Hachette Book Group
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Predecessor | Time Warner Book Group |
| Founded | March 31, 2006 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Books, audiobooks, digital publications |
| Owner | Hachette Livre (Lagardère Group) |
| Parent | Hachette Livre |
Hachette Book Group, Inc. (HBG) operates as a publishing firm under the ownership of Hachette Livre, recognized as France's largest publisher and ranking third worldwide among trade and educational publishers. Lagardère Group wholly owns Hachette Livre. HBG came into existence following Hachette Livre's acquisition of the Time Warner Book Group on March 31, 2006. Its main office is located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
As one of the "big five" publishing houses, Hachette stands alongside Holtzbrinck/Macmillan, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. Each year, HBG publishes more than 1,400 titles for adults—including 50 to 100 digital-only releases—along with 300 children's books and 450 audiobooks available in both physical and digital formats. In 2017, the company had 167 books featured on the New York Times bestseller list, with 34 achieving the top position.
History
The foundation of what would become Hachette Book Group traces back to Little, Brown and Company, established in 1837 and later acquired by Time Inc. in 1968.
Warner Books originated when Warner Communications purchased Paperback Library in 1970. The company expanded its portfolio in 1982 by acquiring Popular Library from CBS Publications. By 1985, Warner Books had relaunched Popular Library and introduced the Questar imprint focused on science fiction titles. That same year, it acquired audiobook producer Network for Learning, which was rebranded as Warner Audio.
In 1989, the merger of Time and Warner created Time Warner. In 1992, Time Warner acquired Macdonald & Co., incorporating it into the Time Warner Book Group UK division. By 1996, several units combined to form Time Warner Trade Publishing, which later became AOL Time Warner Book Group. After an unsuccessful attempt to sell in 2003, Time Warner divested its Book Group to Lagardère in 2006, integrating it within Hachette Livre. Subsequently, Warner Books was renamed Grand Central Publishing and launched the literary imprint Twelve under Jonathan Karp, a former Random House editor-in-chief. In 2010, Hachette implemented an agency pricing system for its e-book offerings.
In April 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple, Hachette, and other leading publishers accusing them of colluding to fix e-book prices aimed at undermining Amazon's dominance. The case was resolved in 2013 with publishers contributing to a fund compensating affected consumers.
Hachette pursued growth through acquisitions: in June 2013, it purchased Hyperion Books from Disney Publishing Worldwide and rebranded it as Hachette Books in 2014 with Mauro DiPreta appointed as vice president and publisher. Later that year, in November, Hachette acquired nonfiction publisher Black Dog & Leventhal and incorporated it into Hachette Books.
Although a proposed acquisition of Perseus Books Group was announced in 2014 but subsequently abandoned, Hachette completed the purchase of Perseus’s publishing division in April 2016 while divesting Perseus’s distribution segment to Ingram. In addition, that year saw Hachette enter a joint venture with Kadokawa to establish Yen Press LLC.
In September 2018, Hachette expanded by acquiring Christian publisher Worthy Publishing. Later that year, organizational changes merged Worthy Publishing and FaithWords into the newly formed Hachette Nashville division; meanwhile, Hachette Books was realigned under Perseus Books alongside Da Capo Press imprints. This restructuring prompted several executive departures including Mauro DiPreta.
In June 2020, Hachette joined other major publishers in legal action against the Internet Archive over allegations of copyright violations related to free digital book collections.
This chronology illustrates Hachette’s deliberate expansion strategy through acquisitions and internal restructuring aimed at enhancing its global publishing footprint and competitive position.
Publishing divisions and imprints
Hachette Book Group manages a variety of publishing labels aimed at distinct audiences, each containing sub-imprints that cater to more specific reader segments.
Grand Central Publishing functions as a standalone division, previously known as Warner Books.
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Grand Central Publishing | General readership and best-selling titles |
| Forever | Romance genre |
| Forever Yours | Digital-exclusive publications |
| Grand Central Life & Style | Lifestyle and health-related content |
| Twelve | Literary fiction and nonfiction works |
| Vision | Mass market paperback editions |
Hachette Audio
Dedicated to producing audiobook versions and dramatized recordings derived from Hachette’s publishing lines.
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Hachette Audio | Primary audiobook brand |
| Hachette Audio Powered by Wattpad | Audiobook adaptations of Wattpad stories |
| Hachette Audio Podcasts | Original podcast productions |
Hachette Nashville
Incorporates imprints acquired from Warner Communications and Worthy Publishing, focusing predominantly on faith-oriented literature.
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Hachette Nashville | Christian-themed publications |
| Center Street | Conservative and military-related topics |
| FaithWords | Inspirational Christian books |
| Worthy | Christian best-sellers |
| WorthyKids/Ideals | Christian children’s literature |
Little, Brown and Company
An autonomous division established in 1837 and integrated into Hachette in 2006. It concentrates on fiction, nonfiction, and classic works.
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Little, Brown and Company | Fiction and nonfiction titles |
| Back Bay Books | Trade paperback releases |
| Mulholland Books | Mystery, suspense, and speculative fiction |
| Spark | Health and wellness publications |
| Voracious | Illustrated volumes |
| JIMMY Patterson | Children’s books authored by James Patterson |
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Picture books and youth nonfiction |
| LB Kids | Novelty items and licensed properties |
| Poppy | Fiction targeting young female readers |
Orbit Books
A division specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and mass market paperbacks; originally part of Little, Brown before becoming independent in 2006.
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Orbit | Science fiction and fantasy genres |
| Redhook | Mass market paperback editions |
Perseus Books Group
A distinct publishing unit within Hachette, founded in 1996 and incorporated into Hachette in 2016.
}Dormant imprints
Several imprints formerly acquired or merged into Hachette have since become inactive:
- Abacus
- Paperback Library (renamed Warner Paperback Library following Warner Communications’ acquisition in 1970; not part of Hachette acquisition)
- Questar Science Fiction
- Warner Aspect
- Reagan Arthur Books
- Jericho Books
- Business Plus
- Bulfinch Press (now integrated into Little, Brown & Company)
- 5 Spot
- Weinstein Books (closed in 2017 after sexual harassment allegations against founder Harvey Weinstein)
- ipicturebooks (acquired by Time Warner Trade Publishing)
See also
External links
| Imprint | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Perseus Books | Primary imprint |
| Avalon Travel | Travel guides and related literature |
| Basic Books | Nonfiction works |
| Da Capo Press | 'Pop culture' and wellness titles under Hachette Books |
| Hachette Books | 'General interest' nonfiction; formerly Hyperion Books |
| PublicAffairs | 'History, economics, and public policy' books |
| Running Press | 'Pop culture', inspirational works, and adult tie-ins |