Self-Publishing in German

Germany is the third largest book market in the world, and unlike the saturated English-language markets, there is real room for indie authors to build a loyal readership there. This fully updated second edition shows you exactly how.

We start at the very beginning: which of your books should you translate first? The answer is not always obvious. Get it wrong and it will cost you. Once you have picked your title, we walk through everything you need to know about working with a professional translator: how to find one, what to put in the contract, and what legal protections to be aware of. Did you know every German book needs an Impressum? An interview with a lawyer explains the legal requirements.

We also tackle the question every indie author is asking right now: can you use AI translation tools? Yes, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. New chapters cover the pros and cons of AI-assisted translation, how much human editing an AI translation actually needs, and what the law says about copyright and disclosure. There is also a contributed chapter by a German literary translator on what human expertise brings that AI still cannot.

Once your translation is ready, you will need to decide how to publish it. Direct with retailers, through a distributor, or a mix of both? The German market has its own ecosystem. Amazon.de matters, but so does tolino, which powers over 1,500 independent German bookshops. This guide takes a detailed look at every significant option so you can make an informed choice.

New chapters also cover tolino print books, how to get your titles into German brick-and-mortar stores (and no, Ingram Spark is not how you do it), and audiobooks including tolino distribution and AI narration. The marketing section covers Lovelybooks (Germany's answer to Goodreads), BookTok for German audiences, how to get reviews, and how to access retailer promotions.

Throughout, you will find real survey data from indie authors already publishing in German, bonus materials, and exclusive discount codes for tools and services to help keep costs down.

The author of this guide has over 70 German translations published across three genres. Germany is now her biggest market worldwide, more so than the US, more so than anywhere else. This is everything she wishes she had known from the start.

If you have ever wondered whether Germany is worth it: it is. This is how you do it properly.