Voland & Quist
Verlag Voland & Quist is a Berlin-based independent German literary publisher founded in 2004, releasing contemporary fiction, poetry, children's books, and Central/Eastern European translations across six imprints through German-language bookstore networks and its own website.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Voland & Quist does
Voland & Quist (legal entity: Verlag Voland & Quist GmbH) is an independent German literary publishing house headquartered in Berlin (Gleditschstraße 66), founded in 2004 and operating with a small team of approximately 9 employees under management of Leif Greinus and Ilka Winkler (Geschäftsführung). The company specializes in contemporary literary fiction, poetry, children's and youth literature, graphic novels, and translations of international works, with a distinct editorial focus on Central and Eastern European literature, particularly Czech, Ukrainian, and Polish authors. The catalog is organized across six specialized imprints: SONAR (contemporary fiction), AZUR (novels), TAXI (urban literature), JUNG (youth literature), VELO (poetry and fiction), and V&Q Books (English-language international literature), plus the IKONEN biographical series.
The publisher operates a traditional book publishing business model with multi-format revenue streams including physical books (hardcover and paperback, typically €10–25), EPUB e-books (€7–17), audiobooks (Audio-CD and MP3), music CDs featuring spoken word and poetry, sheet music/songbooks, tear-off calendars, and graphic novels. Pricing is unit-based with no subscription or licensing model. Distribution is through the established German book trade (Verkehrsnummer 12882), major online retailers (Amazon.de, Thalia, Hugendubel, buecher.de, Weltbild, and others), the publisher's own e-commerce site with free Germany/EU shipping, and physical bookstores. The go-to-market is sales-led, supported by organic social media (Instagram at @volandquist, Facebook at VerlagVolandundQuist), a newsletter, the Verlagsblog, and a steady cadence of author readings, book launches, and literary festival appearances. Marketing and customer segments are persona-driven, primarily targeting literary fiction readers with secondary reach into children's book buyers and educators.
The business is privately held (GmbH), generates no publicly disclosed revenue, has no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and operates primarily in Germany and the EU with worldwide shipping available on request. The company has accumulated notable industry recognition, including a longlist nomination for the Deutscher Buchpreis 2022 (for 'Freudenberg' by Carl-Christian Elze), Bayerischer Buchpreis 2022 nomination, Förderpreis Komische Literatur 2023, and consecutive Hotlist der unabhängigen Verlage selections in 2022 and 2025.
Voland & Quist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Voland & Quist
- Legal name
- Verlag Voland & Quist GmbH
- Website
- https://voland-quist.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Verlag Voland & Quist is a Berlin-based independent German literary publisher founded in 2004, releasing contemporary fiction, poetry, children's books, and Central/Eastern European translations across six imprints through German-language bookstore networks and its own website.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Voland & Quist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB), Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)
Keywords
Where Voland & Quist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Voland & Quist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Physical): Sales of physical books including hardcover, paperback, and illustrated editions. Books are sold through multiple channels including bookstores, online retailers, and direct website orders.
- E-book Sales: Digital editions of books sold in epub format, typically priced lower than physical editions.
- Audio Products: Audio books, CDs, MP3 downloads, and spoken word recordings including comedy and poetry performances.
- Merchandise: Sale of publisher merchandise including calendars, songbooks, and other branded products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E-books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Audio Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Voland & Quist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Voland & Quist is an independent German publishing house that publishes contemporary literary fiction, poetry, children's books, graphic novels, and humor/satire across multiple editorial imprints (SONAR, AZUR, TAXI, JUNG, V&Q Books, VELO, IKONEN). The company produces physical books, e-books, audiobooks, music CDs, sheet music, and tear-off calendars, with a distinctive emphasis on translating international literature from Central and Eastern Europe (notably Czech, Ukrainian, and other Slavic authors) into German.
Product overview
Voland & Quist is an independent German publishing house (Verlag) based in Berlin specializing in contemporary literature, translated works, and special format products. The publishing house operates as a multi-imprint platform featuring distinct sub-brands: SONAR (contemporary fiction), AZUR (novels), TAXI (urban literature), JUNG (youth literature), V&Q Books (English-language international literature), and VELO (poetry and fiction). The core product portfolio encompasses hardcover and paperback books across genres including novels, poetry, children's literature, biographies, and graphic novels. Supporting products include digital ebooks (EPUB format), audiobooks (Audio-CD and MP3 download), music CDs featuring spoken word performances, sheet music/songbooks, tear-off calendars, and DVDs. The company publishes primarily German translations of international literature with a focus on Czech, Ukrainian, and other Central/Eastern European works, as well as humor, satire, and contemporary German-language literature.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- V&Q Books: International literature imprint publishing works in English translation
- AZUR
- SONAR
- JUNG
- TAXI
- VELO
- IKONEN
Products and services
- Bücher (Physical Books) Hardcover and paperback books including novels, poetry collections, short stories, biographies, children's books, and graphic novels published across multiple imprints (SONAR, AZUR, TAXI, JUNG, VELO, IKONEN). Most titles priced €10-25; children's books around €13-18, novels €17-24, poetry collections €20-24. Sold to general literary readers across DACH and EU markets.
- E-Books Digital EPUB format editions of published titles, typically priced €7.99-16.99, lower than corresponding physical editions. Available for download to individual readers.
- Hörbücher (Audiobooks) Audiobooks available as Audio-CD and MP3 download formats, including spoken-word and poetry recordings such as Nora Gomringer's 'Am Meerschwein übt das Kind den Tod'. Sold to literary readers preferring audio consumption.
- Musik-CDs (Music CDs) Music CDs featuring spoken word performances and poetry albums, including 'PENG PENG PARKER' by Nora Gomringer and Philipp Scholz. Sold as standalone physical audio products.
- Notenhefte (Sheet Music) Sheet music and songbook products, including 'Das nächste große Ding – Songbook' featuring music from the band Arbeitsgruppe Zukunft. Sold as standalone printed music publications.
- Abreißkalender (Tear-off Calendars) Tear-off calendar products including 'Der Kalender der Flüche', a perpetual calendar with humorous curse-themed daily entries. Sold as standalone calendar merchandise.
- Graphic Novels / Comics Graphic novel products including 'QualityLand – Band 1.1 and 1.2' by Marc-Uwe Kling, illustrated by Zachary Tallent. Sold as standalone illustrated comic-format books to readers of illustrated literature.
Companies that use Voland & Quist
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Voland & Quist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Voland & Quist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Voland & Quist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ullstein Verlag: Large Berlin-based general trade publisher with literary and genre fiction. Broad incumbent with deeper marketing budgets and distribution leverage compared with Voland & Quist's independent footprint.
- dtv (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag): Major German paperback publisher with an extensive literary catalog. Broader incumbent competing across multiple genres rather than specializing in a niche editorial identity like Voland & Quist.
Direct peers
- Residenz Verlag: Austrian literary publisher focused on contemporary fiction, poetry, and translations. Comparable to Voland & Quist in literary and translated fiction, with similar independent positioning in the DACH region.
- Droschl Literaturverlag: Independent Austrian literary publisher focused on contemporary fiction, poetry, and experimental literature. Comparable to Voland & Quist as a small independent literary house with a curated, translation-aware list.
- Diogenes Verlag: Swiss independent publisher specializing in literary fiction, crime fiction, and humor. Comparable to Voland & Quist in literary fiction and humor/satire, though operating at much larger scale.
- Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi): German literary publisher known for contemporary fiction, non-fiction, and translated works. Competes with Voland & Quist in the German trade publishing market for literary readers.
- Carl Hanser Verlag: Munich-based literary and nonfiction publisher with a strong poetry and translated fiction list. Comparable to Voland & Quist in editorial emphasis on literary quality and international translated works.
- Suhrkamp Verlag: One of Germany's most prestigious literary publishers, publishing contemporary fiction, poetry, and translated works. Directly comparable to Voland & Quist's literary fiction and translation focus, though operating at substantially larger scale.
- Wallstein Verlag: German independent publisher with strengths in literary nonfiction, poetry, and cultural scholarship. Comparable to Voland & Quist as a small independent literary publisher with a specialized editorial profile.
Regional players
- edition text + kritik: Munich-based independent publisher of literary criticism, poetry, and humanities scholarship. Comparable to Voland & Quist as a small independent literary publisher with a scholarly-poetic editorial focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Voland & Quist social profiles
Digital presenceVoland & Quist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Voland & Quist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Voland & Quist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Voland & Quist 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 Voland & Quist
What does Voland & Quist do?
Voland & Quist is an independent German publishing house that publishes contemporary literary fiction, poetry, children's books, graphic novels, and humor/satire across multiple editorial imprints (SONAR, AZUR, TAXI, JUNG, V&Q Books, VELO, IKONEN). The company produces physical books, e-books, audiobooks, music CDs, sheet music, and tear-off calendars, with a distinctive emphasis on translating international literature from Central and Eastern Europe (notably Czech, Ukrainian, and other Slavic authors) into German.
Is Voland & Quist a public or private company?
Voland & Quist is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Voland & Quist founded?
Voland & Quist was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Voland & Quist based?
Voland & Quist is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Voland & Quist make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Physical) is the primary driver. The others are E-book Sales, audio Products and merchandise.
Who are Voland & Quist's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ullstein Verlag and dtv (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag). Direct peers are Residenz Verlag, Droschl Literaturverlag, Diogenes Verlag, Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi), Carl Hanser Verlag, Suhrkamp Verlag and Wallstein Verlag. edition text + kritik is listed as a regional player.
Does Voland & Quist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Voland & Quist.
What industry is Voland & Quist in?
Voland & Quist's product category is Independent Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAC, Literary & Classics Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAFAB, Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.