Ylva Publishers
Ylva Verlag is a German publisher founded in 2012 by Astrid Ohletz that exclusively publishes WLW (women loving women) and sapphic literature in German, releasing paperback, e-book, and audiobook editions across multiple genres for the DACH queer reading market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersKriftel, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Ylva Publishers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ylva Publishers
- Legal name
- Ylva Verlag e.Kfr.
- Website
- https://ylva-verlag.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ylva Verlag is a German publisher founded in 2012 by Astrid Ohletz that exclusively publishes WLW (women loving women) and sapphic literature in German, releasing paperback, e-book, and audiobook editions across multiple genres for the DACH queer reading market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Ylva Publishers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kriftel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ylva Publishers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Paperback and E-books): Ylva Verlag generates revenue primarily through direct sales of lesbian and sapphic romance novels in German. Titles are sold as physical paperbacks and digital e-books in multiple formats (EPUB, MOBI, PDF). Pricing ranges from €14.90–€18.90 for paperbacks and €8.99–€9.99 for e-books, indicating a one-time purchase model per title. The company also sells English-language books through its sister brand ylva-publishing.com.
- Audiobook Sales: Audiobooks are sold through multiple digital distribution channels including Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Spotify, Hugendubel, and Thalia. The company produces German-language audiobook editions narrated by professional voice actors such as Irina Salkow (Clare Lydon's 'Was das Herz sich wünscht') and Jutta Seifert (Jae's 'Pusteblumen-Wünsche'). This represents a secondary revenue stream from the same literary titles in audio format.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback editions priced at €17.90–€18.90 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | E-book editions priced at €8.99–€9.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Audiobooks sold individually through digital platforms |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ylva Publishers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ylva Verlag (Ylva Publishers) is a German-language book publishing house that publishes lesbian and sapphic (WLW — women loving women) fiction in paperback, e-book (EPUB/MOBI/PDF), and audiobook formats. The catalog spans romance, crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, erotica, young adult, contemporary fiction, and anthologies, combining German translations of English-language sapphic titles with original German works under a 'Happy-End-Garantie' (happy ending guarantee) promise. Audiobook editions are narrated by professional voice actors and distributed globally through Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Hugendubel, and Thalia.
Product overview
Ylva Verlag is a German publishing house specializing exclusively in WLW (women loving women) literature, including sapphic and lesbian romance novels. The company publishes books across multiple genres including romance, crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, erotica, young adult, contemporary fiction, and anthologies. The portfolio is organized into book series (such as 'Ärztin zum Verlieben', 'Mondsteinserie', and 'Die Renshaw-Schwestern-Reihe') and standalone titles. Products are distributed as paperback books, e-books (in multiple formats including mobi, epub, and PDF), and audiobooks narrated by professional voice actors. Audiobooks are available through major platforms including Amazon Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Hugendubel, and Thalia. The company also offers a newsletter subscription service for reader engagement. Founded in 2012, the company is owned by Astrid Ohletz and is based in Kriftel, Germany.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lesbische Liebesromane (Paperback Books) German-language paperback editions of lesbian and sapphic romance novels featuring WLW (women loving women) storylines with guaranteed happy endings, priced €14.90–€18.90 per title. Sold directly via ylva-verlag.de and through Amazon, Löwenherz, and Queerbooks.
- E-books (EPUB, MOBI, PDF) Digital editions of Ylva Verlag's sapphic fiction catalog delivered in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats, priced €8.99–€9.99 per title. Sold directly via ylva-verlag.de and through major digital retailers including Amazon Kindle.
- Hörbücher (Audiobooks) Audiobook editions of Ylva Verlag's published novels narrated by professional German voice actors (e.g., Irina Salkow, Jutta Seifert) and distributed through Audible (Amazon), Apple Books, Spotify, Hugendubel, and Thalia at individual per-title pricing.
- Newsletter Subscription (Mailchimp) Free email newsletter subscription providing subscribers with information about Ylva Verlag's new book releases and related events, distributed through Mailchimp.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10 years of continuous publishing since 2012, with a catalog spanning multiple genres and authors
Companies that use Ylva Publishers
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ylva Publishers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Ylva Publishers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- All-Inkl (ALL-INKL.COM – Neue Medien Münnich)minorAll-Inkl provides primary web hosting services for the Ylva Verlag website (ylva-verlag.de). The hosting is based on Art. 6 Abs. 1 lit. f DSGVO, with a legitimate interest in reliable website presentation.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ylva Publishers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Querverlag: German independent publisher specializing in LGBTQ+ literature. Most direct comparable in terms of language, geography (DACH), and queer-focused editorial mission, though broader in scope than Ylva's WLW-exclusive focus.
- Männerschwarm Verlag: German independent LGBTQ+ publisher with a long history in DACH queer literature. Same geographic market and independent-press structure, though historically focused on gay men's titles; a relevant adjacent peer for competitive context.
- NineStar Press: Independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher with extensive sapphic and WLW titles in romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and crime. Comparable niche focus, multi-genre strategy, and digital distribution model.
- Bella Books: Largest lesbian-focused trade publisher in North America, publishing fiction across genres with WLW protagonists. Closest English-language functional analogue to Ylva Verlag's mission, happy-ending romance model, and multi-genre scope.
- Less Than Three Press: Small LGBTQ+ romance and fiction press with strong WLW output across subgenres. Comparable in size, mission, digital-first publishing model, and reliance on online retail and audiobook platforms.
- Bywater Books: Independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher with strong lesbian/queer romance catalog. Comparable in mission, genre focus, and indie-press distribution model, including audio and e-book partnerships.
- JMS Books LLC: Independent LGBTQ+ publisher with broad queer romance and fiction catalog across subgenres. Comparable multi-format (e-book, print, audio) digital-first approach and emphasis on WLW and other queer identities.
- Bold Strokes Books: Independent LGBTQ+ fiction publisher offering romance, crime, sci-fi, and speculative titles. Highly comparable in editorial niche, multi-genre WLW/queer catalog, and digital-first retail strategy; shares several authors with Ylva's pipeline.
Emerging players
- Supposed Crimes: Independent publisher focused on queer crime and mystery fiction. Partial overlap with Ylva's crime subgenre and WLW protagonist emphasis, though narrower in editorial scope.
Broad incumbents
- Audible (Amazon): Largest audiobook subscription and retail platform, a key distribution channel for Ylva's audio catalog. Not a competitor but a critical platform partner whose terms, algorithms, and discoverability directly shape Ylva's audiobook economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ylva Publishers social profiles
Digital presenceYlva Publishers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ylva Publishers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ylva Publishers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ylva Publishers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ylva Publishers 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 Ylva Publishers
What does Ylva Publishers do?
Ylva Verlag (Ylva Publishers) is a German-language book publishing house that publishes lesbian and sapphic (WLW — women loving women) fiction in paperback, e-book (EPUB/MOBI/PDF), and audiobook formats. The catalog spans romance, crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, erotica, young adult, contemporary fiction, and anthologies, combining German translations of English-language sapphic titles with original German works under a 'Happy-End-Garantie' (happy ending guarantee) promise. Audiobook editions are narrated by professional voice actors and distributed globally through Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Hugendubel, and Thalia.
Is Ylva Publishers a public or private company?
Ylva Publishers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ylva Publishers founded?
Ylva Publishers was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ylva Publishers based?
Ylva Publishers is headquartered in Kriftel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Ylva Publishers make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Paperback and E-books) is the primary driver. The others are audiobook Sales.
Who are Ylva Publishers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Querverlag, Männerschwarm Verlag, NineStar Press, Bella Books, Less Than Three Press, Bywater Books, JMS Books LLC and Bold Strokes Books. Supposed Crimes is listed as an emerging player. Audible (Amazon) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ylva Publishers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ylva Publishers.