Založba Goga

What Založba Goga does

Založba Goga is a Slovenian non-profit publishing house (zavod) founded in December 1998 in Novo mesto under the auspices of the Society of Novo mesto Students. It operates as an integrated literary organization combining book publishing, a physical bookstore and café (Knjigarna Goga, opened January 2000 on Glavni trg), a literary residency program (in operation since 2008 with a dedicated 95 sqm apartment since 2014), three annual festivals (Novo mesto short, Rudi Potepuški, Novomeški poletni večeri), and two juried short-prose awards (nagrada novo mesto and the Maruša Krese Award). Across roughly 25 years it has built a catalog of approximately 200 domestic and translated titles spanning contemporary novels, poetry, short stories, and essays, with a strong track record of Kresnik, Veronika, Prešernova, and Cankar award recognition.

The organization publishes in both print and digital formats; e-books are distributed in ePub with social DRM/watermark protection and are compatible with major reading platforms including Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, PocketBook, FBReader, Calibre, and Thorium. Distribution spans a flagship physical store, company-operated e-commerce, partner bookstores across Slovenia, and book fair participation. Goga also engages in rights and licensing sales (translation rights) and participates in EU-funded international literary projects including CELA (Creative Europe, four-year, 10-country talent development) and Reading Balkans (Balkan author mobility).

Commercially, revenue is generated through unit-priced book sales (€19.90–€37.90), e-book downloads, branded gift merchandise, festival and event programming, and public co-funding from Creative Europe, the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK), and the City of Novo mesto. The business is operated by a small team of approximately 6 employees across editorial, rights, events, and marketing functions, and there are no recorded external funding rounds or institutional investment — ownership remains rooted in the founding civil-society organization.

Name

Založba Goga

Legal name

Založba Goga, zavod za založniško in umetniško dejavnost

Website

https://goga.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Založba Goga is a Slovenian non-profit publishing house and literary organization that publishes contemporary fiction and poetry, operates the Knjigarna Goga bookstore in Novo mesto, runs literary residencies and festivals, and participates in EU-funded international literary projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Novo mesto

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book sales - physical and digital: Primary revenue from selling published books (novels, poetry, short story collections, essays) through physical bookstore, online store, and book fair participation. Books are sold in various formats including hardcover and ePub.
2. Rights and licensing: The company manages copyright and license sales through its [email protected] contact. International collaboration includes translation rights and literary exchange programs.
3. Cultural events and sponsorship: Revenue generated through organizing literary festivals (Rudi Potepuški, Novomeški poletni večeri, Novo mesto short) and cultural events, with support from public funding bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Založba Goga is a Slovenian non-profit publishing house that publishes and sells contemporary literary works (novels, poetry, short story collections, and essays) in both hardcover and ePub digital formats. It operates a flagship physical bookstore and cultural center (Knjigarna Goga), an online e-commerce store, a literary residency program, annual literary festivals and events, and a small line of gift merchandise. It also manages translation rights and licensing for its catalog.

Product overview

Založba Goga is a Slovenian publishing house founded in 1998 that operates as a multi-faceted literary organization. Its core offerings include published books (novels, poetry, short story collections, essays) in both physical and digital (ePub) formats, sold through its physical bookstore Knjigarna Goga (opened 2000) and online store. The company complements its publishing with cultural programming: literary residencies (Gogina literarna rezidenca, since 2008), international projects (Reading Balkans, CELA), and literary festivals (Novo mesto short, Rudi Potepuški, Novomeški poletni večeri). It also awards the novo mesto prize and Maruša Krese award for short prose. The gift program offers branded merchandise including stickers and bags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Knjige (Books) Published books including novels, poetry collections, short story collections, and essays from both domestic Slovenian and international authors. The catalog features contemporary literary fiction with print edition prices ranging from approximately €19.90 to €27.90 for standard editions and up to €37.90 for special editions.
• E-knjige (E-books) Digital books available in ePub format with social DRM/watermark protection that embeds buyer information in the file. E-books can be downloaded within 30 days of purchase with up to ten downloads permitted and are compatible with Thorium, Calibre, Kobo, FBReader, PocketBook, Apple Books, and Kindle (via format conversion) reader platforms.
• Knjigarna Goga (Bookstore) Physical bookstore and café at Glavni trg 6, Novo mesto, combining book retail with cultural programming. Features an atrium and outdoor terrace (opened 2012) and hosts over 100 literary and cultural events annually, including author readings, conversations, and literary evenings.
• Gogina literarna rezidenca (Literary Residency) Literary residence program offering a dedicated 95 square meter apartment above the Knjigarna Goga bookstore in Novo mesto's old town for both foreign and local literary creators. Available to authors, poets, essayists, and literary translators in connection with the company's international residency network (Passa Porta, LCB Leipzig, Ty Newydd, TRADUKI).
• Darilni program (Gift Program) Gift merchandise including Goga stickers (€3.00), book bags (€5.00-€6.00), and branded items from the literary merchandise line, sold as gift add-ons through the bookstore and online store.
• Novo mesto short (International Short Story Festival) International short story festival held in Novo mesto, featuring literary events and presenting the novo mesto prize (later renamed Maruša Krese Award) for the best short story collection of the previous year. The only short-prose award of its kind in Slovenia.
• Rudi Potepuški (Street Theater Festival) Annual street theater festival organized by Založba Goga featuring performances by national and international street theater groups.
• Novomeški poletni večeri (Novo mesto Summer Evenings) Summer literary and music event series held at the terrace of Knjigarna Goga, featuring author presentations and concerts from spring to autumn.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award recognition for published works in major Slovenian literary prizes (Kresnik, Cankar, Veronika awards)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creative EuropecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEU funding program supporting cultural and creative sectors. Co-funds Goga's publishing programs and international projects including Reading Balkans and literary residencies.
• Javna agencija za knjigo RS (JAK)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSlovenian Book Agency supporting book publishing, translation, and literary activities. Co-funds publishing programs and international exchange.
• Mestna občina Novo mestocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Novo mesto providing local support for cultural activities, festivals, and residency programs.
• TRADUKIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean literary network focused on Southeast European literature exchange. Supports residency programs and author mobility in the Balkans.
• Društvo slovenskih literarnih kritikov (DNS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian literary critics society. Participates in literary awards jury processes including nagrada novo mesto.
• Passa Porta (Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary residency network partner. Goga has established contacts with excellent literary residencies across Europe since 2008.
• LCB Leipzig (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary center Berlin - one of Europe's oldest literary centers with 50-year history. Partner for writer residencies.
• Ty Newydd (Wales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh literary residency partner in Goga's international residency network.
• CELA (European literary talent development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-year international project involving 30 authors, 80 translators, and 6 literary specialists from 10 European countries. Develops emerging literary talent.
• Goethe-Institut LjubljanaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman cultural institute supporting literary residencies and cultural exchange between Slovenia and Germany.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Litera (Maribor): Slovenian literary publisher based in Maribor. Comparable in Slovene-language literary focus and small-scale independent operations, providing regional (northeastern Slovenia) complement to Goga's Dolenjska positioning.

Emerging players

• Archipelago Books: US-based non-profit literary press dedicated to translated world literature. Highly comparable to Goga's translation-driven catalog and non-profit structure, with parallel mission of bringing international literary voices to readers.
• Fitzcarraldo Editions: Independent UK literary publisher focused on contemporary fiction and non-fiction, with an emphasis on European and translated literature. Comparable to Goga in editorial philosophy — quality literary fiction, often translated — and small-scale, prize-winning operation.

Direct peers

• Maska: Slovenian non-profit publisher focused on performing arts, theory, and contemporary culture. Comparable to Goga as a small Slovenian non-profit publisher combining niche editorial work with festival/event programming.
• Beletrina: Slovenian literary and cultural publisher and literary centre based in Ljubljana. Direct comparable to Goga in mission and scale: publishes contemporary Slovene literature, runs cultural events, and operates as a cultural intermediary.
• KUD Sodobnost International: Ljubljana-based cultural society publishing the long-running literary magazine Sodobnost and book titles. Direct comparable to Goga in combining literary publishing with cultural programming and a Slovene-language editorial mission.
• LUD Literatura: Slovenian literary journal and publisher of contemporary fiction, poetry, and essays. Highly comparable to Goga's editorial focus on quality Slovene literary writing, with a similarly small team and niche positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Cankarjeva založba: One of the largest Slovenian publishers, offering a broader portfolio than Goga across literary and general trade titles. Comparable in Slovene-language publishing focus but materially larger in scale and reach.
• Mladinska knjiga: The largest Slovenian publisher with a broad catalogue spanning literary, children's, and educational titles. Comparable in Slovene-language publishing and bookstore distribution but operates at significantly greater scale and with diverse product lines.
• Slovenska matica: Historic Slovenian cultural and publishing society with a long-standing literary publication programme. Comparable to Goga in cultural-mission orientation and Slovene-language focus, though with a longer institutional history and broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv2jC3sZgHbftLnLqDVmSsg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/zalozba.goga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zalo-ba-goga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Založba Goga