Why Tolino is the Game-Changer in Times of AI Slop for Indie Authors in Germany

When indie authors think about publishing ebooks in Germany, Amazon.de and KU usually come to mind first. Yet, many overlook a major player that holds significant sway in the German ebook market: Tolino. This platform offers unique advantages that can open a valuable second revenue stream for authors targeting German readers. In our opinion, it is only a matter of time until it outperforms KU. Understanding why Tolino is worth your attention can help you expand your reach and navigate the current KENP slump for your sales in Germany.

A reader using her e-reader to read an ebook

What is Tolino and Why Does It Matter?

Tolino is not a single company — it's an alliance of major German-speaking booksellers who joined forces in 2013 to create a competitive alternative to Amazon's Kindle ecosystem. The founding partners include Thalia (Germany's largest bookstore chain), Hugendubel, Weltbild, and eBook.de, all operating under a shared ebook infrastructure and e-reader device. It offers an ecosystem of ebook readers, an online store, and a self-publishing portal. Unlike Amazon, which dominates many markets globally, Tolino holds a strong position in Germany, especially among readers who prefer to support local retailers or avoid Amazon’s ecosystem.

For indie authors, Tolino represents a chance to tap into a loyal and engaged German-speaking audience. While KDP is a powerful tool, Tolino’s network of physical bookstores and online shops means your ebook can reach readers who might not shop on Amazon. This can be especially important for genres popular in Germany or for books with strong local appeal.

What this means in practice is that when a reader buys an ebook through Thalia.de, Hugendubel, or several other German retail partners, they are buying into the Tolino ecosystem — not Amazon's. Tolino has captured approximately 40% of the German ebook market, putting it in a near-even split with Amazon Kindle's roughly 40% share. In almost every other country in the world, Amazon dominates ebook sales at 80–95% of the market. Germany is the extraordinary exception.

How Tolino Compares to KDP for Indie Authors

Many authors ask whether Tolino is better than KDP. To answer this, we need to look at a few facts.

If you only publish on KDP, you are — by default — invisible to roughly 40% of German ebook readers. These are readers who actively prefer to buy from German-owned, German-language retail environments rather than from Amazon. Many of them are the exact demographic most likely to seek out German-translated genre fiction: culturally invested, platform-loyal, and willing to support authors discovered through Thalia's curated recommendations.

Thalia itself — the anchor of the Tolino alliance — reported ebook and audiobook revenue growth of 18% and 21% respectively in its 2024/25 fiscal year, reinforcing that the platform's readership is growing, not shrinking. Because of their close connections to retail giants and publishers, their passion and love for books is a major selling arguement for readers. Amazon and Kindle pushing authors to translate with AI through Kindle Translation and collecting data on the use of AI within books without repercussions is a major driver for readers actively moving away from KU and over to tolino.

How To List Your Books on Tolino

You have two main routes. One is through tolino media directly, while the other is through an aggregator like Draft2digital, Bookwire, Feiyr and others.

Tolino Media (direct) — Tolino's own self-publishing portal, which offers a 87 % royalty commission on sales for books priced 3.99 and up, is primarily designed for German-based authors, but international authors can access it as well. Note that uploading your book may entail a few problems due to language barrier and customs, but in any case, tolino employees are accessible and respond quickly to questions. During the uploading phase, you will be asked whether you would like tolino to distribute your books to other retailers (e.g. Amazon, Skoobe etc). Royalties that stem from partner shops may have lower royalties, but it's usually your only reliable way to access these stores.

Tolino also actively supports selfpublishers by having their own awards lik Author of the Month, and they actively promote books they deem as fit for the market to help you achieve the maximum impact.

Aggregators like Draft2Digital, Bookwire or Feiyr can access and distribute your book to tolino and their ecosystem as well. Especially Draft2Digital is quite easy to navigate for English speakers and distributes directly to the Tolino store network. You upload once and your ebook becomes available across all Tolino retail partners.

What most indie authors don't know: Ingram Sparks has been a go-to printer for many. While the quality definitely outperforms KDP printing, it's important to know that Ingram does not supply retailers with your book and does not list your book in the VLB. This is required to actively have access to German brick and mortar stores.

Do I Have to Leave KU to Publish With Tolino?

Yes and no. Publishing on Tolino is fully non-exclusive — you can technically simultaneously list your books in KU, Kobo, Apple Books, and every other platform. There is no KU-equivalent exclusivity requirement on Tolino, which means being wide is not just permitted, it's the expected model. However, if you are enrolled in KDP Select (which requires Amazon exclusivity), you cannot access Tolino because Amazon forbids it — another reason to weigh KU exclusivity carefully before enrolling your German titles.

Please note that even if your German ebooks are enrolled in KU, your paperbacks are still allowed to be wide. KDP Select requires exclusivity only for the digital eBook format during the 90-day period—physical print editions are exempt.

Why Tolino is a Smart Addition to Your German Publishing Strategy

Adding Tolino to your publishing plan can diversify your income and reduce dependence on Amazon. Here are some reasons why you should consider this:

• Access to a Different Reader Base

Many German readers prefer Tolino over Amazon. By publishing there, you reach readers who might never buy from KDP.

• KENP glitches and ranking issues

Publishing and relying only on Amazon's KDP is risky. The recent amounts of glitches not only in regards to KENP suddenly dropping, but also ranks disappearing and taking forever to climb back up, turn your business relationship into an unhealthy dependancy.

• Better Alignment with German Ebook Preferences

German readers often prefer EPUB format and platforms that respect privacy and data protection, which Tolino emphasizes.

• Reputation is everything

Tolino, due to it's founders, is highly valued, with readers calling their reading devices "tolino" like a Kleenex, just like they go to Thalia when they actually mean a bookstore. Amazon's reputation has been on a downward path, not only due to labor issues and the support of cheap manufacturers from China scamming people, but especially recently with the wave of horrific AI slop that the company clearly does not care about.

Tips for Maximizing Your Success on Tolino

• Invest in Quality German Translations

Accurate and engaging translations improve reader satisfaction and reviews. If you decide to use tolino and the "quality" market in Germany, make sure your books are up to that standard and don't serve translated AI slop disguised as a bestseller.

• Optimize Metadata for German Search Terms

Use keywords and categories relevant to German readers to improve discoverability and don't just translate those that worked for you in English. Tolino readers browse and discover books through Thalia's curated front-ends, so genre accuracy in your metadata directly affects whether your book surfaces in relevant browsing paths

• Engage with German Readers on Social Media

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have active German book communities, and they love feeling like they are a part of your author journey.