Literary Agency Simon

Name

Literary Agency Simon

Legal name

Literarische Agentur Simon

Website

https://agentursimon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Agency Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAAAC

Literary & Classics Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

SECONDARYMPAJAAAB

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

SECONDARYMPAJAJAG

Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

Keywords

• Literary agency services
• Author representation
• Film rights management
• Book publishing rights
• Literary rights licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Literary rights representation: The agency earns commissions on book publishing deals negotiated on behalf of its represented authors. Authors are represented across fiction and non-fiction for German and foreign-language markets.
2. Film and media rights: Agency has managed film rights for its books for over 20 years, negotiating adaptation deals with film production companies, streaming platforms (Netflix), broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, ARTE), and co-production partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Literary Agency Simon is a Berlin-based literary agency founded in 1999 that represents primarily German-language but also foreign-language authors in fiction and non-fiction. The agency negotiates publishing contracts with major German publishers and manages film and television rights for represented books, with over 20 years of active involvement in media adaptations with Netflix, ARD, ZDF, and ARTE. Authors do not pay the agency directly; compensation is earned through commissions on negotiated publishing and licensing deals.

Product overview

Literarische Agentur Simon is a literary agency founded in 1999 by Alexander Simon, offering a unified suite of services for authors: literary representation across fiction and non-fiction genres, film and television rights management, and manuscript evaluation. The agency represents primarily German-language but also foreign-language authors, maintaining an extensive catalog of books and managing adaptations across media. The core offering is personalized author representation and rights management rather than a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Literary Representation Services Full-service literary agency representing German-language and foreign-language authors in fiction and non-fiction, including manuscript evaluation, publishing deal negotiation with major German publishers, contract management, international rights licensing, and long-term author career management. Targeted at authors seeking professional representation.
• Film Rights Management Representation and intermediation of film and television rights for represented books and authors, including adaptation deal negotiation and production partnerships with film production companies, streaming platforms, and broadcasters. Targeted at the agency's represented authors and at film/TV production companies.
• Manuscript Evaluation Services Reading and evaluation of manuscript submissions from prospective authors, conducted through a selective submission process with currently limited capacity. Targeted at prospective authors seeking agency consideration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Konstantin Richter's 'Dreihundert Männer' won the Deutscher Sachbuchpreis 2026 and placed #3 on the SPIEGEL Bestsellerliste
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Piper VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 April 2026Piper published Ursula Schröders 'Schutz in Krisenzeiten' (2026).
• dtv (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026dtv published Lukas Rietzschels 'Sanditz' (March 2026) and his earlier novel 'Raumfahrer' (2021).
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2026Netflix began filming 'Die Guten und die Toten', a 7-part series based on Kim Koplins (Edgar Rai) novel, in February 2026. A Berlin thriller about power and moral boundaries.
• Suhrkamp VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 October 2025Suhrkamp published Konstantin Richters 'Dreihundert Männer' (2025). The agency maintains ongoing relationships with Suhrkamp for its represented authors' publishing deals.
• ARD / ZDF / ARTE (broadcasters)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 April 2025Lukas Rietzschels 'Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen' was adapted into a film co-produced by MDR, ARTE, rbb, and WDR, with world premiere at the 75th Berlinale in the Perspectives section. ARD also aired documentaries based on Oliver Schröms work.
• zero one filmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025zero one film is the production company behind 'Other People's Money. Die Affäre Cum-Ex' (Grimme-Preis 2026), based on Oliver Schröms investigations. The film is a co-production with NDR and SWR (lead), BR, RBB, and MDR.
• Chromosom Film / Flare FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Chromosom Film and Flare Film co-produced the film adaptation of Lukas Rietzschels 'Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen' directed by Constanze Klaue (Max-Ophüls-Prize winner).
• Claussen und Putz (film production)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Claussen und Putz produced 'Sörensen fängt Feuer' (2023), based on Sven Stricker's crime novel series, which received Grimme-Preise.
• Koryphäen FilmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Koryphäen Film produced the comedy 'Es ist zu deinem Besten' (2020) with Hans Rath as screenwriter, directed by Marc Rothemund. Despite COVID, the film grossed nearly 3 million euros in one month.
• Saxonia Media GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Saxonia Media produced the TV film adaptation of Edgar Rais 'Wenn nicht, dann jetzt' under the title 'Papa hat keinen Plan' for ARD's 'Das Erste' Friday film slot.
• Ullstein VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 August 2018Ullstein published Lukas Rietzschels debut 'Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen' (2018, 2019 paperback).
• Kein & Aber (Zürich)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 March 2017Kein & Aber published Konstantin Richters 'Die Kanzlerin – Eine Fiktion' (2017) and his three earlier novels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eggers & Landwehr: Berlin literary agency representing German-language fiction and non-fiction authors, similar boutique profile and adjacent author rosters. Direct competitor for author representation deals in the DACH market.
• Erdmann & Erdmann Literaturagentur: German literary agency focused on fiction and non-fiction with a strong roster in literary and journalistic non-fiction, comparable scale, and direct overlap on Berlin-based authors.
• Mohrbooks Literary Agency: Berlin-based boutique literary agency representing German-language fiction and non-fiction authors and handling international rights. Closest direct competitor given similar size, Berlin base, and book-to-film intermediary offerings.
• Agentur Petersen: German literary agency representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors, with strong ties to German publishers. Comparable boutique profile and primary DACH-market focus.
• Liepman AG: Swiss-German literary agency based in Zurich representing fiction and non-fiction authors with strong European publishing and international rights capabilities. Comparable scope and intermediary role.
• Anya Ohler Literaturagentur: Munich-based German literary agency handling fiction and non-fiction authors with established relationships to major German publishers. Direct competitor for mid-list and literary authors in the DACH market.

Broad incumbents

• The Wylie Agency: International literary agency representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors, with film/TV rights brokering similar to Simon's offering. Broader and more internationally focused, competing in the same author-tier segment.
• Andrew Nurnberg Associates: International literary agency with a major Berlin office focused on rights brokerage across European and Asian markets. Broader scope (foreign rights specialist) than Simon but overlaps on German-language author representation.
• Curtis Brown Group: Leading UK literary agency with global rights trading including film/TV rights — same core agency business model but much larger scale and English-language focus, useful benchmark for rights intermediation economics.

Regional players

• Rowohlt Verlag Agentur: Rowohlt is a major German publisher that also handles in-house author liaison for select authors; adjacent industry participant with overlap on German fiction/non-fiction representation, though structured differently from an independent agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/agentursimon
• Xx.com/LitAgenturSimon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Literary Agency Simon