tolino media
Munich self-publishing service of the tolino bookseller alliance, with free e-book publishing, royalty tiers up to 87% and print books for a flat fee
Quick Overview
| Company | tolino media GmbH & Co. KG |
|---|---|
| Category | Self-Publishing Platforms |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Germany (EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages checked |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Free e-book publishing, ISBN, Word or ODT to EPUB conversion, print books for the trade, audiobook publishing, monthly statements, marketing slots with tolino shops |
| Pricing | E-books free; print book basic fee 18.90 euro per book project; test prints without a basic fee |
| Best For | German-language authors whose readers buy e-books in the Thalia, Hugendubel and other tolino shops |
| Replaces | Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital |
Detailed Review
The tolino brand has stood since 2013 for an alliance of German booksellers, and the site lists Thalia, Mayersche, Hugendubel, Osiander and the wholesaler Libri among them. tolino media is the route for independent authors into that group of shops.
The imprint names tolino media GmbH & Co. KG at Albrechtstraße 14 in Munich, entered at the Munich court as HRA 98454, with Dr. Bernhard Mischke as managing director.
E-Book Royalty Bands
Publishing an e-book is described as always free. A free ISBN, conversion of a Word or ODT file to EPUB and updates to content, cover and metadata are included.
In the shops of the tolino alliance the author receives 87% of the sales proceeds for a retail price from 3.99 euro to 24.98 euro and 67% below or above that band. In other shops the figures are 70% and 40%. For a 3.99 euro e-book sold through Thalia or Hugendubel the page gives about 2.44 euro, and for the same price in the Google Play Store about 1.64 euro.
Print Books and Audiobooks
A print book for the trade carries a one-off basic fee of 18.90 euro per book project, which covers the ISBN barcode, a listing in the German directory of available books and later metadata changes. Author copies cost production and shipping only, with staggered discounts for larger orders.
Test prints and books for personal use go through a separate print route without a basic fee and without an ISBN. The site also has pages for audiobook publishing.
Settlement and Support
Statements arrive monthly, about two weeks after month-end for the alliance shops. The royalty on print depends on trim size, page count and colour pages, which the account shows while the book project is set up.
The imprint states that the team gives no telephone support for self-publishing questions and asks for email or the contact form.
Limitations to Consider
The audience is mostly the German-speaking market and the tolino shops. Print royalties vary with format and have no fixed percentage on the pages checked. No hosting location or founding year for the company was found. This review rests on the vendor's pages, not a hands-on test.
Who Should Use tolino media
German-language authors with a finished manuscript who want e-book publishing without a fee and a high royalty tier in the tolino alliance shops.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 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
Cons
- 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
Alternatives to tolino media
Other European self-publishing platforms worth comparing before you decide:
BoD Books on Demand
Germany · Hamburg print-on-demand house with fixed one-off publishing packages
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
Yes, the site states that publishing an e-book is always free, with an ISBN, EPUB conversion from Word or ODT and updates included. Only print books for the trade carry a basic fee of 18.90 euro per book project.
In tolino alliance shops the author gets 87% of the sales proceeds for prices from 3.99 euro to 24.98 euro and 67% outside that band. In other shops the shares are 70% and 40%. The proceeds are the retail price less VAT, trade discounts and distribution costs.
The tolino site says the brand has stood since 2013 for an alliance of German booksellers, naming Thalia, Mayersche, Hugendubel, Osiander and the wholesaler Libri, with Weltbild included until August 2024. The publisher of tolino media is tolino media GmbH & Co. KG in Munich.