Gmeiner-verlag Gmbh

What Gmeiner-verlag Gmbh does

Gmeiner-Verlag GmbH is a privately held German book publisher founded in 1986 and headquartered in Meßkirch, Germany, operating with 11-50 employees under a GmbH legal structure. The company publishes German-language content across two main imprints: a primary 'Spannung' division focused on crime fiction (Krimi), historical novels, thrillers, true crime, Christmas crime titles, and interactive crime/puzzle games, plus a secondary 'Gmeiner studio' sub-brand dedicated to regional non-fiction including illustrated books (Bildbände), culinary guides, regional travel favorites (Lieblingsplätze), local history chronicles, biographies, and lifestyle guides.

The publisher's product offering spans more than 2,800 catalog titles, with print editions sold at €12-€38 and e-book editions in ePub/PDF formats sold at €4.99-€13.99, typically at promotional discounts versus print pricing. Underlying technology is a conventional book publishing platform supporting print and digital distribution, with no proprietary AI, data, or platform innovations disclosed. Distribution is multi-channel: physical bookstore retail across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; direct online sales via the publisher's website; wholesale trade distributors (Auslieferungen); and global e-book platforms.

The business model is unit-pricing on a one-time transactional basis, with print book sales as the primary revenue driver and e-book sales as a complementary digital stream. Go-to-market relies on a catalog website, monthly consumer and trade email newsletters, YouTube book trailers, Facebook engagement, in-person author readings across DACH-region venues, and seasonal promotional campaigns such as Sommeraktion (summer action). The customer base consists primarily of individual German-speaking readers of regional crime fiction and regional non-fiction, with trade bookstore buyers as a secondary channel partner. The company is independently owned with no disclosed parent, investors, or external funding.

Name

Gmeiner-verlag Gmbh

Legal name

Gmeiner-Verlag GmbH

Website

https://gmeiner-verlag.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gmeiner-Verlag GmbH is a privately held German book publisher founded in 1986, publishing German-language crime fiction, historical novels, thrillers, true crime, and regional non-fiction across print and e-book formats, serving primarily DACH-region readers through bookstore retail, wholesale distribution, direct online sales, and e-book platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Crime fiction publishing
• German book publishing
• Historical novels
• True crime books
• Regional non-fiction

Headquarters

HQ city

Meßkirch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Book Sales: Sale of physical books through retail bookstores, online orders, and direct sales. Print editions are the primary revenue driver, with prices ranging from €12 to €38 depending on format and content type.
2. E-book Sales: Digital sales of ePub and PDF formats. E-book prices typically range from €4.99 to €13.99, often offered at promotional discounts compared to print editions.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gmeiner-verlag GmbH is a German publishing house that publishes crime fiction, thrillers, historical novels, and regional non-fiction books in both print and digital formats (ePub/PDF). The catalog spans over 2,800 titles including specialized offerings such as true crime, culinary guides, travel/favorite-places books, biographies, picture books, and crime/puzzle games. The company operates primarily in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) through the Gmeiner studio imprint, which focuses on regional non-fiction tied to the Lake Constance region.

Product overview

Gmeiner-verlag Gmbh is a German book publishing house specializing in crime fiction, thrillers, and regional non-fiction. The company operates two main product lines: the 'Spannung' (Thriller/Crime) division featuring crime novels, historical crime fiction, contemporary novels, thrillers, true crime, Christmas crime, and interactive crime puzzle games; and the 'Gmeiner studio' sub-brand offering regional lifestyle content including picture books, culinary guides, travel books about favorite places, regional history chronicles, biographies, and puzzle games. The publisher offers both print and digital formats (ePub and PDF e-books).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gmeiner studio: A sub-imprint of Gmeiner-Verlag focusing on regional content including cookbooks, travel/lieblingsplätze (favorite places) guides, biographies, local history, and regional chronicles.

Products and services

• Krimi (Crime Fiction)
• Historische Romane (Historical Novels)
• True Crime Books
• Krimi- und Rätselspiele (Crime/Puzzle Games)
• Bildbände (Picture Books)
• Culinary Books
• Lieblingsplätze (Favorite Places Travel Books)
• Regional History Books
• Chronicles (Chroniken)
• Gmeiner studio Imprint
• E-Book-Sammelbände (E-Book Collections)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rowohlt Verlag: Major German trade publisher with crime/thriller and literary fiction lists (Holzbrinck), competing for the same German-language readers across retail and digital channels.
• Blanvalet Verlag: German imprint of Random House focused on thrillers and crime fiction, competing directly in the same retail category with deeper marketing budgets.
• Droemer Knaur: German trade publisher (Holtzbrinck) with strong crime/thriller and historical fiction lists, comparable in genres but with substantially broader scale and distribution.
• Ullstein Verlag: Major Berlin-based German trade publisher with broad fiction, crime, and thriller lists under the Bonnier umbrella, competing in the same retail channels.
• Bastei Lübbe: One of Germany's largest trade publishers with a strong crime/thriller list (e.g., Sebastian Fitzek), competing for shelf space and readers across the same genres Gmeiner publishes.
• Goldmann Verlag: Mass-market fiction imprint of Random House Germany with crime/thriller titles, competing for the same paperback and e-book shelf space as Gmeiner.
• Aufbau Verlag: Berlin-based German publisher covering literary and genre fiction plus regional non-fiction, comparable in scope to Gmeiner's combined Spannung and studio lines.
• Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv): Large German trade publisher with extensive fiction, crime, and non-fiction lists, operating in the same bookstore and e-book channels as Gmeiner.

Direct peers

• Emons Verlag: German independent publisher focused on regional crime fiction (Regiokrimi) and local non-fiction, structurally and thematically the closest peer to Gmeiner's regional crime and Gmeiner studio strategy.
• Diana Verlag: German publisher specializing in regional crime and romance fiction with strong DACH retail presence, comparable in genre focus and target reader to Gmeiner's fiction line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gmeinerverlag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gmeiner-verlag-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Gmeiner-verlag Gmbh