Major German Publishing Houses in 1998

According to International Publishing Monitor in London, 1998 was dominated by a frenzy of mergers and acquisitions. Bertelsmann bought Springer and Berlin Verlag; Holtzbrinck merged with Weltbild.

According to Buchreport, the German industry rag, the top 100 publishers, with 450-odd imprints and subsidiaries, increased sales over 5% to a value of $5.2 billion, with over 77,000 titles produced. But the growth is due mostly to two companies: Konemann and Weltbild, both specializing in low cost paperbacks and promotional titles.

For a thorough analysis in English, contact International Publishing Monitor at www.imp-group.com.