By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the week’s headlines: a popular Swedish audiobook platform is said to be exploring a sale; a Korean webtoon platform sees a spike after a pirate site is shutdown; Ukraine’s publishing sector shows remarkable resilience; French authorities sign off on a takeover of a major bookseller; and Colombia’s publishing sector reports a solid 2025.What’s the Next Story for Nextory?
Boktugg reports on speculation that Swedish audiobook platform Nextory could be exploring a sale, although no formal process has been confirmed. Citing local media, the report notes talk of a valuation as high as SEK 1.5 billion ($162.7 million). Nextory’s 2024 accounts show net sales of SEK 639 million ($69.3 million), EBITDA of SEK 49.6 million ($5.4 million), and a loss of SEK 38 million ($4.1 million), while the company reported total revenue of SEK 684 million ($74.2 million) in 2025.
Nextory has long positioned itself differently from Sweden’s larger audiobook rivals Storytel and Bonnier-owned BookBeat by competing with publishers and not investing in proprietary content. But the company now finds itself squeezed between larger competitors with extensive access to IP and publishing assets, while Spotify’s expansion into Scandinavian audiobooks is expected to intensify pressure on regional subscription services. In that context, and after more than a decade in the market, a sale may look like a logical next step for the company.
Thorium: One App to Read Them All
European Digital Reading Lab (EDRLab) has announced the release of Thorium Reader on iOS. The app emphasizes accessibility under the principle “read it your way,” with features allowing users to move between reading and listening, set preferences by publication, and adjust reading options to individual needs. The iOS release supports EPUB, PDF, and CBZ files, including LCP-protected content, and EPUBs can be played using on-device synthesized speech. Upcoming spring releases will focus on audiobook support and additional listening features.
The development of platforms and apps that allow consumers to access digital books and audiobooks from multiple stores, publishers, and services is essential to maintaining a healthy and competitive digital publishing environment. In that sense, Thorium Reader’s arrival on iOS marks an important milestone. The issue extends beyond Western markets, particularly as manga consumption becomes increasingly digital. Non-profit organization EDRLab has played a key role in advocating for more open digital reading environments, and Thorium, a Readium-based reading app, is a good example of that.
When Fighting Piracy Pays Off
ChosunBiz reports that South Korea’s major webtoon platforms recorded sharp gains in new app installs after crackdowns on illegal webtoon sites. Citing Mobile Index data, ChosunBiz says Naver Webtoon’s average daily new installs rose 31% from April 27 to May 1 over the previous week, while KakaoPage was up 77% and Ridibooks 60%. The increases followed the announced shutdown of Newtoki, Korea’s largest illegal webtoon site, and related sites, as well as action against TuMangaOnline, a Spanish-language piracy site said to have drawn 86 million visits in March 2025.
The case appears to reinforce the argument that anti-piracy measures can deliver tangible results when legal alternatives are widely available and competitively priced. In this instance, readers were able to move directly from illegal sites to established paid services such as Naver Webtoon and KakaoPage, suggesting that accessible commercial offerings are key to bringing users into the marketplace, in addition to copyright enforcement.
Manga Tops Japan Publishing
Based on detailed estimates of the comics market in 2025 released by the Japan Publishers Association and the Institute for Publishing Science, HON.jp reports that comics accounted for 44.8% of Japan’s combined print and digital publishing market. In 2025, the comics market totaled ¥692.5 billion ($4.43 billion), compared with ¥617.3 billion ($3.95 billion) for books excluding comics and ¥236.4 billion ($1.51 billion) for magazines excluding comics. HON.jp says the calculation separates comic categories previously counted across books and magazines.
The report offers one of the clearest views yet of manga’s true scale in Japan’s publishing market. By combining print and digital sales into a single market analysis, HON.jp shows manga as a larger segment than either books or magazines individually, and provides a clearer benchmark for international publishing observers.
In 2025, Ukraine Published 16,225 New Titles Amid War
Polish media Rynek Książki reports that the Ukrainian Book Institute has released its latest report on publishing industry indicators for 2025, which shows Ukraine’s book market continuing its recovery from the sharp downturn of 2022, although the sector remains below pre-pandemic levels. The number of active publishers increased to around 390, up from 350 in 2024, while bookselling remained stable at roughly 800 physical stores and 80 online retailers. Total market value reached 8.921 billion hryvnias ($238 million), compared with 8.2 billion hryvnias ($222 million) a year earlier—though inflation of 9.2% offset most of the nominal growth. New title production rose 4% to 16,225 publications, while annual print production fell 1.75% percent to 36.7 million copies, about 79% percent of 2020 output.
The figures underline the remarkable resilience of Ukraine’s publishing sector, which continues to recover and even expand title production despite the ongoing war with Russia. It is also notable that the Ukrainian Book Institute continues to collect and publish detailed market data while the conflict is still underway.
Hamburg: Less Schnitzel, More Subsidies
According to Börsenblatt, Hamburg is launching what it calls Germany’s first structural funding program for independent publishers through the new “Hamburger Verlagspakt.” The city’s Authority for Culture and Media will provide €700,000 ($823,270) annually, with grants of €10,000 to €25,000 ($11,761 to $29,403) for as many as 40 Hamburg-based independent publishers, with annual revenues of no more than €2 million ($2.35 million). Applications for the first round are open until June 15, 2026.
The initiative could serve as a model well beyond Germany if other cities and municipalities adopt similar support programs for local publishers. Such funding may also help counter the concentration of publishing activity in major capitals and large metropolitan centers by strengthening regional literary ecosystems. The approach is one that could be replicated not only across Europe, but around the world. Kudos to Hamburg for taking the lead.
A Czech Appetite for France’s Book Trade
ActuaLitté reports that France’s financial markets authority, the AMF, has approved the public takeover bid of Fnac Darty by a group controlled by Czech investor Daniel Křetínský. The offer remains set at €36 ($42.34) per share, while the shareholder group linked to the bidder currently holds 28.45% of Fnac Darty’s capital and voting rights. Fnac Darty’s 2025 registration document reported €1.373 billion ($1.61 billion) in editorial-product revenue, and the retailer said it sold nearly 50 million books in 2025, describing itself as France’s leading bookseller.
The relatively smooth approval process by the French authorities has surprised some publishing observers because the deal would further deepen vertical integration in one of Europe’s largest publishing markets. Křetínský already controls Editis, France’s second-largest publishing group, and gaining control of Fnac Darty would also give him influence over one of the country’s leading booksellers, strengthening his position across both publishing and retail.
Finns Strike Again in Spain
According to PublishNews Spain, Finland’s Sanoma has completed its acquisition of Spanish educational publisher Vicens Vives for €40 million ($47 million), including the assumption of the Catalan company’s debt. With the deal, Sanoma, which has owned Santillana since 2020, strengthens its position in Spain’s educational publishing. Founded in 1961, Vicens Vives had faced financial difficulties after the pandemic and during its digital transition, with workforce reductions at the end of 2023. Vicens Vives will be integrated into Sanoma Learning, while the group says it intends to preserve the publisher’s identity and expand its reach through Sanoma’s global technology tools.
The transaction reflects the continuing consolidation trend across global publishing, from major groups to smaller regional players and across both educational and trade sectors. The acquisition also further increases concentration in Spain’s already highly consolidated educational publishing market.
French, Oui—But Not That Much
Livres Hebdo reports that Morocco’s book market is seeking clearer structure following the country’s 31st Salon International de l’Édition et du Livre (SIEL) and as Rabat prepares to become the UNESCO World Book Capital 2026. Publishing professionals describe a fragmented sector in which publishers, distributors, and booksellers often overlap roles. More than 80% of imported French-language books are handled by three long-established distributors, while French now represents just over 16% of Morocco’s publishing output, compared with roughly 79% in Arabic. English-language books are also gaining ground, with Caroline Dalimier of bookseller LivreMoi saying English now accounts for 30% of its activity and could reach 50% within three years.
The strong consumption of French-language books is unsurprising in a country whose educational system remains closely tied to France, much like several other North African markets. Meanwhile, the growth of English-language books reflects a broader global trend. Perhaps more striking is that Arabic-language publishing still accounts for so much of Morocco’s output. In Western publishing circles, there is a common assumption that North African markets primarily consume French-language books, but the figures from Morocco suggest otherwise. Markets such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya continue to sustain large and relevant Arabic-language publishing sectors alongside their francophone traditions.
Colombia: Magical Realism and Real Growth
According to PublishNews Spain, Colombia’s publishing sector recorded net sales of 1.06 trillion Colombian pesos ($289.8 million) in 2025, up 7.5% year-over-year. The Cámara Colombiana del Libro report says 19,024 titles were published, up 16.2%, while print output rose to 38.5 million copies and sales reached 39.4 million. Domestic sales represented 91.4% of the market; exports rose 10.4%, and bookstores and publishers’ own outlets accounted for the largest sales channel at 39.7%.
The growth is particularly relevant because Colombia is one of the largest Spanish-language publishing markets, competing with Argentina as South America’s second-largest book market after Brazil, and ranking among the top five Spanish-language markets internationally. The country also plays an important regional role through the Bogotá International Book Fair and through Cerlalc, the UNESCO-backed regional center for the promotion of books, reading, and publishing in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is headquartered in Bogotá. With Colombia’s official inflation rate at 5.10% in 2025, the sector’s 7.5% increase represented positive growth in real terms.
What Else Caught My Eye
A bookstore Tinder. South Korean bookstores have become unlikely dating hotspots, as young people increasingly seek “natural encounters” away from dating apps, turning chains like Kyobo into viral “pickup spots” amplified by social media memes and YouTube videos. According to Modern Business.
A dystopian comeback. George Orwell’s 1984 has climbed back into Russia’s Top 10 bestseller list, reaching sixth place as Eksmo CEO Evgeny Kapyev resumed his weekly radio show reviewing the country’s latest book sales rankings.
A ramen reading. Japanese analyst Hiroshi Tanaka published an in-depth analysis of the country’s bookstore landscape, comparing famous bookstores to charismatic ramen shops while exploring four different strategies for booksellers to improve profitability.
A chivito price. Independent booksellers in Uruguay are pushing for a fixed book price law, arguing that aggressive bank-backed discounts from large retail chains are creating unfair competition and threatening neighborhood bookstores. According to PublishNews Spain.
A Viking retreat. Swedish online bookseller Adlibris will shut down its Norwegian operation after 19 years, citing profitability challenges in the market as the company refocuses amid broader strategic and management changes. According to Bok365.
The 11 Commandments. The Global Creative Economy Council has released an 11-point agenda for the cultural and creative industries, outlining policy priorities around intellectual property, sustainability, skills, and cultural diversity in the generative AI era.
A British accent. SPCK will create a U.K. edition of Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible, adapting its American English into British English in a multi-year project aimed at both longtime readers and younger audiences. According to Publishers Weekly.
The writer of this column does appreciate ramen and chivitos. In that sense, perhaps Uruguay introducing a fixed price for its national sandwich would not be such a bad idea—especially if it also established a legally required minimum number of ingredients. Anything below 20 for a chivito would feel suspiciously minimalist. The writer of this column has also never been picked up at a bookstore, but occasionally wonders which section would statistically offer the highest chances for successful flirting activities. Fiction? Non-fiction? Humor? Relationships? Travel? Manga? The data remains inconclusive. Still, he would be genuinely curious to hear whether any readers have bookstore-flirting experience—and especially whether any long-term relationship ever began somewhere between the shelves. Anyone?