Schoffling & Co

What Schoffling & Co does

Schöffling & Co. Verlagsbuchhandlung GmbH is an independent German literary publisher headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, founded around 2000 and operating under the trade name Schöffling Verlag. The company publishes a curated catalog of German-language literature, international literature in translation, modern classics, poetry, non-fiction, and audiobooks, alongside a recurring line of themed literary calendars (cat, owl, garden). Its flagship editorial asset is the annual Jahrbuch der Lyrik poetry anthology, complemented by a backlist of recognized authors including Markus Orths, Simon Urban, Mirko Bonné, Nadja Küchenmeister, and Paula Almqvist.

The publisher operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining book trade distribution with direct-to-consumer sales. Distribution across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is executed through a network of regional sales representatives and dedicated distributors — Verlegerdienst München for Germany, Mohr Morawa for Austria, and Kampa Verlag and Buchzentrum for Switzerland — supplemented by an LIBERTÉ Vertriebskooperation covering key German sales regions. Direct consumer sales run through a WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce storefront on schoeffling.de, supported by email newsletters, a BlueSky social presence, and in-person literary readings.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from one-time unit sales of print books (hardcover €19.95–€24.95, paperback €10–€20), themed calendars (€9.95–€14.95), and audiobook editions, with a supplementary licensing stream from foreign rights sales and reprint permissions. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no reported revenue, and no parent organization. Public awards in 2026 (Jugendbuch des Monats, Literaturpreis der A und A Kulturstiftung, Eichendorff-Literaturpreis) indicate active editorial selection and ongoing author development.

Name

Schoffling & Co

Legal name

Schöffling & Co. Verlagsbuchhandlung GmbH

Website

https://schoeffling.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schöffling & Co is an independent Frankfurt-based literary publisher of German-language fiction, international literature in translation, poetry, and themed calendars, distributed across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via book trade and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary 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 industries

Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC), Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Literary publishing
• German-language fiction
• Poetry anthologies
• Themed calendars
• Book distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of literary books including German-language literature, international literature, modern classics, poetry, non-fiction, and audiobooks in various formats (hardcover, paperback, e-book).
2. Calendar Products: Sale of themed calendars including literary cat calendars, owl calendars, garden calendars, and pocket calendars.
3. Rights and Licensing: Foreign rights licensing through their Rights Guide and permission/ reprint services for international co-editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schöffling & Co. Verlagsbuchhandlung GmbH is an independent German literary publishing house that publishes German-language literature, international literature in German translation, modern classics, poetry, non-fiction, and audiobooks, along with specialty themed calendars (cat, owl, garden) and the annual Jahrbuch der Lyrik poetry anthology. The publisher sells primarily through the German book trade (Buchhandel) and direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with foreign rights licensing as a secondary revenue stream.

Product overview

Schöffling & Co is a German book publishing house offering a diverse portfolio of literary works. Their catalog includes German-language literature, international literature (translated works), modern classics, poetry collections, non-fiction, and audiobooks. They publish notable authors including Jami Attenberg, Nancy Mitford, Gabriele Tergit, and Nadja Küchenmeister. The house also produces themed calendars including literary cat, owl, and garden calendars under the 'Literarische Kalender' series, and publishes the annual Jahrbuch der Lyrik poetry anthology. The publisher operates an e-commerce platform for direct sales and maintains distribution partnerships across German-speaking markets including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jahrbuch der Lyrik (Poetry Yearbook) Annual anthology of contemporary German-language poetry edited and published by Schöffling & Co; a flagship recurring title central to the publisher's identity.
• Literarische Kalender (Literary Calendars) Series of themed literary calendars sold annually, including the literary cat calendar (€12.95-€14.95), literary owl calendar, literary garden calendar, pocket calendars (€9.95), and week planners (€9.95). Targeted at cat, owl, and garden enthusiasts.
• Deutschsprachige Literatur (German-Language Fiction) Catalog of original German-language literary fiction titles published by Schöffling & Co, including hardcover and paperback editions priced from €10 to €24.95.
• Internationale Literatur (International Literature in Translation) Catalog of international literary works translated into German and published for German-speaking readers, including authors such as Jami Attenberg, Nancy Mitford, Tadeusz Dąbrowski, and Margit Schreiner.
• Lyrik (Poetry Collections) Poetry collections and verse publications, including works by Nadja Küchenmeister (Alle Lichter, Unter dem Wacholder, Im Glasberg), typically priced €20-€22 for poetry collections.
• Moderne Klassiker (Modern Classics) Catalog of modern classic literary works that have achieved lasting significance, including Gabriele Tergit's writing.
• Sachbuch (Non-Fiction) Non-fiction works covering various literary, cultural, and memoir topics.
• Hörbuch (Audiobook Editions) Audiobook editions of selected Schöffling titles offered in audiobook format.
• Katzen (Cat-Themed Books and Calendars) Cat-themed books and literary cat calendars targeted at cat enthusiasts seeking literary/artistic products with feline themes.
• Garten (Garden-Themed Books and Calendars) Garden-themed books and literary garden calendars targeted at garden enthusiasts.
• Foreign Rights Licensing and Reprint Permissions Foreign rights licensing service for international co-editions of Schöffling titles, plus permission/reprint services managed through the publisher's Rights Guide.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LIBERTÉ Buchservice GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution cooperation partner handling sales for North Rhine-Westphalia, Hessen, and Rhineland-Palatinate regions. Contact: Matthias von Baum at [email protected]. Additional representative Christian Bartl covers Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, and Luxembourg.
• Verlegerdienst München GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman national book distribution service. Located at Gutenbergstr. 1, 82205 Gilching, Germany. Handles fulfillment and delivery of books to book trade customers throughout Germany.
• Mohr Morawa Buchvertrieb GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian distribution partner handling book fulfillment in Austria. Located in Vienna, Austria. Regional representatives Birgit Raab and Karin Pangl represent Schöffling titles to Austrian accounts.
• Kampa Verlag (Switzerland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss distribution partner. Gilberte Graf represents Schöffling & Co titles in Switzerland through Kampa Verlag. Also distributes own titles and operates as Swiss representative.
• Buchzentrum AG (Switzerland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss wholesale distributor alternative. Located in Hägendorf, Switzerland. Provides additional distribution channel for Swiss book trade.
• Jung und Jung (Austria)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian publishing partner. Elisabeth Freiinger represents Schöffling & Co titles in Austria through Jung und Jung. Contact: [email protected], Phone: +43 662 88 50 48.
• Regional Sales Representatives NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of regional sales representatives covering all German-speaking territories: Bavaria (Mario Max), Northern Germany (Bodo Föhr), Berlin/Brandenburg (Martina Wagner), Saxony (Thomas Kilian/Buchbüro SaSaThü).
• NetGalleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital review copy platform for publishers. Schöffling & Co maintains a publisher profile on NetGalley for distributing digital review copies to book reviewers, librarians, and media.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Kampa Verlag: Swiss literary publisher and Swiss distribution partner of Schöffling. Publishes literary fiction and translated works in similar small-house style.
• Diogenes Verlag: Swiss independent literary publisher known for literary fiction and translations, with strong DACH distribution. Comparable focus on quality literary works and translated international authors.
• Droschl Verlag: Austrian independent literary publisher publishing German-language literary fiction, poetry, and translated works. Comparable size, editorial philosophy, and DACH distribution footprint.
• Residenz Verlag: Austrian literary publisher based in Salzburg with strong poetry and literary fiction list, including translations. Comparable size and German-language literary orientation.
• Matthes & Seitz Berlin: Independent Berlin-based literary publisher of similar size to Schöffling, publishing literary fiction, essays, poetry, and translated international literature. Highly comparable in editorial focus, scale, and independent-distribution DACH footprint.
• Wallstein Verlag: Independent German literary publisher based in Göttingen with a strong poetry list and literary nonfiction. Similar size and editorial focus on German-language literary quality publishing.
• Luchterhand Literaturverlag: German literary imprint with a catalog of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Now part of a larger group but editorially positioned similarly to Schöffling in the literary segment.
• Jung und Jung Verlag: Austrian literary publisher and active distribution partner of Schöffling in Austria. Publishes literary fiction, poetry, and translations; comparable size, editorial focus, and DACH positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Suhrkamp Verlag: Premier German literary publisher with deep catalog in literary fiction, poetry, and philosophy, including significant translated international authors. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same literary author pool and DACH book-trade shelf space.
• Carl Hanser Verlag: One of Germany's leading literary and trade publishers, headquartered in Munich, publishing literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction including translated international works. Comparable catalog breadth and author profile but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schoeffling
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoefflingverlag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Schoffling & Co