April Books
April Books is a Dutch independent romance publisher founded in 2021, selling e-books, paperbacks, and short stories directly to Benelux consumers through its own e-commerce site, complemented by licensed Dutch translations of international romance authors and occasional author events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNetherlands, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What April Books does
April Books is an independent Dutch romance book publisher founded in 2021 and headquartered in the Netherlands, operating as a privately held, bootstrapped company under founder Petra Kruijt. The company publishes romance, feelgood, and new adult fiction in both original Dutch/Flemish works and licensed translations of international authors, spanning subgenres such as dark romance, LGBTQ+, romantasy, cowboy, sci-fi romance, and BDSM.
Its product portfolio consists of e-books delivered via secure email download links, physical paperback and hardcover editions, short digital stories (korte verhalen), and ticketed author meet-and-greet events. The technology stack is a standard e-commerce storefront (aprilbooks.nl) supporting catalog browsing, checkout, and digital fulfillment, with no proprietary platform or AI/ML components disclosed.
Revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer unit sales priced between €2 and €27.50 for e-books, €4 to €25 for paperbacks, and up to €45 for special editions and box sets. The company markets primarily through organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok) targeting romance readers in the Benelux region, and operates with a small team handling editorial selection, marketing, and administration.
April Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- April Books
- Legal name
- April Books
- Website
- https://aprilbooks.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- April Books is a Dutch independent romance publisher founded in 2021, selling e-books, paperbacks, and short stories directly to Benelux consumers through its own e-commerce site, complemented by licensed Dutch translations of international romance authors and occasional author events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
April Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)
Keywords
Where April Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Netherlands
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
April Books business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sales of romance, feelgood, and new adult books in both e-book and paperback formats directly to consumers through the company's online shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E-book pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Special editions and box sets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
April Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
April Books is an independent Dutch romance book publisher that sells romance, feelgood, and new adult fiction directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website. It publishes original Dutch- and Flemish-language works alongside translated international romance titles, offering e-books (delivered via secure email download links), paperback and hardcover physical books, short digital stories, and author event tickets.
Product overview
April Books is a Dutch romance book publisher founded in 2021 by Petra Kruijt. The company publishes romance, feelgood, and new adult books from Dutch, Flemish, and international authors. Their product portfolio consists of e-books (digital downloads via secure email link), physical paperback and hardcover books, and short stories (korte verhalen). They also offer event tickets for author meet & greets. The company specializes in genres including dark romance, cowboys, sci-fi romance, BDSM, LGBTQ+ (f/f, m/m), and various romance sub-genres like enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, and small-town romance. Books are available in multiple languages including Dutch translations of foreign authors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- E-books Digital versions of romance, feelgood, and new adult books delivered to customers via secure download links sent by email.
- Physical Books (Papieren boeken) Printed paperback and hardcover editions of romance novels and collections, with next-day delivery for orders placed before 2 PM.
- Short Stories (Korte verhalen) Short digital romance stories available as e-books at lower price points, allowing readers to sample authors and subgenres.
- Author Event Tickets Tickets to author meet-and-greet events, such as the Meet & Greet with Amy Daws on 22 April 2026, allowing readers to engage directly with romance authors.
Companies that use April Books
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
April Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
April Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
April Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cargo: Independent Dutch publisher focused on literary fiction, nonfiction, and genre fiction including romance-adjacent titles. Comparable to April Books as a Dutch indie publisher with cross-genre fiction lists and similar direct-to-consumer brand positioning.
- Harlequin: Global romance-imprint owned by HarperCollins and the dominant romance publisher worldwide. Comparable to April Books as a publisher specializing almost exclusively in romance across subgenres and multiple formats (print and digital).
- Overamstel Uitgevers: Large Dutch trade publisher (owning imprints such as De Fontein, A.W. Bruna, and Prometheus) publishing Dutch-language fiction including romance and thriller titles. Comparable to April Books by virtue of overlapping Dutch-language romance/fiction readership and competing for the same Dutch author pool.
- Avon Books: Long-running romance imprint of HarperCollins publishing contemporary, historical, and romantasy titles. Comparable to April Books as a romance-focused publisher targeting the same adult female romance readership across print and digital.
- Zomer & Keuning: Dutch trade publisher of general fiction and nonfiction with romance titles in its catalog. Comparable to April Books as a Dutch-language trade publisher with overlapping fiction audiences and similar retail distribution channels.
Regional players
- Lannoo: Belgian publisher with a strong Dutch-language general interest and fiction list. Comparable to April Books as a fellow Benelux-based Dutch-language publisher competing for romance and feelgood readers in the same regional market.
- De Vries Van Stockum: Dutch book wholesaler and distributor serving Dutch-language publishers and retailers. Comparable to April Books operationally as a channel partner for distributing Dutch-language titles to bookstores across the Netherlands and Belgium.
Direct peers
- Entangled Publishing: Independent romance-focused publisher producing romance, romantasy, and new adult titles across digital and print formats. Comparable to April Books as a genre-specialist indie romance publisher running a similar multi-format, multi-subgenre catalog strategy.
- Tule Publishing: Independent romance publisher releasing across contemporary, paranormal, and romantic suspense subgenres in e-book and print. Comparable to April Books as a fellow indie romance publisher with a digitally-led, multi-subgenre business model.
- The Wild Rose Press: Independent romance publisher with a wide subgenre roster and both digital and print distribution. Comparable to April Books as a romance-specialist indie publisher operating across many subgenres and price points.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
April Books social profiles
Digital presenceApril Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
April Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
April Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
April Books 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 April Books
What does April Books do?
April Books is an independent Dutch romance book publisher that sells romance, feelgood, and new adult fiction directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website. It publishes original Dutch- and Flemish-language works alongside translated international romance titles, offering e-books (delivered via secure email download links), paperback and hardcover physical books, short digital stories, and author event tickets.
Is April Books a public or private company?
April Books is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was April Books founded?
April Books was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is April Books based?
April Books is headquartered in Netherlands, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does April Books make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are April Books's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cargo, Harlequin, Overamstel Uitgevers, Avon Books and Zomer & Keuning. Regional players are Lannoo and De Vries Van Stockum. Direct peers are Entangled Publishing, Tule Publishing and The Wild Rose Press.
Does April Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for April Books.
What industry is April Books in?
April Books's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJAMAA, E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.