catalog of art books, graphic novels, photography collections, and limited-edition publications through its in-house print shop "La Jefa." Its commercial activity centers on selling these self-produced printed editions to readers, collectors, and cultural institutions.

Product overview

La Silueta (La Silueta Ediciones) is an independent Colombian publishing house specializing in artist books, graphic novels, photography collections, and limited-edition art publications. Their portfolio includes the Tienda (Shop) as the primary e-commerce platform, alongside distinct sub-brands such as the Espantopedia collection of Colombian mythological legends (El Silbón, El Mohán, La Llorona, La Madremonte, Karagabí), the Virus Tropical graphic novel trilogy by Powerpaola, photography monographs (The Cow and the Orchid, Los Silva, Nereo López), interactive books (Doble Faz, Alfabeto Imaginario), music releases (Son Palenque, Systema Solar), and specialized art publications documenting Colombian visual culture. The company operates their own print shop called 'La Jefa' and sells publications through their online store with PayU Latam payment integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Jefa: Printing press operated by La Silueta, located in Santa Teresita neighborhood of Bogotá, used for printing La Silueta publications
• F:otoTK
• Espantopedia
• Tierra de indios

Products and services

• Art books Editorially curated, self-published art books produced in limited print runs at the in-house print shop "La Jefa"; sold to individual readers, collectors, and cultural institutions.
• Graphic novels Self-published graphic novels by Colombian and Latin American artists, printed in limited editions at La Jefa and sold directly to readers through the publisher's online store and book fairs.
• Photography collections Limited-edition photography collections and artist books produced and printed in-house, targeted at photography enthusiasts and cultural institutions.
• Limited-edition art publications Numerically limited, collectible art publications and special editions produced in small batches at the in-house print shop, sold as premium collector items.
• Print shop services "La Jefa" Analog and letterpress printing services operated by the in-house print shop "La Jefa," supporting the publisher's own editions and offering capacity for fine-press print production.

Named customers4 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archives of Modern ConflictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-edition partner for 'Los Silva' (photographic work of Jorge Silva) and 'The Cow and the Orchid' publications. The partnership involves curation and production of photography books documenting Colombian visual heritage.
• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-edition partner for the 'Los Silva' project, contributing to the documentation and publication of Jorge Silva's photographic work in collaboration with Archives of Modern Conflict.
• Polen RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusic label partner for co-edition of Systema Solar's 'Rumbo a Tierra' album. Polen Records handles Latin America distribution for this and other artists.
• IDARTES (Instituto Distrital de las Artes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-edition partner for 'Creación, pedagogía y contexto' publication resulting from the 'Investigaciones Emergentes' program. Also sponsored the 'Los Silva' exhibition as winner of Red Galería Santa Fe 2017.
• ladiligencialibros.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal online bookstore that sells La silueta publications, providing additional distribution channel for their catalog.
• Mini Mal restaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant partner for the 'Selva de papel' initiative, combining interest in Colombian fauna conservation with paper architecture.
• Fundación EquilibriominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation foundation collaborating on the 'Selva de papel' paper architecture project featuring Colombian fauna.
• CEDODAL (Centro de Documentación de Arte Latinoamericano)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-edition partner for 'Rómulo Rozo, tallando la patria' publication with support from Fundación Arte Vivo Otero Herrera.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• La Diligencia Libros: Colombian independent bookstore and distribution partner that already sells La silueta publications. Others: distribution channel partner/adjacent retailer rather than direct publisher competitor.

Direct peers

• Editorial RM (RM Verlag): Mexico-based independent publisher specializing in high-quality art, photography, and documentary books on Latin American culture. Direct peer: comparable niche, similar artisanal editorial philosophy, and overlapping photographer/artist roster.
• Tragaluz Editores: Colombian independent publisher of photography, art, and visual-culture books. Direct peer: same country, same artisanal photography-book positioning, and shared artist community.
• RM Verlag / Editorial RM (Europe arm): German/Spanish imprint of Editorial RM dedicated to high-end photo and art books. Direct peer: same editorial DNA, same standard for photobook production quality.
• Almadía: Independent Mexican publisher of art books, illustration, and graphic novels (including work by Latin American authors). Direct peer: closely aligned in editorial craft and graphic-novel publishing model.
• Ediciones Larva: Colombian independent publisher focused on graphic novels, illustration, and independent comics (e.g., Powerpaola). Direct peer: shares artist base and graphic-novel focus within Colombia.

Broad incumbents

• Editorial Norma: One of Colombia's largest publishers, with a graphic-novel catalog including Powerpaola titles. Broad incumbent: overlaps in Colombian graphic-novel space but at much larger scale and broader subject coverage.

Emerging players

• Errata Naturae Editores: Independent Spanish publisher of illustrated, art, and literary books with a strong identity-driven catalog. Emerging player: similar curation ethos and design-led publishing, but Iberian rather than Latin American market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-silueta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 La silueta