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All New: Literary Queens
Co-Publishing
A Real Human Translation For The Cost Of AI Editing
You want your book in German. You don't want to use AI. We've got you.
We know how this goes. You've looked into professional translation, seen the price tag, and quietly started googling AI alternatives. We get it — but AI is the least thing your book deserves. Machine translation flattens voice, misses cultural nuance, and produces something that German readers can feel immediately. It doesn't just affect reviews. It affects trust in your brand as an author.
As a whole group of people who love books just as much as our authors, we couldn't watch anymore. And we needed to find a way to make the real thing accessible again. So we did.
Literary Queens Co-Publishing is a way to get a proper, human, literary-quality German translation at half the standard cost — with no compromise on quality, no hidden fees.
If your book takes off in Germany, brilliant. If it's a slow burn, you're still protected. Either way, you went with a real translator instead of a machine, and German readers and your concience will feel the difference.
Low Price
You pay half. We cover the rest. We split what it earns — fairly, transparently, and only for a small fixed window. After that, it's all yours to profit from.
Fairness On All Levels
You earn from the very first sale.
70 % of all royalties are yours until we've recovered our share of what we invested in the translation, then 90% until our agreed term is up. After that, 100% belongs to you — permanently, unconditionally, whether or not the translation fully paid out.
If it didn't, we absorb what's left. That's our half of the risk.
No Hidden Fees Or "Publishing Packages"
Straight forward, like you know us.
There are no other fees from us. No extras. All included. No catch.
A True Partnership
We use the same everything we use for our own titles — translation, editing, proofreading, beta reading, ARCs to German reviewers, and so on.
Our relationships in the German-speaking book world are put to use for every Co-Publishing title, because
a successful launch is good for both of us. That's the whole point of doing this together.
Stress free
We format, publish and distribute your German e-book across all major platforms. We handle the ISBNs, create the metadata, upload, pricing compliance, and throw in our existing retailer relationships.
Print Distribution
Once you have a professional translation from us, you automatically qualify for our newest and most exciting service: Print distribution!
Finally, we're making your book accessible to a reader market you haven't yet tapped into, because it's usually closed off to self-publishers.
Finally: Affordable Print Distribution With Fair Royalties And Actual Connections
If you're already part of the Literary Queens family and want to take things further — real bookstore placement in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, through Thalia and independent booksellers — Print Co-publishing is now available to you.
Benefit from a print run at our pre-negotiated bulk order prices with reputable printers (at around 1,80 - 2,80 € per copy, depending on order amount and page count) – you decide how many. We put our full distribution network behind it and handle everything: local storage, logistics, retailer ordering, and shelf placement. If the books retail at around 17€, and after all margins and logistics costs, we'll net per book approximately 36% of list price (~5.72€). You will receive 90 % of all royalties until your full investment is recouped. After that, and only after that, our margin increases to 30 %, meaning we will only recoup our time and efforts once you've broken even and we managed to move your books.
Example:
Print 500 copies at ~1,000€. At your 90% recoup rate, your investment is back after 175 sales. Everything after that earns you 70% of net margin per copy — on real bookshop shelves, under our imprint, distributed through channels most international authors can't access independently.
The important difference to so many other "offers":
With us, you're paying a printer to manufacture your book, not a vanity publisher to take it on and profit from selling you stuff. We only win when you do, and together, we believe we can make a real change in the way indie authors are participating in the German book industry.
Your risk: You're paying for a human translation at 50 % off, and you're paying a printer at discount prices.
This is what we'll throw in (at no additional cost whatsoever):
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Professional human translation, editing, proofreading and beta reading at half our standard rate — no AI, no shortcuts, the real thing
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Formatting of ebooks and paperbacks for printing
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E-book distribution across Tolino, Amazon.de, and all major German-language platforms
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ISBN registration and VLB entry (Germany's national Books in Print database — essential for retail ordering)
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Compliance with Buchpreisbindung, Germany's fixed retail pricing law
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ARC distribution and review outreach as part of every launch
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Our reputation and imprint on your book — a quality seal with established recognition
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Attractive prices for printing in bulk to maximize royalties
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Physical distribution through our distributor to bookstores across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
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Physical storage and fulfilment without lifting a finger
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Full copyright and exploitation rights for the translation after the term ends, no matter if we recouped the money or not
Should we speak some more?
Simply reach out and let's find out how and if we are a good fit!