AVA International

What AVA International does

AVA international GmbH is a traditional literary agency (Literaturagentur) headquartered in Munich's Schwabing district, founded in 1978 by Reinhold G. Stecher following his tenure as managing director of the Heyne and Goldmann publishing houses. Following Stecher's 2011 retirement, current managing director Roman Hocke — who joined forces with Stecher in 2001 — continues the firm alongside co-managing director Markus Michalek. The agency exclusively represents German-speaking authors across fiction (Belletristik), non-fiction (Sachbuch), and children's/teen literature (Kinder- und Jugendbuch), including bestselling authors such as Sebastian Fitzek, Ursula Poznanski, Markus Heitz, Wulf Dorn, and Sabine Ebert, and stewards legacy estates including those of Michael Ende, Max Kruse, and Utta Danella.

The firm operates as a service-based representation business with no proprietary technology platform. Its offering spans the full author lifecycle: editorial and manuscript development consultation, contract negotiation with publishers, royalty collection and accounting, and — via co-agencies worldwide and in-house staff — international foreign rights sales, audio rights, and film/TV adaptation brokerage (added in 2019 with the hire of Ralph Gassmann). The seven-person team in Munich covers literary agency, film rights, foreign rights, and contracts/royalties, with a traineeship supporting cross-functional coverage.

AVA earns commission on author royalties and license fees generated from publishing deals and rights exploitation; authors pay nothing upfront. Revenue streams are concentrated in (a) domestic publishing commissions and (b) international and media rights licensing. Distribution occurs through direct agent-to-publisher pitches domestically and through a global co-agency network for foreign and media rights. The firm markets primarily through its professional website, Facebook, and Instagram, with new author acquisition handled via a selective inbound application process rather than mass marketing.

Name

AVA International

Legal name

AVA international GmbH

Website

https://ava-international.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVA international GmbH is a Munich-based literary agency founded in 1978 that represents German-speaking fiction, non-fiction, and children's/YA authors, earning commission on royalties and licensing of publishing and media rights worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Translation & Localization Services for Indie Authors (MPAJAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Audiobook Localization & Accessibility (Translation, Accents, DAISY/Accessible Formats) (MPAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Literary agency services
• Author representation
• Rights licensing
• Publishing contracts
• Film rights brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Commission on Author Royalties: AVA earns commission on author royalties and license fees generated from publishing deals. Authors pay nothing upfront; agency is compensated as a percentage of successful deals and ongoing royalty income.
2. Rights Exploitation: Revenue generated from selling and licensing various rights including foreign translation rights, film/TV rights, audio rights, and other media rights on behalf of represented authors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AVA International is a German literary agency that represents German-speaking authors across fiction, non-fiction, and children's/young adult literature. The agency provides full-service literary representation including manuscript consultation, contract negotiation with publishers, royalty accounting, and the sale and licensing of domestic publishing rights, foreign translation rights, film/TV rights, audio rights, and other media adaptation rights on behalf of its author clients.

Product overview

AVA International GmbH is a German literary agency (Autoren- und Verlagsagentur) founded in 1978, specializing in representing German-speaking authors in the fields of fiction (Belletristik), non-fiction (Sachbuch), and children's/teen literature (Kinderbuch and Jugendbuch). The agency provides full-service literary representation including manuscript development consultation, contract negotiation, rights management, royalty collection and distribution, international rights sales, and film/TV rights brokerage. AVA operates as a traditional literary agency rather than a technology platform, connecting authors with publishers, film producers, and other media partners through personalized agent relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Representation (Autorenvertretung) Comprehensive literary representation for German-speaking authors including manuscript development consultation, contract negotiation with publishers, royalty accounting, and ongoing career management. Provided to authors across fiction, non-fiction, and children's/young adult genres.
• Foreign Rights Sales (Auslandsrechte) Sale and licensing of foreign translation rights for represented German-language authors through a global network of co-agencies. Manages translation rights, special editions, and international licensing arrangements.
• Film and Television Rights Brokerage (Film- und Fernsehrechte) Licensing of film, TV, audio, gaming, and merchandising adaptation rights on behalf of represented authors. Includes direct outreach to film producers, TV studios, gaming companies, and other media producers.
• Contract Negotiation and Royalty Management (Vertragsverhandlung und Honorarabrechnung) Professional contract negotiation with publishers and ongoing royalty collection, accounting, and distribution on behalf of represented authors. Includes management of special editions and special licenses (audiobooks).
• Literary Estate Management (Verlagsbetreuung literarischer Nachlässe) Editorial and rights management of literary estates for deceased or retired authors, including management of backlist titles, special editions, and ongoing rights exploitation. Notable estates include Michael Ende, Max Kruse, and Utta Danella.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Paul & Peter Fritz AG: Swiss literary agency handling German-language and international authors with rights sales across foreign translation, film, and audio. Comparable to AVA in scope, target market, and full-service representation model.
• Eggers & Landwehr: Established German literary agency representing German-language fiction and non-fiction authors. Directly comparable to AVA in size, scope, business model (commission-based representation), and target author segment in the DACH market.
• Liepman AG: Swiss literary agency (Literarische Agentur) representing German-language and translation rights. Operates the same commission-based model with international co-agency partnerships, closely mirroring AVA's structure and rights exploitation approach.
• Schlück GmbH: German literary agency representing German-language authors in fiction, non-fiction, and children's/YA. Comparable in business model, scale, and target author segments to AVA International.
• Mohrbooks: Swiss-based literary agency representing German-language and international authors, with focus on literary fiction and non-fiction. Closely comparable to AVA in model, international co-agency network, and German-speaking author focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ullstein Verlag: Major German trade publisher (Bonnier group) with broad fiction and non-fiction portfolio. A key publishing counterparty for AVA's authors and a comparable institution in the German-language literary value chain.
• Penguin Random House Germany: Largest German-language trade publisher. A direct counterparty for AVA's agency deals and a relevant peer in the same literary value chain, though operating as a publisher rather than a literary agency.
• Diogenes Verlag: Swiss-German publishing house with strong literary fiction roster. Comparable to AVA in representing a similar author base but as a publisher rather than an agent, making it a customer/competitor at the rights-acquisition interface.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/avainternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/ava.international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 AVA International