Hachette Distribution Inc history

1834 – George Philip and Son founded

HBG's long history dates back to 1837 with the founding of Little, Brown, and Company and it continues to evolve and grow today.

Louis Hachette soon realized the need for a partner in the business, and in 1840 Louis Breton filled this post.

1848 – Cassell founded by John Cassell

In 1851, Hachette returned from travels in England, where he had observed the parallel development of public transportation and public information technology.

He followed the example of English news agent W.H. Smith, and in 1852 began to establish a network of bookstores and newspaper stands in French railroad stations.

In 1859 his business expanded overseas, opening a foreign-language bookstore in London.

1868 – Hodder & Stoughton founded

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 slowed down the activities of the Librairie considerably, but the company’s recovery was as rapid as its decline had been.

His son George took over the bookselling license, but the Librairie continued to be managed by Louis Breton, until the latter’s death in 1883, and by a small group of partners who worked in close collaboration and sought rapid growth.

In 1900 Hachette opened the first newsstand in the Paris subway system.

However, this change did not seem to prevent the Librairie from further expansion, and in 1916, in the midst of war, the Librairie Hachette bought the company Pierre Lafitte, which included several newspapers, bestsellers, a bookshop, and a photographic studio.

Despite the reluctance of the employees and the fact that the company was essentially a family business, the Librairie became a société anonyme —a public company—in 1919.

1928 – Victor Gollancz founded

Grasset then merged rapidly with Fasquelle, in which Hachette had held a majority stake since 1931.

From 1932, Hachette began to secure exclusive distribution rights for other publishers and in particular for the prestigious N.R.F. Gallimard, for Fasquelle, which would soon become a subsidiary of the group.

1938 – Teach Yourself series published for the first time

Little by little, however, a passive resistance was organized so effectively that as early as 1944 the directors returned to the company.

1949 – Weidenfeld & Nicolson founded

The process was similar in the case of the Librairie Fayard, founded in 1955.

Hachette acquired an initial stake, which became a majority shareholding in 1958.

In 1963, the N.M.P.P. achieved sales of FFr l.5 billion, half the sales of Hachette.

1966 – Coronet Books founded

The break—made final in 1970—between Hachette and Gallimard, whereby Hachette lost the right to distribute Gallimard’s books, was a blow to business.

1971 – Octopus founded

In the newspaper and magazine publishing sector, Hachette acquired in 1976 the company Jean Prouvost, which owned most notably the weekly Tele 7 Jours, with the greatest circulation of any French newspaper or magazine, and Paris Match.

In 1977 Jean Marchandise decided to change the group’s name from the slightly old-fashioned Librairie Hachette to, simply, Hachette.

Since 1980, the beginning of the Lagardère era, Hachette has undergone a definite change of direction.

Lagardère began restructuring, making more than 400 employees redundant as early as June 1981.

As early as 1984, Hachette acquired the U.K. Seymour Press which, together with Cordon & Gotch, became Seymour International Press Distributor Ltd.

Since the takeover, in 1986, of one of France’s largest radio stations, Europe I, Lagardère has indicated clearly where his ambitions lie—in television.

The second, concerned the creation of the series Succés du Livre in 1987.

In 1988, in its expansion in the United States, Hachette launched a takeover bid for the publisher Grolier, one of the top-ten United States publishing companies specializing in encyclopedias and information publishing.

In 1989, out of total group sales of FFr29 billion, the book division accounted for FFr7 million, of which 50% was earned abroad.

As Jacques Sauvageot explained in Le Monde, December 10, 1990, “the real problem is that Hachette no longer presents to the powers that be the guarantees considered necessary.” Giscard d’Estaing’s government supported Matra, its principal arms supplier.

1991 – Orion Publishing Group founded

1993 – Hodder Headline formed by Headline’s acquisition of Hodder & Stoughton

1996 – Hachette Livre acquires Orion and Cassell

2001 – Hachette Livre acquires John Murray

2002 – Rising Stars founded

2004 – Quercus founded

2005 – Hachette Children’s Book formed through the merger of Hodder Children’s Books and Franklin Watts

TWBG is acquired by Hachette Livre and renamed Hachette Book Group USA (deal closes 3/31/2006).

2008 – Hachette Livre UK changes its name to Hachette UK

Reagan Arthur Books is created as a new editorial imprint of Little, Brown and Company, to begin publishing in the Fall 2009 season. (The imprint is retired when Reagan Arthur becomes publisher of Little, Brown and Company.)

HBG adopts the agency model of sales: As of April 1, 2010, all ebook titles published by HBG are sold directly to consumers by means of third party agents.

The imprint, later named Mulholland Books, begins publishing titles in the Spring of 2011.

2012 – Hachette UK acquires the Enid Blyton Estate

HBG purchases adult trade publishing imprint Hyperion from The Walt Disney Company (deal closed 7/16/2013).

HBG acquires publishing company Black Dog & Leventhal, which becomes an imprint under the Hachette Books division (deal closed 12/31/2014).

Little, Brown and Company announces the creation of a new imprint, Lee Boudreaux Books, which begins publishing in 2015.

HBG acquires The Perseus Books Group, which becomes the Perseus Books division (deal closed 4/1/2016). Perseus adds five main imprints: Avalon Travel, Basic Books, Da Capo Press, PublicAffairs, and Running Press, as well as offices in Berkeley, CA; Boulder, CO; and Philadelphia, PA.

HBG acquires a line of titles from Minnesota-based publisher Meadowbrook Press (deal closed 11/6/2017). The titles will be added to the backlist of HBG’s Da Capo Lifelong imprint.

HBG acquires Worthy Publishing, which becomes an imprint of Hachette Nashville (deal closed 9/17/2018). Worthy adds four sub-imprints: Ellie Claire Gifts, Museum of the Bible Books, Worthy Kids/Ideals, and Worthy Inspired.