BoD Books on Demand
Hamburg print-on-demand publisher with fixed one-off packages from 39 euro, distribution to more than 6,000 shops and German book production
Quick Overview
| Company | Books on Demand GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Self-Publishing Platforms |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany |
| Founded | 1998 |
| EU Presence | Yes - Germany (EU) |
| Data Location | Print production in Germany; Libri Plureos GmbH in Hamburg processes print orders |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Print on demand from one copy, ISBN, e-book creation, distribution to bookshops and online stores, pseudonym imprint service, trial copy, audiobook production, cover design, book coaching |
| Pricing | 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 |
| Best For | German-language authors who want a fixed, visible price and a listing in the book trade |
| Replaces | Amazon KDP, IngramSpark |
Detailed Review
Where Amazon KDP lets you choose royalty options per title, BoD works from a price list. Its pricing page shows four tiers side by side: Print at 0 euro, Publish at 39 euro, Publish Plus at 299 euro and Publish Premium at 699 euro, each paid once per book.
The imprint names Books on Demand GmbH at Überseering 33 in Hamburg and the footer dates the brand from 1998. The about page counts 80,000 authors and 4,500 publishers, more than 100 staff in nine countries and 40,000 printed books a day.
What the Packages Buy
Publish at 39 euro includes an ISBN and listing in more than 6,000 bookshops and online shops, with Amazon, Thalia, Hugendubel, bücher.de, Heymann, tolino, Google Play and Apple named on the page. A free e-book built from your print file is optional, and a trial copy costs 49 euro on this tier.
Publish Plus adds the trial copy, promotion in the BoD shop and a cover design option. Publish Premium adds a book coach and up to three trial-copy rounds. A pseudonym imprint service is part of every Publish tier.
Royalties and Payout Rhythm
Authors set the retail price and receive a royalty for each book or e-book sold through the trade. The pricing page does not print a percentage, so the euro amount comes from the calculator for your format and page count.
Royalties are credited per sale and paid out quarterly, a slower cycle than the monthly payments several competitors on this page describe.
Extras and Where Data Goes
Paid extras listed on the services page include audiobook production from 360 euro per hour, a trade fair presence at 349 euro and a trade-magazine advertisement from 259 euro.
The privacy notice names Libri Plureos GmbH as processor for print jobs and Salesforce in the USA for newsletters, so the data chain is mostly German with one US tool.
Limitations to Consider
Publishing needs a one-off payment per book, the trial copy on the 39 euro tier costs extra, and the royalty percentage is not printed on the pages checked. Payments arrive quarterly. The parent company behind the Libri partner support line in the imprint was not confirmed from a register. This review rests on the vendor's pages, not a hands-on test.
Who Should Use BoD Books on Demand
Authors writing in German who prefer a single clear price per title, want an ISBN and trade listing handled for them, and are happy to be paid every quarter.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 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
Cons
- 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
Alternatives to BoD Books on Demand
Other European self-publishing platforms worth comparing before you decide:
tolino media
Germany · Self-publishing arm of the German tolino bookseller alliance
epubli
Germany · Berlin platform that publishes books free and keeps 30% of net
tredition
Germany · Family-run German platform with a quality check on every book
Bookmundo
Netherlands · Rotterdam print-on-demand platform without exclusivity or setup fees
See all European self-publishing platforms or compare them directly against Amazon KDP on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Publish tier costs a one-off 39 euro per book including an ISBN, while Publish Plus is 299 euro and Publish Premium 699 euro. A Print tier costs 0 euro and only covers copies you order for yourself, from 2.05 euro each depending on the format.
BoD credits a royalty for every book and e-book sold through the trade and pays it out quarterly. The amount depends on the retail price you set, and the pricing page does not give a percentage.
The about page describes print on demand from one copy in German production, plus production and distribution in several other countries. The privacy notice names Libri Plureos GmbH in Hamburg as the processor for print jobs.