Milan, February 1, 2024 – Bookrepublic, one of the leading providers of digital publishing services in Italy, announces a key partnership with Bookwire, marking Bookwire’s entry into the Italian market through the acquisition of Bookrepublic's distribution business.
This strategic move introduces the international player Bookwire to the Italian market, offering expertise in ebooks, audiobooks, and print-on-demand. Italian publishers will now have access to a global network, enhanced data, additional marketing services, and a significant boost in audiobook distribution, fostering greater competitiveness and growth opportunities. Bookwire is a Frankfurt-based digital publishing services and distribution company and one of the world leaders in the sector, present in Germany, the UK, Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico and the US.
The origin and value of the transaction are based on the combination of Bookrepublic's in-depth knowledge of the Italian market and excellent reputation on the one hand, and on Bookwire's international presence, its "Bookwire OS" distribution platform, as well as on its additional resources and considerable experience in the audio sector on the other: a match of different levels and competences that from its very beginnings intends to guarantee new and better solutions for the digital business of Italian publishers, pushing the boundaries of innovation and service excellence in the publishing sector.
To preserve the long-standing and trusted partnerships with its customers, the Bookrepublic team will become part of Bookwire's international organization, thus ensuring continuity and stability.
Marco Ferrario, CEO of Bookrepublic, states: "This collaboration opens up new possibilities for our clients. With Bookwires global reach and added resources, we are well-positioned to provide an even more robust and competitive service, ensuring the best outcomes for our publishing partners."
Jens Klingelhöfer, CEO of Bookwire, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "Marco and his team have built a great market position, reputation and customer relationships in the Italian market. By entering one of the largest and strongest book markets in Europe, Bookwire continues to solidify its position on the European continent and its global footprint. Bookrepublic’s diverse services and expertise perfectly complement our goals, bringing significant value to both our companies and the publishers we serve."
In a joint statement, Jens Klingelhöfer and Marco Ferrario emphasized the seamless transition and continuity for clients: "For publishers and clients of Bookrepublic, it's business as usual. The entire Bookrepublic team remains on board, ensuring stability and uninterrupted service. The Italian market holds immense potential for growth, and we are excited to further develop and strengthen our presence there."
Mariana Feged, General Manager for all non-German speaking European markets for Bookwire, states: "I am looking forward to working with the talented and experienced team at Bookrepublic, getting to know the needs and wishes of Italian publishers even better and support the Italian book market as a whole in bringing their stories, knowledge and valuable content to even more people than ever before."
About Bookrepublic
Bookrepublic was founded in Milan in 2010 on the initiative of Marco Ferrario and financing partners Guido Paolo Gamucci, Gianluca Andena, Marco Pittini and Guido Carissimo. From the outset, it has positioned itself as one of the main references in the digital publishing sector in Italy, through the design and development of a distribution platform that over time has become one of the most reliable and powerful in the market, used by over 420 Italian publishers with a catalog of over 40,000 titles, and a store that guarantees the ecommerce of the entire digital catalog of Italian publishers. In addition to this, Bookrepublic has over the years realized IfBookThen, the main event on digital publishing with guests from all over the world, and launched several innovative publishing activities including 40K and Emmabooks. The sale of the digital distribution business to Bookwire is a sign of the great appreciation for the work done by the Bookrepublic team, which remains at the helm of the Italian market. For the company, this step represents both the crowning achievement of past efforts and the beginning of new paths that will further strengthen its central position in the digital publishing market.
About Bookwire & “Bookwire OS – One Solution”
Bookwire GmbH was founded in Frankfurt in 2010 as a service provider for publisher distribution of eBooks and digital content. It has since become one of the leading international businesses in digital publishing technology. Bookwire currently employs 150 people in Germany, the UK, Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico and the USA, who take care of more than 2,500 publishers in the fields of eBooks, audiobooks, podcasts and Print-on-Demand. The pioneering software “Bookwire OS – One Solution”, launched in 2019, has delivered, analyzed and marketed around 800,000 eBooks and 200,000 audiobooks in all relevant distribution channels. In addition to the latest customer analytics and pricing technology, publishing clients of Bookwire GmbH also have access to individual support from account & marketing managers who look after the clients from end to end. In 2019, the audiobook production solution “We Audiobook You” (WAY) bagged the business the first “Digital Publishing Award” in the field of B2B solutions. Bookwire GmbH is led by the founders Jens Klingelhöfer (CEO) and John Ruhrmann (CO-CEO), as well as by Christian Lindemann (COO), and has branches in Barcelona, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, New York and Paris, in addition to the company headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and the "Digital Hub" in Dortmund.
Press Office Bookrepublic
Lisa Oldani +39 349 4788358 – annalisaoldani@gmail.com
Claudia Tanzi +39 340 1098885 – ct.claudiatanzi@gmail.com
Corporate Communications Manager Bookwire
David Breitwieser Alfaro
david.alfaro@bookwire.de
