Bookelis

What Bookelis does

Bookelis is a French self-publishing platform founded in 2013 and headquartered in Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Docuworld digital printing group since 2019. The platform enables individual authors and small publishers to publish, print, and distribute books in both physical and digital formats at no upfront cost, generating revenue through print-on-demand manufacturing margins, ebook sales commissions (30% via the Bookelis bookstore, 60% via Optima distribution), and a catalog of optional paid services including professional cover design (€149), cover retouch (€59-69), text correction, layout, distribution packs, press kits, and promotional campaigns.

The underlying technology centers on a print-on-demand digital printing platform with integrated online publishing tools, featuring automated PDF validation that runs approximately 20 checks and resolves over 95% of file errors at upload, automatic Word/OpenOffice to ePub/Mobi/PDF conversion, and online cover creation tools (simplified and advanced) with template generation. Physical books ordered directly are printed in Mayenne, France, while distribution-channel books are printed at Hachette LSF's facility in Maurepas, providing 100% French manufacturing. Distribution is enabled through an exclusive partnership with Hachette Livre for physical bookstore access (with France, Francophonie, and Monde packs reaching up to ~10,000 stores), Optima for ebook distribution to Amazon, Apple iBooks, Fnac/Kobo, and other major retailers, and Dilicom for independent bookstore ordering.

The go-to-market motion combines product-led growth through the free self-serve 5-step publication process with channel partnerships for distribution. Customer segments include beginning to established independent authors, personal/family publishers producing memoirs or commemorative books, and professionals publishing technical or educational content. The company maintains 1-10 employees, with no disclosed funding rounds and revenue generated through transactional fees and optional service purchases rather than subscription contracts.

Name

Bookelis

Legal name

BOOKELIS

Website

https://bookelis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bookelis is a French self-publishing platform that enables individual authors to publish, print-on-demand, and distribute books in print and ebook formats for free, monetizing via print margins, ebook commissions, and optional paid services, backed by Docuworld and partnered with Hachette Livre for bookstore distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Publishing Platform

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals) (MPAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF), Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Self-publishing platform
• Print-on-demand books
• Ebook publishing
• Book distribution services
• Independent author tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Sainte-luce-sur-loire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print manufacturing margin: Margin included in book printing costs. Bookelis earns from each printed book sale. Authors pay the manufacturing cost, and Bookelis retains a margin from that price. Print-on-demand means no inventory risk.
2. Ebook sales commission: Bookelis retains a percentage of ebook sales revenue. Via Bookelis bookstore: 30% commission (authors receive 70%). Via Optima distribution: 60% commission (authors receive 40%).
3. Optional paid services: Professional services including cover creation (149€), cover retouch (59-69€), correction, layout, distribution packs (Hachette France/Francophonie/Monde), press releases, promotional campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram, Amazon), website creation, and salon materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bookelis provides a self-publishing platform that lets authors publish paper books and ebooks for free, with integrated print-on-demand manufacturing, automatic file validation and format conversion, and online cover creation tools. Authors can optionally pay for professional services (cover design, text correction, layout, press kits, author websites, marketing campaigns) and distribute their books through the Bookelis online bookstore, the Hachette Livre physical bookstore network (France/Francophonie/Monde packs), and the Optima ebook distribution network reaching Amazon, Apple, Fnac/Kobo and other major retailers.

Product overview

Bookelis is a self-publishing platform that enables authors to publish, print, and distribute their books. The core offering consists of the Bookelis Platform for publishing both print and ebook formats, supported by integrated print-on-demand technology. Authors can use free cover creation tools (simplified and advanced), or opt for professional services including cover design, text correction, and layout. Distribution is handled through Hachette Livre for physical bookstores and Distribution Optima for major online ebook retailers. The platform operates on a free publishing model with optional paid services, and is part of the Docuworld group, a digital printing leader in western France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bookelis Self-Publishing Platform Core online platform enabling authors to publish paper books and ebooks through a free 5-step self-service flow, with automated PDF validation, format conversion, and optional paid add-on services.
• Print-on-Demand Manufacturing Service Digital printing service that produces physical books individually as orders are placed, with no minimum order and unit-based pricing (example: €7.80 for a 200-page book, bulk discounts up to -45% at 500–1000 copies). Books are manufactured at the Mayenne facility in France.
• Ebook Publishing Service Free ebook publishing with automatic conversion of Word/OpenOffice files into ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats, making digital books available through the Bookelis bookstore and the Optima distribution network.
• Hachette Livre Distribution Pack Physical bookstore distribution service via Hachette Livre in three geographic packs (France ~5,000 stores, Francophonie, Monde ~10,000 worldwide), with authors earning 15% royalties on sales.
• Optima Ebook Distribution Ebook distribution service making authors' ebooks available across the Optima network covering Amazon, Apple iBooks, Fnac/Kobo, Decitre, Relay, Bookeen, and international networks (TEA, ePagine, Tolino in Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Netherlands/Belgium/Italy). Authors earn 40% royalties via this channel.
• Bookelis Online Bookstore Built-in online bookstore at livres.bookelis.com where authors sell their self-published books directly to readers worldwide; Bookelis retains a 30% commission and authors earn 70% royalties on direct sales.
• Professional Cover Design Service Custom paper book cover design created by a professional graphic designer for €149 (cover retouch/finalization available separately at €59–69).
• Text Correction Service Professional proofreading and text editing service to ensure manuscript quality before publication.
• Layout Service Professional page layout and formatting service ensuring proper presentation in both print and digital formats.
• Premium Press Kit Service Professional press kit creation and distribution to a list of 50 qualified journalists for book promotion.
• Author Website Creation Service Service for creating dedicated author websites to promote books and engage with readers.
• Marketing Campaign Services Paid advertising services including Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram campaigns, and Amazon advertising to promote authors' books.
• Illustration Creation Service Digital art illustration service for book covers and internal book illustrations using watercolor technique.
• Cercle Privé (Private Publishing) Private publishing option that keeps the book visible only to the author for personal use or testing before any commercial release.

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors receive 15% of public selling price for physical books via Hachette distribution, 70% for ebooks via Bookelis, 40% via Optima distribution
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DocuworldcoreOthers · 1 January 2019Bookelis became an integral part of Docuworld group since 2019. Docuworld is a leader in digital printing in western France, founded in 2002, ISO 14001 certified for environmental management. This partnership enables premium finishes and limited series, as well as custom support materials (bookmarks, flyers, posters, postcards) for signings and events. Docuworld's infrastructure supports Bookelis's main mission of accompanying independent authors.
• Hachette LivrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Partnership established at Bookelis founding in 2013. Hachette Livre serves as the exclusive physical bookstore distribution partner for self-published books. Authors can choose distribution packs (France, Francophonie, Monde) to make their books available for order in partner bookstores. Authors receive 15% royalties on physical book sales through this channel. The partnership requires use of Bookelis-assigned ISBNs.
• AFNILminorOthersFrench National Agency for ISBN (AFNIL) provides free ISBNs to French authors. Authors can obtain personal ISBNs at no cost through AFNIL for use on Bookelis platform (except for Hachette distribution which requires Bookelis ISBNs).
• Optima distribution networkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEbook distribution network covering major French-language online retailers including Amazon, Apple iBooks, Fnac/Kobo, Decitre, Relay, Bookeen, and others. Authors receive 40% royalties on ebook sales through this network. Also covers international networks including TEA, ePagine, and Tolino (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bookelis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp5T1qzdZZw-pUzleQJyQ3g
• Facebookfacebook.com/bookelis
• Instagraminstagram.com/bookelis

Compliance1 record

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 Bookelis