Hinstorff

What Hinstorff does

Hinstorff Verlag GmbH is a privately held regional book publisher headquartered in Rostock, Germany, founded in 1833 and operating continuously for over 190 years. The company specializes in print and digital publishing focused on the cultural, geographical, and historical identity of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Baltic Sea coast. Its catalog spans regional crime fiction (Ostseekrimi), regional romance, illustrated art books (Bildbände), travel guides (INSIDE Reiseführer), local history, children's and youth literature, maritime titles, Low German (Plattdeutsch) publications, graphic novels, calendars, and gift books. Sub-brands include Edition Konrad Reich, Die weiße Reihe, the e-book-only Blaue Reihe, and the INSIDE travel guide series. Co-publishing partnerships — most prominently with broadcaster NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) — anchor recurring television tie-in titles across gardening, manor-house restoration, and fishing series.

The company's underlying infrastructure is a traditional publishing stack: editorial (Lektorat), production and design/layout (Herstellung/Satz & Layout), press/PR, warehousing and facility management, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at www.hinstorff.de. No proprietary technology platform, API, or software product is disclosed; digital distribution is limited to e-book and audiobook sales through the online shop. Revenue mechanics combine unit-pricing trade book sales (physical books priced €7.90-€42, with most titles between €12-€28; e-books lower), wholesale through the German book trade (Buchhandel), and project-based B2B custom publishing (Auftragsprojekte) for corporate, institutional, and public-sector clients commissioning Festschriften, chronicles, illustrated books, and logo-imprinted calendars.

Hinstorff is managed by Ansgar Heise (Geschäftsführer / Managing Director) alongside Publishing Director Andreas Meyer, supported by approximately 9-10 core staff members covering editorial, sales, production, press, and warehousing, plus an editorial trainee (Volontariat). The company is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, holding structure, or external investment, and ships only within Germany. Customer segments span local residents and Baltic Sea regional enthusiasts, general German-language fiction readers, gift buyers, and a smaller B2B segment of northern German corporate and institutional clients commissioning custom publishing work.

Name

Hinstorff

Legal name

HINSTORFF Verlag GmbH

Website

https://hinstorff.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1833

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HINSTORFF Verlag GmbH is a 190-year-old independent regional book publisher based in Rostock, Germany, focused on fiction, travel guides, illustrated books, calendars, and cultural publishing about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Baltic Sea coast, selling via DTC e-commerce, the German Buchhandel, and B2B custom publishing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Regional book publishing
• Baltic Sea literature
• Low German publications
• Custom publishing services
• Illustrated regional books

Headquarters

HQ city

Rostock

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed books through the company's own e-commerce storefront (www.hinstorff.de) and via book trade (wholesale/retail distribution). Product categories span fiction (Ostseekrimis, romance, biographies), non-fiction (travel guides, regional history, cookbooks, gardening), children's/young adult, illustrated books, and calendars.
2. E-Book Sales: Digital books are sold as licensed downloads via the online shop, with delivery per email or customer account. E-books may be used on up to two end devices per the terms of use.
3. Audiobook Sales: Sale of audiobooks (Hörbücher) through the e-commerce storefront.
4. Custom Publishing / Auftragsprojekte: Commissioned publishing services for corporate, institutional, and public-sector clients — including concept development, editorial services, layout/design, image processing, and printing — with optional logo imprint for corporate gifts or branding purposes. Calendars with client logos are also offered.
5. Calendar Sales: Sale of printed calendars, including standard titles and custom calendars with corporate logo imprint for business gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hinstorff Verlag is a traditional regional publishing house that acquires, edits, produces, and sells books, e-books, audiobooks, calendars, and gift books focused on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Baltic Sea coast, including fiction (such as Ostseekrimis), travel guides, regional histories, illustrated photo books, maritime titles, Low German (Plattdeutsch) literature, and children's books. The company also operates a direct-to-consumer online shop and provides commissioned custom publishing services (Auftragsprojekte) — including concept development, editing, layout, image processing, and printing — to corporate, institutional, and public-sector clients.

Product overview

Hinstorff Verlag is a regional publishing house based in Rostock, Germany, with over 190 years of tradition specializing in books about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Northern Germany. The company's product portfolio centers on physical and digital books, audiobooks, and calendars. Core product categories include: (1) Fiction and Crime Novels (Ostseekrimi series, Mörderisches Schwerin series by Diana Salow, regional romances); (2) Travel and Regional Guides (INSIDE Reiseführer, Bildbände covering Baltic Sea regions, travel guides by area including Rügen, Usedom, Schwerin, Rostock); (3) Historical and Photo Books (Rostock-Album series, Das alte Mecklenburg, historical photography collections); (4) Children's and Youth Literature; (5) Maritime Publications (Blaue Reihe e-book series); (6) Low German (Plattdeutsch) publications; (7) Gift Books and Calendars with custom logo imprint options. The company also offers custom publishing services (Auftragsprojekte) for businesses. Notable branded series include: Mörderisches Schwerin (crime series), Rasch durch den Garten (NDR gardening trilogy), Mit Mut, Mörtel und ohne Millionen (manor house restoration series), Rostock-Album (nostalgia photo series), Edition Konrad Reich, Die weiße Reihe, and INSIDE Reiseführer. Digital products include e-books with the Blue Series available exclusively in digital format.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Edition Konrad Reich: Book series published by Hinstorff Verlag
• Die weiße Reihe
• Blaue Reihe
• INSIDE Reiseführer

Products and services

• Bücher (Books)

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDR is the primary strategic media partner for Hinstorff, collaborating on television tie-in books. Notable joint publications include: 'Mit Mut, Mörtel und ohne Millionen' (about manor house restoration in MV), 'Rasch durch den Garten' (NDR garden TV series), and 'Rute raus, der Spaß beginnt!' (fishing TV series). The publisher preview for Autumn 2026 highlights NDR collaboration on multiple titles.
• Kunsthalle RostockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 'Rostock tanzt,' a book documenting Rostock's dance and club culture from 1950-1990s, produced in cooperation with the Kunsthalle Rostock and the Ostsee-Zeitung.
• Ostsee-ZeitungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOstsee-Zeitung collaborated on 'Verlassene Orte in MV,' based on the newspaper's successful article series, and 'Rostock tanzt' (with Kunsthalle Rostock). The newspaper serves as a content partner providing editorial material and reader community engagement.
• Pommersches Landesmuseum GreifswaldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 'Das alte Rügen,' a historical picture book documenting the island's history, produced in cooperation with the Pommersches Landesmuseum in Greifswald.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dumont Reiseverlag: Major German travel guide publisher producing regional and illustrated travel books. Comparable travel-publishing product category (INSIDE Reiseführer) and B2C direct-to-consumer model.
• Genius Verlag: Independent German trade publisher with regional fiction and crime titles including coastal/Mecklenburg themes. Comparable niche-trade publishing model with similar author-network economics.
• Ellert & Richter: Hamburg-based regional publisher producing travel guides, illustrated books, and local history titles for northern Germany. Directly comparable product mix, distribution channels, and customer base.
• Mitteldeutscher Verlag (mdv): Regional publisher based in eastern Germany covering Saxony-Anhalt and surrounding areas, with comparable regional fiction, history, and illustrated book offerings. Closely analogous heritage and geographic-niche model.
• Eulenspiegel Verlagsgruppe: Berlin-based independent publisher with strong regional and illustrated book programs, including travel and cultural titles. Comparable trade publishing model with regional/cultural specialization.
• Hinstorff's traditional Ostseekrimi peers (e.g., Voodoo Press / KBV): KBV is a small German publisher known for regional crime fiction (Heimatkrimi) including Baltic Sea crime series, overlapping directly with Hinstorff's Ostseekrimi and Mörderisches Schwerin sub-brands.

Others

• Storytel / Bookbeat (audiobook platforms): Audiobook subscription platforms representing the digital channel through which Hinstorff's Hö rbücher reach consumers. Adjacent ecosystem participant shaping audiobook discovery and pricing.

Broad incumbents

• Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi): Large German trade publisher with broad fiction and non-fiction lists including regional titles. Comparable trade publishing infrastructure but with national scale and diversified author base.

Regional players

• Demmler Verlag: Another small Mecklenburg-Vorpommern regional publisher focusing on local history, travel, and fiction about the Baltic Sea coast. Directly comparable niche, geography, and product mix to Hinstorff.
• Braumüller Verlag: Austrian regional publisher focused on local literature and cultural titles. Comparable regional/niche trade publishing model but serving Austria rather than northern Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hinstorffverlag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Hinstorff