Editions Les 400 coups

What Editions Les 400 coups does

Éditions Les 400 coups is a privately held, independent children's book publisher headquartered in Montréal, Québec, founded in 1995. The company publishes French-language illustrated books for readers aged 0 to 17, including picture books, comics, documentaries, and poetry, organized into themed collections such as Les grandes voix, Carré blanc, Grimace, 400 coups, Hop là!, Mes premiers coups, and Mémoire d'images. The catalog exceeds 100 titles with deep thematic coverage (e.g., 43+ titles on the theme of friendship), and titles are produced in print (hardcover, paperback, board book), digital (EPUB, PDF), and audio formats. The publisher has earned multiple prestigious awards, including Governor General's Literary Awards, the 2022 Prix TD, and the 2020 White Ravens selection.

The business model is a traditional book-publishing model: revenue is generated through one-time unit sales of print and digital editions via established retail booksellers (Archambault, Chapters/Indigo, Renaud-Bray, FNAC, Payot, Librel, Leslibraires) across Canada, France, Belgium, and Switzerland, supplemented by foreign rights licensing and international co-edition royalties (Chinese simplified editions, European editions via Le Père Castor, Dutch/Flamand editions). Pricing is per-unit, with standard picture books at approximately $18.95 CAD / €13.50 and digital/audio editions priced lower. The publisher is supported by government cultural funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, and the Government of Canada. Its core technology footprint is minimal: a content-rich website with searchable thematic catalog, a Cyberimpact-powered newsletter subscription, and downloadable foreign rights catalog PDF. The company operates with 1-10 employees, suggesting a lean editorial and operations team consistent with a small independent literary house.

Name

Editions Les 400 coups

Legal name

Éditions Les 400 coups

Website

https://editions400coups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Éditions Les 400 coups is an independent Montréal-based publisher of French-language illustrated children's books (ages 0-17), distributed through major Canadian and European retailers with international rights licensing and sustained government cultural funding support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Children’s Reference & Informational Series Publishing (MPAJAFAN)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Illustrated picture books
• French youth literature
• Foreign rights licensing
• Board books

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal-nord

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Print book sales: Sale of physical illustrated children's books through retail booksellers and direct-store-distribution across Canada, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and international markets. Revenue generated through wholesale and retail pricing to end consumers.
2. Digital format sales: Sale of EPUB and PDF digital editions of titles, priced lower than print. Example: 'Sven le terrible Pas de chevaliers pour les pirates!' EPUB at $10.99 / €7.99. Available for select titles.
3. Audio book sales: Sale of audio versions of select titles, narrated by voice actors. Example: 'Sven le terrible Pas de chevaliers pour les pirates!' audio narrated by Pierre Lebeau at $5.99 / €3.99. Audio versions also produced for seasonal series titles.
4. International rights licensing: Licensing of foreign translation rights to international publishers. Evidence: 'Collation d'hiver' Chinese simplified rights licensed. Foreign rights catalog available for download. International co-editions noted for 'Si le monde était...' (published in Europe by Le Père Castor).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Éditions Les 400 coups is a Quebec-based independent publisher of French-language illustrated children's books for readers aged 0–17. The company produces picture books, comics, documentaries, and poetry in print (hardcover, paperback, board book / tout-carton), digital (EPUB, PDF), and audio formats, organized into themed collections targeting different age groups. The publisher also licenses foreign translation rights to international publishers for co-editions in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Collection Les grandes voix: Literary collection featuring notable voices in children's literature
• Collection Carré blanc
• Collection Grimace
• Collection 400 coups
• Collection Hop là!
• Collection Mes premiers coups
• Collection Mémoire d'images

Products and services

• Où est mon museau? Picture book (32 pages, 21x21 cm, hardcover) featuring an interactive absurd humor story about a dog searching for its nose. Targeted at young children, part of the Collection 400 coups.
• Le Défi des 100 j'aime Picture book addressing sibling rivalry and social media 'likes' obsession. Written by Julie Champagne and illustrated by Audrey Malo. Targeted at children, part of the Collection Grimace.
• Panique au potager Picture book about vegetables conspiring to frighten away new urban owners who bought a farm. Written by Jean-Baptiste Drouot and illustrated by Maud Legrand. Targeted at young readers.
• Histoires brèves Picture book in tout-carton (board book) format featuring twelve absurd short stories with animal characters in comedic sketches. Written and illustrated by Silvia Borando. Targeted at young children.
• Ma journée d'école Picture book adventure story about a school day. Part of the Collection Grimace. Written and illustrated by Sylvain Bouton. Targeted at young readers, featuring themes of school, family, and absurd humor.
• Le Prouteur rayé Upcoming picture book about science. Written by Anne Leblanc, illustrated by Marianne Paquet, with Orbie. Part of the Collection 400 coups. Targeted at young readers.
• Les Apparences sont (souvent) trompettes Upcoming picture book about appearances, games, surprise, and birthdays. Written and illustrated by Élodie Duhameau. Part of the Collection 400 coups. Targeted at young readers.
• Si je te donnais la moitié de ma pomme... Upcoming picture book about sharing an apple between an elephant and a squirrel. Written by Silvia Borando, translated by Rachel Martinez. Part of the Collection Grimace. Targeted at young readers.
• Le Tigre de Val-Morin Upcoming picture book adventure story about a tiger. Written by Agathe Bray-Bourret. Part of the Collection 400 coups. Targeted at young readers.
• Digital editions (EPUB and PDF) Digital EPUB and PDF editions of select picture book titles, sold through the publisher's website and via retailer links. Priced lower than print editions and targeted at consumers who prefer digital reading.
• Audio book editions Audio book editions of select titles, narrated by voice actors such as Pierre Lebeau. Sold through the publisher's website and retail channels. Targeted at families and children who prefer audio listening.
• Foreign rights catalog and translation licensing Licensing of foreign translation and co-edition rights to international publishers. A downloadable foreign rights catalog (PDF) is available. Enables production of localized editions in multiple languages including Chinese, English, Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Dutch, and Greek.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Governor General's Award wins and nominations across juvenile fiction and illustration categories, including 'Le voleur de sandwichs' (2015, graphic novel), 'La petite rapporteuse de mots' (2007, illustration), 'Riquet à la houppe' (2000, juvenile literature), and 'Les Voleurs de mémoire' (2013, juvenile).
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Le Père Castor (France)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLe Père Castor is a French publisher that produces the European edition of 'Si le monde était...' by Joseph Coelho. This is a co-edition/distribution partnership for the European market.
• Chinese simplified co-edition publishersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese simplified editions of 'Collation d'hiver' and 'Lion dans le livre' have been produced through international co-edition agreements, with rights licensed to Chinese publishers for the China mainland market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Pastèque: Montreal-based independent publisher specializing in illustrated children's books, comics, and graphic novels. Closely comparable in editorial approach and regional focus on Quebec French-language illustrated literature.
• Dominique et compagnie: Major Quebec-based French-language children's book publisher with a broad illustrated catalog across age groups. Most direct competitor to Éditions Les 400 coups in the Quebec francophone picture book and chapter book market.
• Les Éditions Les Malins: Quebec-based independent publisher with strong children's and young adult illustrated catalog. Comparable in size, indie status, French-language scope, and target audience of children and families.
• Crackboom! Books: Quebec-based children's book publisher producing illustrated picture books in French (and English). Directly comparable in target audience, format mix, and regional focus.
• Québec Amérique: Quebec publisher with a substantial children's and young adult imprint (including albums and illustrated titles). Comparable in geographic base, French-language focus, and multi-genre catalog spanning children's through adult.
• Bouton d'or Acadie: Acadian/Quebec French-language children's publisher producing picture books and illustrated albums. Comparable in French-language regional focus and illustrated children's catalog.
• Comme des Géants: Montreal-based children's book publisher focused on French-language illustrated picture books for young readers. Highly comparable in catalog scope, regional base, and target age segments.
• Fonfon: Quebec independent children's book publisher with illustrated albums for young readers. Comparable in size, French-language focus, and illustrated picture book specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Père Castor (Flammarion Jeunesse): Historic French children's picture book imprint under Flammarion with broad illustrated catalog and international reach. Comparable in format and target audience; larger scale and broader catalog scope.
• Scholastic Canada: Major children's book publisher with bilingual (English/French) catalog and extensive retail distribution in Canada. Comparable in audience and catalog depth but operates at much larger scale and broader genre mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/editions-les-400-coups

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 Editions Les 400 coups