The frustration with higher VAT for ebooks than print books may finally be over Poland as legislation is proposed to drop the rate from 23 to 5 percent.
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Bulgaria’s ‘BookMonster’ Intends to Make Youngsters Game for Reading
Responding to falling reading comprehension in Bulgaria, BookMonster is testing a new site that offers kids book quizzes and rewards accomplishment.
Czech Book Sales Rise Amid Ongoing Industry Consolidation
Overall book sales in the Czech Republic are up as the number of new titles published declines slightly. Industry consolidation and a focus on high-performing books may be the cause.
A Member of Slovakia’s Parliament Calls for a Competitive Textbook Market
Finding itself among a handful of European Union nations still with a state-controlled textbook market, Slovakia, says parliament member Branislav Gröhling, must change.
Czech Republic’s Albatros Media Acquires Panteon Press
The expansionist drive at Prague’s Albatros Media continues with the company’s acquisition of Panteon, a press focused on adult fiction.
Poland’s Online Bookseller Merlin.pl Acquires Profit M, Expanding Its Footprint in the Market
Talking, among other things, of developing an loyalty program for consumers based in blockchain tokens, a spokesman for Poland’s Merlin.pl talks about its latest move to gain dominance in the market.
Timely International Publication Credited as Part of Romania’s Stronger Market
A new study finds that Romanian publishers have increased book sales by releasing Romanian translations of foreign books parallel to launches in other key markets.
To Bolster Literacy and Publishing, Romanian Author-Politician Launches a ‘Pact for Books’
Facing what he calls Romania’s ‘extremely shameful record’ in literacy and book culture, Bucharest MP Ovidiu Raeţchi is talking up his ‘Pact for Books’ aimed at boosting book sales.
Świat Książki Closes in on Second Place Among Polish Bookstore Chains
As other companies have done, Świat Książki has gained traction in part by taking over some locations of the distressed Matras chain in Poland’s bookstore marketplace.
Czech Republic’s Children’s Publisher Albatros Media Buys Vyšehrad
Already estimated to hold some 17 percent of the Czech wholesale book market, Albatros Media this spring continues broadening its acquisitions portfolio by buying the country’s oldest publisher, gaining access to the adult nonfiction market in the process.