Every European Self-Publishing platform reviewed
Hamburg, Germany
Founded 1998
Print: 0 euro one-off, printing from 2.05 euro per copy; Publish: 39 euro one-off including ISBN; Publish Plus: 299 euro; Publish Premium: 699 euro
Demo on request
Best for: German-language authors who want a fixed, visible price and a listing in the book trade
BoD Books on Demand is a Hamburg service that prints each book when a copy is ordered and sells author packages at fixed one-off prices. Print costs 0 euro with printing from 2.05 euro a copy, Publish 39 euro with ISBN, Publish Plus 299 euro and Publish Premium 699 euro. The pricing page also names listing in over 6,000 shops.
The operating company is Books on Demand GmbH, founded in 1998, with print production in Germany, and order processing by Libri Plureos GmbH in Hamburg. The royalty percentage is not printed on the pages checked, payments arrive quarterly, and the 39 euro tier does not include a trial copy, which costs 49 euro. Which parent group owns the company was not confirmed from a register.
What BoD Books on Demand does well
- Prices for all four tiers are public on one page
- Printing from a single copy with German production
- ISBN and a pseudonym imprint service included in Publish tiers
- Optional audiobook, coaching and design services in one account
- Listing in over 6,000 shops named on the pricing page
Where BoD Books on Demand falls short
- A one-off fee per book, unlike free-to-publish platforms
- Trial copy costs 49 euro on the cheapest publishing tier
- Royalty percentage not shown on the pricing page
- Quarterly rather than monthly payouts
Standout feature. BoD is the one platform here that sells an imprint service for publishing under a pseudonym.
Munich, Germany
E-books free; print book basic fee 18.90 euro per book project; test prints without a basic fee
Demo on request
Best for: German-language authors whose readers buy e-books in the Thalia, Hugendubel and other tolino shops
tolino media connects authors to the tolino alliance of German bookshops, among them Thalia and Hugendubel. E-book publishing costs nothing, the royalty band is 87% for prices from 3.99 to 24.98 euro and 67% outside it, and statements come monthly. Word and ODT files are converted to EPUB, and audiobooks can be published too.
The operator is tolino media GmbH & Co. KG in Munich. For printed books for the trade the basic fee is 18.90 euro per book project, and test prints carry no basic fee. Print royalties vary with format, support is by email only, and neither the founding year nor the hosting location was found on the pages checked.
What tolino media does well
- E-book publishing costs nothing
- 87% royalty band in tolino alliance shops
- Monthly statements
- Print books for the trade for a flat 18.90 euro per book
- Test prints without a basic fee
Where tolino media falls short
- Focused on the German-language market
- Royalty drops to 67% outside the 3.99 to 24.98 euro band
- Support by email only, no telephone help
- Print royalty depends on format and is not a flat share
Standout feature. tolino media is the only platform here with marketing slots in the tolino shops.
Berlin, Germany
Founded 2008
Publishing free; print example 7.39 euro per copy for a 200-page pocketbook; shipping 2.95 euro in Germany and 9.95 euro abroad
Demo on request
Best for: German-language authors who want to publish at no cost and also order printed copies for private or business use
epubli is a Berlin publishing platform where publishing is free and the author keeps a stated 70% of net revenue. Books print from a single copy, an ISBN is included, titles are listed in the German directory of available books, and the cover designer is built in. Bulk discounts reach 50% for 1,000 copies.
The company behind it is Neopubli GmbH, founded in 2008, with servers in Germany according to the privacy notice. A 200-page pocketbook costs 7.39 euro per copy in the vendor's example, and shipping is 2.95 euro in Germany and 9.95 euro abroad. The terms page carries a 2008 date and the newsletter uses a US provider.
What epubli does well
- Publishing costs nothing
- Fixed 70% share of net revenue
- Print from a single copy with no minimum
- Twelve formats and five paper types
- Discounts up to 50% for 1,000 copies
Where epubli falls short
- Earnings are a formula, not a stated price per sale
- Print shipping costs 9.95 euro abroad
- Terms page shows a 2008 date
- Newsletter data goes to a US provider
Standout feature. epubli offers twelve formats and five paper types without a minimum print run.
Ahrensburg, Germany
Founded 2006
Publishing free over the book's lifetime; paid upgrade services optional; commission example 3.52 euro in bookshops and 10.50 euro in own shop for a 24.99 euro hardcover
Demo on request
Best for: Authors with non-fiction or illustrated books who want a human review and a high margin on direct sales
tredition is an Ahrensburg publisher that checks each book before release and lets the author revise it as often as wanted, with changes mostly live within hours and star ratings kept. Publishing is free over the lifetime of the book, and design and other extras are paid upgrades.
The company is tredition GmbH, founded in 2006 and described by the vendor as a family business. Its commission page shows 3.52 euro in the bookshop trade and 10.50 euro in its own shop for a 24.99 euro hardcover, so the channel changes the result more than the price does. Printing takes place at German printers, hosting is not stated, and the homepage figures are the vendor's own claims.
What tredition does well
- Free publishing over the book's lifetime
- Human quality check before release
- Price can be changed at any time
- 45% commission on own-shop sales in the example
- Revisions live within hours
Where tredition falls short
- 15% commission in the bookshop example
- Paid upgrade services for design and extras
- Mainly German-speaking market
- Quality check is advisory, not editing
Standout feature. tredition pays a 45% commission in its own shop in the vendor example, against 15% through bookshops.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Publishing free of charge, no upfront fees; royalty rates and price calculator on the site
Demo on request
Best for: Authors who want no exclusivity and a webshop of their own beside bookshop distribution
Bookmundo is a Rotterdam platform for Dutch, German and English books with free publishing and no upfront fees. It handles ISBNs, prints on demand, gives every author a webshop and names bookstores, Kobo and Amazon as distribution. Royalties are paid monthly and printed copies are discounted from three copies.
The operator is Mijnbestseller Nederland B.V. (KvK 53426312), and the privacy statement cites EU rules without naming a storage region. Titles are not exclusive. The pricing page needs JavaScript, so the royalty rates were not read, the English terms quote a 10-pound payout threshold, and the owner above the company was not confirmed.
What Bookmundo does well
- No upfront fees or hidden costs stated
- No exclusivity on titles
- Monthly royalty payments
- Own webshop for direct sales
- Printed copies discounted from three copies
Where Bookmundo falls short
- Royalty rates not readable on the pages checked
- Payout threshold of 10 pounds in the English terms
- Pricing page needs JavaScript
- Ultimate owner not confirmed
Standout feature. Bookmundo combines a personal webshop with bookshop, Kobo and Amazon distribution and no exclusivity.
Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, France
Publication free; author copy discounts from -5% at 5 copies; paperback unit cost from 8.01 euro incl. VAT in the cost example; Hachette packs as paid subscriptions
Demo on request
Best for: French-language authors who want free publication first and bookshop distribution as an add-on
Bookelis is a French service from Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire where publication is free and distribution is added later. The e-book share is 70% in the Bookelis shop and 40% on partner stores with the Optima option. Author copies get discounts from 5% at five copies to 25%, and a paperback unit cost starts at 8.01 euro including VAT in the cost example.
The company is Bookelis SAS, and the website is hosted by OVH in Roubaix, France, while book data location is not stated. Hachette Livre distribution is sold as paid packs for France, francophone countries or worldwide, and the pack prices were not on the pages checked. Pages and guides are in French only and the founding year was not found.
What Bookelis does well
- Publication on the platform is free
- 70% e-book share in the Bookelis bookshop
- Hachette Livre packs for France, francophone countries or worldwide
- Staggered discounts on author copies up to 25%
- Print on demand without stock
Where Bookelis falls short
- Only 40% e-book share on partner stores with Optima
- Hachette distribution is a paid add-on
- Site and guides are in French
- Pack prices not visible on the pages checked
Standout feature. Bookelis is the platform here that offers Hachette Livre distribution as an add-on to free publishing.
Paris, France
Founded 2014
Digital packs from 75 euro; digital and paper packs from 229 euro; free publication for authors under 26
Demo on request
Best for: French first-time authors who want a guided route and a chance to be picked up by a publisher
Librinova is a Paris service for French first-time authors that sells publication packs: digital from 75 euro, digital and paper from 229 euro, and free publication for authors under 26. A reading committee, a prize competition and writing coaching sit around the packs.
The company is SAS Librinova, founded in 2014, with its website hosted by OVH in Roubaix, France. It runs a literary agent programme that presents selected books to publishers. Pack contents and royalty percentages were not readable on the pages checked, the site is French only, and ownership above the SAS was not verified from a register.
What Librinova does well
- Packs with visible starting prices
- Literary agent programme towards publishers
- Reading committee feedback
- Free publishing for authors under 26
- Separate author and customer terms
Where Librinova falls short
- Paid packs rather than free publishing
- Pack contents not readable on the pages checked
- French-language service only
- Royalty percentages not found
Standout feature. Librinova runs a literary agent programme that pitches self-published books to publishing houses.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Platform use free; ISBN barcode 12.75 euro one-off for retail channels; paid editing and layout on request
Demo on request
Best for: Dutch-language authors who want their book listed with Dutch bookshops and online retailers
Brave New Books is an Amsterdam platform where use of the platform is free, an ISBN barcode costs 12.75 euro once for retail channels, and royalties are paid monthly. Print on demand, e-books, a cover design tool and a personal author shop are included, and the site names Bol.com and Bruna as listings.
The operator is Brave New Books B.V. An author can cancel at any time and keep the rights. No royalty percentage was found, only the claim that it is higher than elsewhere. The footer reads copyright 2020, and the privacy statement names Mybestseller in Rotterdam as contact, which points to shared operations the site does not explain.
What Brave New Books does well
- Platform use is free
- ISBN is the only mandatory cost at 12.75 euro
- Monthly royalty payments
- Cancel at any time with rights retained
- Listings at Bol.com and Bruna named
Where Brave New Books falls short
- No royalty percentage on the pages checked
- Reach is focused on the Benelux
- Footer copyright dated 2020
- Privacy statement points to another company's address
Standout feature. Brave New Books limits its mandatory cost to the 12.75 euro ISBN barcode.
Stockholm, Sweden
Print on demand and e-books 0 SEK per month, 10% commission on bookshop distribution, 20% on own online stores; streaming and libraries from 495 SEK per month; warehouse 1,395 SEK per month (prices excl. VAT)
Demo on request
Best for: Swedish and Norwegian authors and small publishers who prefer commission to a fixed fee
Publit is a Stockholm service for Swedish and Norwegian authors and small publishers. Print on demand and e-books cost 0 SEK a month, with 10% commission on bookshop distribution and 20% on its own online stores. Streaming and library distribution start at 495 SEK a month and a warehouse at 1,395 SEK a month, all excluding VAT.
The company is Publit Sweden AB (org.nr 556758-3595). Feeds go to Storytel, BookBeat and Nextory, libraries are reached via OverDrive, and ebook and audiobook conversion is offered. The pricing page covers publishers and individuals together, and global stores, hosting location, owners and founding year were not stated.
What Publit does well
- 0 SEK monthly fee on print and e-book plans
- Unlimited editions on the basic plans
- Streaming and library distribution without commission
- Warehouse option for physical stock
- Prices published openly
Where Publit falls short
- 10% to 20% commission on every sale
- Streaming plan needs a monthly subscription
- Focused on Sweden and Norway
- Prices in SEK excl. VAT
Standout feature. Publit sends titles to the Swedish streaming services and to libraries through OverDrive.
Peterborough, United Kingdom
Paperback from 1.17 GBP; hardback from 3.82 GBP; MyBookvault free with 19.95 GBP title set-up fee; Indie 24.95 GBP per month; Pro 89.95 GBP per month
Demo on request
Best for: Authors who sell through their own web store and want physical special editions
Bookvault is a Peterborough print service for authors who sell from their own store. Paperbacks start at 1.17 GBP and hardbacks at 3.82 GBP, plans run from the free MyBookvault tier with a 19.95 GBP title set-up fee to Indie at 24.95 GBP and Pro at 89.95 GBP a month. Connectors cover Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix and Payhip, and an API is available.
The operator is CopyTECH (UK) Limited, trading as Printondemand-worldwide, and printing takes place in Peterborough. As a UK company it sits outside the EEA, and its privacy policy mentions transfers outside the UK and EEA. No e-book service is described, royalties are paid within 90 days, and a status banner mentioned an outage when the pages were read.
What Bookvault does well
- Public printing prices and plan prices
- Store integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix and Payhip
- Special edition finishes from one copy
- API available
- UK printing with fast single-copy turnaround stated
Where Bookvault falls short
- Print-focused, no e-book service described
- Monthly plans cost 24.95 or 89.95 GBP
- Title set-up fee on the free tier
- Royalties paid within 90 days
Standout feature. Bookvault prints sprayed edges, foiling, box sets and slipcases from a single copy.
