Potton & Burton

Potton & Burton is an independent book publishing company based in Nelson, New Zealand. The business began in 1987 as Craig Potton Publishing, established by photographer and conservationist Craig Potton to publish books featuring his photography. Its origins gave the company a strong connection to New Zealand’s landscapes, natural heritage, and environmental writing, although its publishing programme later expanded beyond photography into a broader range of nonfiction subjects focused on New Zealand. The company’s catalogue has included illustrated books, photographic works, books about conservation and the natural environment, regional and cultural nonfiction, and photographic calendars. Its publishing identity is closely associated with substantial visual presentation and locally focused content, particularly books that document New Zealand’s landscapes, places, history, people, and environmental issues. The business has also maintained a significant backlist of New Zealand titles, allowing older works to remain part of its continuing catalogue alongside newly published books. In March 2015, the company changed its name from Craig Potton Publishing to Potton & Burton. The new name acknowledged the long-standing contribution of Robbie Burton, who had served as publisher since 1990 and had been a co-owner for many years. The change reflected the company’s development from a publishing venture identified primarily with its founder’s photography into a partnership-led independent publishing house. In 2019, Potton & Burton outsourced sales and distribution to Bateman Books, based in Auckland. The arrangement changed how the company handled commercial distribution but did not end its publishing activity. Potton & Burton continued to develop and publish new books and calendars from its Nelson office while retaining and selling its established catalogue. The company remains an independent New Zealand publisher with a specialist focus on locally relevant nonfiction and visually led books.

Potton & Burton traces its origins to 1987, when New Zealand photographer and conservationist Craig Potton established a publishing business under the name Craig Potton Publishing. Potton initially created the company to publish books based on his own photography. This beginning shaped the house’s later identity: its publishing was closely connected to New Zealand’s landscapes, natural environment, and visual documentation of place. The company did not remain limited to books by its founder. Over time, it developed a wider nonfiction programme centred on New Zealand. Its output came to include photography books, illustrated works, environmental and conservation titles, books about regional and national subjects, and photographic calendars. The combination of locally focused editorial content and strong visual presentation became a defining characteristic of the company. It also built a continuing backlist of New Zealand books, allowing its catalogue to retain value beyond the launch period of individual titles. Robbie Burton joined the company’s publishing leadership in 1990 and served as publisher for many years. He also became a co-owner, making the business a long-term partnership rather than a company identified solely with Craig Potton. In March 2015, the business changed its name from Craig Potton Publishing to Potton & Burton. The renaming formally acknowledged Burton’s contribution and reflected the broader structure and identity of the publishing house. The company’s base remained in Nelson, a location consistent with its strong connection to New Zealand’s landscapes and conservation culture. Its subject range continued to concentrate on nonfiction about New Zealand, including books that combine documentary, photographic, cultural, and environmental perspectives. Photographic calendars formed another recurring part of its publishing programme. In 2019, Potton & Burton outsourced sales and distribution to Bateman Books in Auckland. This was an operational change rather than a closure or sale of the publishing business. The company continued to publish new books and calendars from its Nelson office and maintained its established backlist. The distribution arrangement enabled the publisher to separate its editorial and publishing activity from the logistics of getting books to market. Potton & Burton is therefore best understood as an independent New Zealand publishing house with roots in photography and conservation. Its development has involved three principal stages: the creation of Craig Potton Publishing in 1987, the incorporation of Robbie Burton’s long-standing publishing role into the brand name in 2015, and the outsourcing of sales and distribution in 2019 while retaining publishing operations in Nelson. The available reference material does not identify a later acquisition, public listing, or change of ownership, so its current corporate ownership structure is not specified here.

• 2019

  Sales and distribution outsourced

  [1]Potton & Burtonen.wikipedia.org

  Potton & Burton outsourced sales and distribution to Bateman Books in Auckland while retaining publishing operations in Nelson.

• 2015

  Company renamed Potton & Burton

  [1]Potton & Burtonen.wikipedia.org

  The company changed its name from Craig Potton Publishing to Potton & Burton in March, recognising Robbie Burton’s long-standing role in the business.

• 1990

  Robbie Burton becomes publisher

  [1]Potton & Burtonen.wikipedia.org

  Robbie Burton began serving as the company’s publisher and later became a co-owner.

• 1987

  Craig Potton Publishing established

  [1]Potton & Burtonen.wikipedia.org

  Craig Potton founded the business to publish books featuring his photography, creating the publishing house that later became Potton & Burton.

An independent New Zealand publisher specialising in locally focused nonfiction, photography, conservation, environmental subjects, and visually rich books about the country.

• Book publishing

  New Zealand nonfiction

  Potton & Burton publishes nonfiction focused on New Zealand. The programme covers subjects connected with the country’s places, people, culture, landscapes, history, and natural environment. These locally focused titles form the core of the company’s identity as an independent New Zealand publisher.

• Illustrated books · 1987

  Photography books

  Photography is central to the company’s origins and remains an important part of its publishing profile. The category includes visually led books documenting New Zealand landscapes and other subjects, continuing the tradition established when Craig Potton founded the business to publish his own photographic work.

• Environmental nonfiction

  Conservation and environmental books

  The publisher’s catalogue includes books addressing conservation and the natural environment. These works align with Craig Potton’s background as a conservationist and with the company’s broader interest in documenting and interpreting New Zealand’s natural heritage.

• Calendars

  Photographic calendars

  Photographic calendars are a recurring product line alongside the company’s books. They extend the publisher’s emphasis on New Zealand imagery into a periodically updated format and have remained part of the publishing output following the 2015 rebrand.

• 2019

  Outsourcing of sales and distributionStrategy

  Background

  Potton & Burton continued to publish books and calendars from Nelson but changed its approach to commercial fulfilment and market distribution.

  Action taken

  The company outsourced sales and distribution to Bateman Books in Auckland.

  Aftermath

  Potton & Burton retained its Nelson publishing office, continued issuing new titles and calendars, and maintained its New Zealand backlist.

  Source

• 2015

  Rebrand from Craig Potton Publishing to Potton & BurtonStrategy

  Background

  The original name primarily identified the company with founder Craig Potton, although Robbie Burton had served as publisher since 1990 and had been a co-owner for many years.

  Action taken

  The company changed its name to Potton & Burton in March 2015.

  Aftermath

  The new name presented the business as a partnership and continued the company’s independent publishing programme under a broader identity.

  Source

1. 1Potton & Burtonen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Potton & Burton official websitepottonandburton.co.nz