Nova MD GmbH

What Nova MD GmbH does

Nova MD GmbH is a privately held German book and music distribution company headquartered near Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria, with offices in Seeon (headquarters and warehouse) and Vachendorf (registered office). Founded in 1999, the company provides distribution, logistics, and marketing services for books, audiobooks, audio plays, music CDs, magazines, stationery, and calendars to self-publishing authors, traditional publishing houses, and music/audiobook producers across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).

The core of the business is a proprietary publishing management and distribution platform that handles ISBN assignment, barcoding, VLB and VLB TIX listing, retailer account management, and real-time sales tracking. Nova MD operates an in-house publishing imprint called Kampenwandverlag and partners with feiyr.com for international digital distribution of music and eBooks. Complementary service lines include book printing through partner print facilities, a graphic services suite (cover design and typesetting / Buchsatz), mobile publishing management (Mobiles Verlagsmanagement), book marketing, magazine distribution, and audiobook CD distribution.

Nova MD earns revenue through a transaction-based take-rate model on each sale, retaining a fixed margin from the author-set retail price after retailer trade discounts, plus professional-services fees from add-on offerings such as printing, design, and marketing. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, supplemented by Google AdWords, social media on Facebook and Instagram, email newsletters, book fair participation at Frankfurt and Leipzig, webinars, and a book-blogger referral program. Distribution reaches all major DACH book trade channels, including Amazon, Thalia, Hugendubel, Graff, Libri, Zeitfracht, and Umbreit, alongside the VLB directory.

Name

Nova MD GmbH

Legal name

Nova MD GmbH

Website

https://novamd.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nova MD GmbH is a Bavarian book and music distributor founded in 1999 that provides retail distribution, logistics, and publishing services to self-publishing authors and small publishers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book and Media Distribution Services

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAJAA

Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

SECONDARYMPAJAJAH

Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

SECONDARYMPAJANAA

Trade Book Print-on-Demand (Fiction & Nonfiction)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Print-on-Demand Services

Keywords

• Book distribution services
• Self-publishing distribution
• Publisher fulfillment
• Media distribution logistics
• Audiobook CD distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Vachendorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book and Media Distribution Commission: Nova MD earns revenue by distributing books, audiobooks, CDs, and magazines on behalf of authors and publishers. The company uses a fixed margin-based model where authors set their own retail price and receive a calculated payout per sale, with Nova MD retaining its share from the pre-deducted trade discounts.
2. Publishing Services: Additional revenue is generated through complementary services including book printing, cover design, typesetting (Buchsatz), magazine distribution, audiobook CD distribution, and book marketing. These are offered as add-on services to distribution clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nova MD GmbH provides book, audiobook, music CD, and magazine distribution, logistics, and marketing services for authors and publishers. Core activities include ISBN and barcode assignment, VLB listing, physical distribution to DACH-region retailers (Amazon, Thalia, Hugendubel, Libri, Zeitfracht, Umbreit), invoicing, returns handling, and complementary services such as book printing, cover design, typesetting, and book marketing support. The company serves both self-publishing authors and traditional publishing houses.

Product overview

Nova MD GmbH operates as a book and music distribution company offering a comprehensive suite of services for authors and publishers. The core offering consists of book distribution (Buchvertrieb) which serves both self-publishers and traditional publishers through its Self Publisher & Eigenverlag and Verlagsauslieferung services. Supporting the distribution core, Nova MD provides complementary services including magazine distribution (Zeitschriftenvertrieb), audiobook CD distribution (Hörbuch CD Vertrieb), mobile publishing management (Mobiles Verlagsmanagement), and professional book printing (Buchdruck). The company also offers graphic services encompassing cover design and typesetting (Buchsatz), as well as book marketing tools. Nova MD maintains an in-house publishing imprint called Kampenwandverlag and partners with feiyr.com for digital distribution of music and eBooks. Distribution reach includes major DACH region retailers such as Amazon, Thalia, Hugendubel, Libri, Zeitfracht, and Umbreit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kampenwandverlag: In-house publishing house operated by Nova MD for publishing books.

Products and services

• Buchvertrieb (Book Distribution) Core book distribution service enabling authors and publishers to list and sell their books across the DACH region through major physical bookstores and online retailers including Amazon, Thalia, Hugendubel, Libri, Zeitfracht, Umbreit, and Graff.
• Self Publisher & Eigenverlag (Self-Publishing Distribution) Self-publishing distribution service allowing individual authors to publish and distribute their books without a traditional publishing house, including full-service support for ISBN assignment, barcoding, VLB listing, shipping, invoicing, and sales tracking.
• Verlagsauslieferung (Publisher Delivery) Distribution and fulfillment services for established publishing houses (Verlage) to reach physical bookstores and online retailers in the DACH region, including inventory management on commission, retailer listing, and consolidated invoicing.
• Zeitschriftenvertrieb (Magazine Distribution) Distribution service for magazines and periodicals to retail outlets across the DACH region, handling storage, shipping, and retailer placement.
• Hörbuch CD Vertrieb (Audiobook CD Distribution) Physical audiobook CD distribution service handling storage, shipping, invoicing, and retail placement of audiobooks through the DACH-region retailer network.
• Mobiles Verlagsmanagement (Mobile Publishing Management) Publishing management tool enabling authors and publishers to manage their titles, track sales, and handle administrative tasks (invoicing, reporting) via mobile devices.
• Buchdruck (Book Printing) Professional book printing service with access to partner printing facilities for self-publishers and publishers needing physical book production.
• Grafikservice (Graphic Services) Suite of graphic design services for books including cover design and typesetting (Buchsatz), ensuring books meet industry formatting and visual standards.
• Buch Marketing (Book Marketing) Marketing services for books including promotional tools, advertising support, and visibility enhancement for authors and publishers across digital channels.
• Kampenwandverlag (In-House Publishing Imprint) Nova MD's in-house publishing house imprint that publishes selected titles under its own brand, complementing the company's distribution business with proprietary content publishing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Nova MD authors have achieved SPIEGEL Bestseller status, including J.S. Wonda with over 13 SPIEGEL Bestsellers and Vanessa Göcking with 52 consecutive weeks on the SPIEGEL Bestseller list.

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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• feiyr.comcoreTechnology or Integrationfeiyr.com is Nova MD's international digital distributor for music and eBooks, complementing its physical distribution business. It is described as one of the leading music and eBook distributors worldwide, enabling Nova MD to offer a complete publishing ecosystem.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon is a key online retail partner for Nova MD's distributed titles, enabling authors' books to reach a broad consumer audience through Amazon.de.
• ThaliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThalia is a major DACH-region bookstore chain and online retailer, serving as a key channel for Nova MD's physical book distribution.
• HugendubelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHugendubel is a leading German bookstore chain with both physical and online retail presence, partnering with Nova MD for book distribution.
• GraffcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGraff is a book retailer and distribution partner serving the DACH book market.
• Black Edition VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlack Edition is a publishing house founded by author J.S. Wonda that publishes Nova MD distributed titles. Multiple Black Edition books have achieved SPIEGEL Bestseller status.
• PureBelleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPureBelle is a publishing imprint that works with Nova MD for book distribution. 'Kingdom of Light: Die Lichtkriegerin' by Becca S. Hale was published by PureBelle and achieved SPIEGEL Bestseller status.
• Kampenwand VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKampenwand Verlag is Nova MD's in-house publishing house, publishing titles under its own imprint including works by A.D. WiLK and Wibke Sommers that have achieved SPIEGEL Bestseller status.
• Lovemoon VerlagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLovemoon Verlag is a publishing partner of Nova MD, with titles including 'Only Sky above us' and 'Beyond our Dreams' listed among Nova MD's recent releases.
• Lycrow VerlagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLycrow Verlag is a publishing partner of Nova MD, with titles such as 'Witch Fire' distributed through Nova MD's network.
• Book Bloggers (Buchblogger)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNova MD has a dedicated contact page and partnership program for book bloggers who promote its authors' titles, serving as a grassroots marketing channel.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Libri GmbH: Largest book wholesaler in Germany and a distribution partner of Nova MD. Operates at much greater scale as a broad incumbent covering the full DACH bookstore supply chain, serving as both a competitor and a channel.
• Ingram Content Group: Global book distributor and print-on-demand provider (Lightning Source) serving publishers worldwide. Comparable at the distribution-services layer and a benchmark for how DACH distribution economics could evolve as publishers consolidate around larger platforms.

Others

• feiyr: International digital music and eBook distributor and Nova MD's existing technology partner. Closely related ecosystem participant; useful as a comparable for the digital half of Nova MD's distribution offering.

Direct peers

• BoD (Books on Demand): One of Germany's longest-established print-on-demand and distribution services for self-publishers, providing ISBN, typesetting, printing, and bookstore listing. Closely mirrors Nova MD's combination of POD and retail distribution.
• neobooks: Self-publishing platform operated by the Thieme publishing group that provides ISBN assignment, printing, and bookstore distribution. Overlaps with Nova MD's offering, particularly via the Thalia retail channel that both partners use.
• epubli: German self-publishing platform owned by Holtzbrinck that offers print-on-demand, ISBN, eBook distribution, and bookstore listing. Highly comparable in service breadth and DACH focus, with materially larger scale and corporate backing.
• Zebralution: Hamburg-based digital distributor for audiobooks, music, and podcasts. Comparable to Nova MD's audiobook and music distribution activities, particularly relevant as physical media migrates to digital.
• Herold Verlagsauslieferung: German book distributor specialising in publisher delivery (Verlagsauslieferung) to the German book trade. Comparable to Nova MD's publisher distribution service for established small publishers.
• tolino media: German self-publishing platform offering eBook and print distribution into the tolino ecosystem of bookstores. Comparable to Nova MD for DACH self-publishers, though with a stronger digital-first orientation.
• Tredition: Hamburg-based self-publishing service offering book printing, ISBN assignment, and distribution to physical and online bookstores in the DACH region. Directly comparable to Nova MD as a one-stop partner for self-publishers seeking retail listing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/novamd_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novamd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Nova MD GmbH