The House of Books

What The House of Books does

The House of Books is a Dutch-Belgian publishing imprint founded in 2007, operating under Overamstel Uitgevers B.V. alongside sister imprints Lebowski, Moon, Carrera, Hollands Diep, Inside, and Horizon. The company publishes fiction and non-fiction for a broad Dutch and Belgian reading public, spanning historical novels, thrillers, romance, feelgood titles, and non-fiction — releasing both Dutch-language works and translations of international bestsellers by authors such as R.F. Kuang, Emily Henry, Anne Holt, S.A. Cosby, Bella Mackie, Saskia Noort, and Heleen van Royen. The imprint is headquartered in Amsterdam and maintains a Belgian sales office in Antwerp via Overamstel Uitgevers België nv, serving the Benelux market.

The business operates across three product formats: physical books (paperback and hardcover), e-books, and audiobooks. Distribution is routed through an extensive retail and digital partner network that includes bol.com, major Dutch bookstore chains (Athenaeum Scheltema, Bruna, Libris, Donner), and global digital platforms (Storytel, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Spotify, Luisterrijk). The publisher monetizes primarily through unit sales, with physical books representing approximately 75% of parent-group revenue, supplemented by e-book and audio sales, and rights/licensing income from adaptations such as the upcoming Netflix series based on Saskia Noort's De Eetclub (premiering September 10, 2026).

Standalone financials for The House of Books are not disclosed; the parent Overamstel Publishers reported €17.4 million in revenue and €1.3 million in adjusted EBITDA in 2025. On May 21, 2026, Storytel Group announced the acquisition of 100% of Overamstel Publishers in an all-cash transaction using existing liquidity, with the stated objective of strengthening Storytel's publishing footprint in the Benelux region. The imprint continues to operate under the existing Overamstel structure with 51–100 employees across the parent group, and its frontlist pipeline remains active with multiple 2026 releases.

Name

The House of Books

Legal name

Overamstel Uitgevers B.V.

Website

https://thehouseofbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The House of Books is a Dutch-Belgian publishing imprint under Overamstel Uitgevers that publishes fiction and non-fiction for general readers in the Netherlands and Belgium, distributed across physical bookstores, e-book platforms, and audiobook services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK), Biography, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAAAI)

Keywords

• Book publishing
• Fiction and non-fiction
• Dutch literature
• Audiobook distribution
• Literary imprint

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Physical): Revenue from physical book sales, which represent approximately 75% of Overamstel Publishers' revenue (based on parent company context).
2. Digital Book Sales (E-books and Audio): Revenue from e-book and audio book sales distributed through multiple digital platforms including bol.com, Storytel, Kobo, Google Play, and Apple Books.
3. Rights and Licensing: Publishing revenue from selling book rights and licensing content, including adaptations (e.g., Netflix series adaptations of published works).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The House of Books publishes Dutch-language and translated fiction and non-fiction titles in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats, distributed through Dutch and Belgian bookstore chains and global digital platforms. The imprint specializes in literary thrillers, historical fiction, romance, crime fiction, and inspiring non-fiction from both Dutch authors and internationally recognized bestsellers. It operates as an imprint within the Overamstel Uitgevers publishing group, generating revenue through book sales and rights licensing.

Product overview

The House of Books is a Dutch/Belgian publishing imprint under Overamstel Uitgevers, specializing in leading fiction and non-fiction for a broad readership. The company publishes books across three product formats: physical paperbacks/hardcovers, e-books (digital downloads), and audiobooks. Their catalog includes literary thrillers, crime fiction, romance novels, historical fiction, and non-fiction works by both international bestsellers (R.F. Kuang, Emily Henry, Bella Mackie, Anne Holt, S.A. Cosby) and Dutch-language authors. Books are distributed through major retail partners including bol.com, Athenaeum, Bruna, Libris, Donner, Storytel, Kobo, and Google Play. Notable recent releases include Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen thriller series, Emily Henry's romance novels, and adaptations such as the Netflix series of Saskia Noort's De Eetclub (coming September 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Books (Paperback and Hardcover) Printed paperback and hardcover editions of published titles, sold through Dutch and Belgian bookstore chains and online retailers; targeted at general readers seeking physical copies. Recent example: 'Recht op de dode hand' by Jan van Mersbergen at €22.99.
• E-books (Digital Downloads) Digital download editions of published titles distributed through multiple e-book retailers including bol.com, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Athenaeum, Bruna, Libris, and Donner; typically priced lower than physical editions (e.g., €5.99–€11.99).
• Audiobooks Digital audio editions of published titles distributed via Storytel, bol.com, Spotify, Luisterrijk, Kobo, Google Play, and Apple Books; professionally narrated by voice actors (e.g., Emily Henry's 'Zo was het niet bedoeld' audio at €12.99).
• Hoe vermoord ik mijn familie? & Wat een einde (Bella Mackie omnibus) Omnibus paperback edition combining two bestselling novels by British author Bella Mackie, marketed as a combined volume to Dutch readers; PAAZ-style feelgood fiction.
• Zo was het niet bedoeld (Emily Henry / Beach Read) Translated romance novel by bestselling American author Emily Henry, released in paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats for the Dutch market.
• De laatste kogel (Anne Holt) Translated political thriller by Norwegian author Anne Holt, the fourth installment in the Hanne Wilhelmsen detective series, released in print and digital formats.
• Bedtime stories voor vrouwen (Jip Isabel de Jongh & Adeline Mans) Short-story collection of erotic fiction aimed at adult female readers, scheduled for release on 2 July 2026 in Dutch print and digital editions.
• Het Bos van Roest / Recht op de dode hand (Anders de la Motte / Jan van Mersbergen) New thrillers in the publisher's crime/thriller catalog: 'Het Bos van Roest' by Anders de la Motte and 'Recht op de dode hand' by Jan van Mersbergen, released in paperback and digital formats for the Dutch market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Storytel Group acquisition of Overamstel Publishers strengthens publishing presence in Benelux, with €17.4M revenue and €1.3M EBITDA in 2025.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Storytel GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Storytel Group announced the acquisition of 100% of Overamstel Publishers (parent company of The House of Books). This acquisition strengthens Storytel's publishing footprint in the Benelux region. The acquisition was paid entirely in cash using Storytel Group's existing liquidity.
• Overamstel UitgeverscoreOthersThe House of Books is an imprint of Overamstel Uitgevers, a Dutch and Belgian publishing group that also includes imprints Lebowski, Moon, Carrera, Hollands Diep, Inside, and Horizon.
• NetflixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetflix has optioned and produced series adaptations of books published by The House of Books' parent company, including 'De Eetclub' by Saskia Noort, scheduled for release on Netflix from September 10, 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ambo Anthos: Ambo Anthos is one of the largest general trade publishers in the Netherlands, publishing literary fiction, thrillers, and non-fiction — directly comparable in catalog breadth, target audience, and Dutch retail distribution.
• Meulenhoff Boekerij: Meulenhoff (and imprint Boekerij) is a major Dutch trade publisher with a broad fiction and non-fiction catalog distributed through the same bookstore chains and digital platforms.
• Moon (Uitgeverij Moon): Moon is another Overamstel Uitgevers imprint focused on accessible fiction and non-fiction for Dutch readers, sharing the same parent infrastructure and competing for the same consumer book-buying audience.
• Luitingh-Sijthoff: Luitingh-Sijthoff is a Dutch publisher specializing in thrillers, romance, and commercial fiction — overlapping significantly with The House of Books' genre fiction mix and Benelux retail presence.
• Lebowski Publishers: Lebowski is a sibling imprint under Overamstel Uitgevers publishing literary fiction and non-fiction in the Dutch market, with the same shared distribution, parent ownership, and Benelux retail footprint.
• Prometheus / De Geus: Prometheus (formerly De Geus) publishes Dutch-language fiction and non-fiction including translated bestsellers, making it a directly comparable trade publisher in the same retail and digital channels.
• De Bezige Bij: De Bezige Bij is a leading Dutch literary publisher with a strong translated-fiction and Dutch-original catalog, serving the same Benelux readers through overlapping bookstore and digital channels.

Regional players

• Standaard Uitgeverij: Standaard Uitgeverij is a major Belgian publisher serving the Flemish market with fiction, non-fiction, and educational titles — overlapping on Belgian-language readers but operating from a Belgian/regional rather than Dutch-imprint base.

Broad incumbents

• Storytel Group: Storytel is a global audiobook and e-book streaming platform that is acquiring Overamstel Publishers; it increasingly operates as both a publisher and a distributor, making it both a parent and a broader incumbent in the audio/digital book space.
• VBK Media: VBK Media (formerly Veen, Bosch & Keuning) is a large Dutch publishing group with multiple imprints across trade, children's, and non-fiction — broader portfolio but directly comparable on Dutch retail distribution and reader overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheHouseofBooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/thehouseofbooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-house-of-books

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 The House of Books