DuMont publishing house
DuMont Buchverlag is a privately held German literary publishing house in Cologne publishing literary fiction, crime novels, and narrative non-fiction in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats for DACH readers, with active foreign rights licensing and recurring SPIEGEL bestseller titles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DuMont publishing house does
DuMont Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German literary publishing house headquartered in Cologne (Amsterdamer Straße 192, 50735 Köln), operating as the book publishing division of the M. DuMont Schauberg media group. The publisher issues literary fiction, contemporary novels, crime fiction, essays, and narrative non-fiction across four formats (hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook) at price points of roughly €13–€28 for physical books, €9.99–€20.99 for e-books, and €19.99–€24.99 for audiobooks, publishing 20+ new titles per year. Its curated author roster includes recurring commercial performers (Ewald Arenz, Daniel Glattauer, Leonie Swann, Caroline Wahl, Annette Dittert, Cay Rademacher) alongside international voices (Kate Atkinson, Haruki Murakami, Michel Houellebecq, Tara Menon, Yáng Shuāng-zǔ).
The house generates revenue through four streams: (i) physical book sales via its own e-commerce storefront and wholesale/retail partners (Amazon.de, Thalia, Hugendubel, Genialokal.de, buchnah.de, and physical bookstores throughout DACH), (ii) digital sales (e-books and audiobooks), (iii) foreign rights licensing, where select titles have been translated into 25–40+ languages, and (iv) ancillary rights including screen adaptations (notably a feature film of Leonie Swann's Glennkill). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer-augmented wholesale: the website handles direct sales with free in-Germany shipping, while demand is generated through SPIEGEL bestseller placements, an active author events circuit across German-speaking cities, Instagram content, and earned media in major German press (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Der Spiegel, WDR, NDR, ZDF, ARD). The publisher does not operate a proprietary technology platform and has no documented AI, API, or developer-facing product layer.
Commercially, DuMont has demonstrated sustained bestseller performance, holding simultaneous #1 positions on both the SPIEGEL fiction and non-fiction lists, and has secured prestige properties such as the German-language rights to Yáng Shuāng-zǔ's International Booker 2026-winner 'Taiwan Travelogue' (臺灣漫遊錄), scheduled for spring 2027 publication. The firm employs 11–50 people and is structured as a GmbH & Co. KG, with the parent group historically under family ownership. Multiple titles have received the 'Lieblingsbuch der Unabhängigen' distinction from independent German booksellers (2019, 2021), and the catalog spans literary series such as the Glennkill 'Schafskrimi' franchise. Financials are not publicly disclosed.
DuMont publishing house firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DuMont publishing house
- Legal name
- DuMont Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://dumont-buchverlag.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DuMont Buchverlag is a privately held German literary publishing house in Cologne publishing literary fiction, crime novels, and narrative non-fiction in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats for DACH readers, with active foreign rights licensing and recurring SPIEGEL bestseller titles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DuMont publishing house industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Translated & International Trade Publishing (Rights/Localizations) (MPAJAAAO), Audiobook Rights & Licensing (Territorial/Format Rights, Agencies) (MPAJAIAG)
Keywords
Where DuMont publishing house is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
DuMont publishing house business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Physical): Sale of physical books (hardcover, paperback) through direct online sales, retail bookstores, and online marketplaces. Physical book sales represent the primary revenue stream.
- E-book Sales: Digital editions of books sold as one-time purchases through the publisher's website and third-party e-book retailers.
- Audiobook Sales: Audiobook versions of titles sold as downloads or streaming through the publisher and audiobook platforms.
- Foreign Rights Licensing: International licensing of translation rights. Author Daniel Glattauer's books have been translated into more than 40 languages, generating licensing revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hardcover editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback/Taschenbuch editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | E-book editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Audiobook editions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
DuMont publishing house product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DuMont Buchverlag is a German literary publishing house that acquires, edits, designs, produces, and distributes fiction and narrative non-fiction titles in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats under its own imprint. The publisher sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce storefront and through third-party retailers (Amazon.de, Thalia, Hugendubel, Genialokal.de, buchnah.de, physical bookstores), and licenses translation rights to international publishers via its Foreign Rights department.
Product overview
DuMont Buchverlag is a German publishing house offering a diverse portfolio of books across fiction and non-fiction genres. The company publishes physical hardcover and paperback editions, as well as digital formats including e-books and audiobooks. Notable publications include works by bestselling authors such as Ewald Arenz (Der große Sommer, Alte Sorten), Daniel Glattauer (In einem Zug), Leonie Swann (Glennkill series), and Annette Dittert (Dear Britain). Books are available through the publisher's own website and partner retailers including Thalia, Hugendubel, Amazon, and independent booksellers. The company also facilitates author events and readings across German-speaking regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DuMont Buchverlag literary titles (hardcover, paperback, e-book, audiobook) German-language editions of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction by authors such as Ewald Arenz, Daniel Glattauer, Leonie Swann, Annette Dittert, Kate Atkinson, Sharon Gosling, Michelle Bang, Tara Menon, Christiane Adlung, Bernhard Kegel, Nisha Vora, Tine Dreyer, Giulia Baldelli, Cay Rademacher, Oliver Bottini, Jessica Stanley, Gavin Francis, and Johanna Sebauer, sold to consumers across hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats.
- Hardcover book editions Physical hardcover editions of DuMont titles, typically priced between €13 and €28, featuring premium binding and dust jackets. Example: 'Fünf, sechs, sieben, acht' hardcover at €25.00.
- Paperback (Taschenbuch) editions Softcover paperback editions of DuMont titles, typically priced lower than hardcover equivalents. Example: Daniel Glattauer's 'In einem Zug' paperback at €14.00.
- E-book editions Digital editions of DuMont titles, typically priced between €9.99 and €20.99, sold as one-time purchases through the publisher's website and third-party e-book retailers.
- Audiobook editions Audiobook versions of DuMont titles, available as downloads or streaming, typically priced between €19.99 and €24.99.
- Glennkill series (Schafskrimi) by Leonie Swann Mystery book series by Leonie Swann featuring talking sheep as protagonists, including titles like Glennkill, Garou, and Widdersehen; internationally successful with a film adaptation.
- Foreign rights licensing (translation rights) International licensing of translation rights for DuMont titles to foreign publishers; rights licensed into 40+ languages, generating licensing revenue for titles such as Daniel Glattauer's catalog.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple simultaneous SPIEGEL bestseller #1 positions (fiction and non-fiction) achieved at time of extraction.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DuMont publishing house
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DuMont publishing house technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
DuMont publishing house partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DuMont publishing house competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rowohlt Verlag: Large Hamburg-based literary house publishing literary fiction, crime, and narrative non-fiction. Comparable on multi-format releases, foreign rights licensing, and broad retail distribution.
- Suhrkamp Verlag: One of Germany's most prestigious literary publishers, publishing literary fiction, essays, and translated international authors with a comparable focus on prize-winning and bestselling literary titles. Direct competitor for authors, rights deals, and SPIEGEL bestseller positions.
- Diogenes Verlag: Swiss-German literary publisher known for literary fiction and crime, including international authors such as Donna Leon. Direct peer in translated crime and literary fiction with a comparable author-development approach.
- Piper Verlag: Major German publisher with a strong literary fiction and non-fiction list, active in foreign rights and bestseller publishing. Direct competitor for narrative non-fiction and translated literary titles.
- S. Fischer Verlag: Major German literary imprint publishing contemporary fiction, translated international bestsellers, and narrative non-fiction. A direct peer competing for the same author pool, retailer shelf space, and translation rights.
- Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi): Cologne-based literary and non-fiction publisher with a comparable mix of German-language and translated literary fiction, and a strong SPIEGEL bestseller track record — a direct regional peer to DuMont in Cologne.
- Aufbau Verlag: Berlin-based literary and non-fiction publisher with a curated list comparable in editorial positioning to DuMont, including translated international fiction and narrative non-fiction.
- Carl Hanser Verlag: Munich-based literary and non-fiction publisher with overlapping author rosters in literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. Directly comparable on prestige trade publishing, foreign rights activity, and SPIEGEL bestseller presence.
Broad incumbents
- Ullstein Verlag: Large Berlin-based publisher within the Bonnier group, publishing literary fiction and non-fiction at scale. Broader portfolio but overlapping audience in German-language literary publishing.
Emerging players
- Diogenes Verlag (Foreign Rights Agency peer): Smaller or specialty players like Kein & Aber or Tropen Verlag (Knaus) operate in adjacent slots in translated German-language literary fiction; while not direct one-to-one competitors, they compete for the same translated titles, authors, and rights deals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DuMont publishing house social profiles
Digital presenceDuMont publishing house financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DuMont publishing house leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
DuMont publishing house funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DuMont publishing house M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DuMont publishing house
What does DuMont publishing house do?
DuMont Buchverlag is a German literary publishing house that acquires, edits, designs, produces, and distributes fiction and narrative non-fiction titles in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats under its own imprint. The publisher sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce storefront and through third-party retailers (Amazon.de, Thalia, Hugendubel, Genialokal.de, buchnah.de, physical bookstores), and licenses translation rights to international publishers via its Foreign Rights department.
Is DuMont publishing house a public or private company?
DuMont publishing house is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was DuMont publishing house founded?
DuMont publishing house was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DuMont publishing house based?
DuMont publishing house is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does DuMont publishing house make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Physical) is the primary driver. The others are E-book Sales, audiobook Sales and foreign Rights Licensing.
Who are DuMont publishing house's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rowohlt Verlag, Suhrkamp Verlag, Diogenes Verlag, Piper Verlag, S. Fischer Verlag, Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi), Aufbau Verlag and Carl Hanser Verlag. Ullstein Verlag is listed as a broad incumbent. Diogenes Verlag (Foreign Rights Agency peer) is listed as an emerging player.
Does DuMont publishing house have an API?
No public API is recorded for DuMont publishing house.
What industry is DuMont publishing house in?
DuMont publishing house's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAO, Translated & International Trade Publishing (Rights/Localizations). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.