- Amazon series gives book publisher Bastei Lübbe a boost
Thanks to the "Maxton Hall" adaptation on Amazon Prime Video, publisher Bastei Lübbe** has seen significant growth. In the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024/25, which began in April, revenue increased by 15.7 percent to 26.4 million euros, the company announced in Cologne. The operating result (EBIT) rose by three-quarters to 3.7 million euros (previous year's quarter: 2.1 million euros).
A large part of this growth can be attributed to the series "Maxton Hall - The World Between Us," which is based on the novel "Save Me" by author Mona Kasten. The heart-wrenching drama tells the story of a poor student who falls in love with a boy from the wealthy elite, much to his father's disapproval.
"The series on Amazon Prime Video has given us a significant boost: People wanted to read the book - and also the second and third parts of the series," says Bastei Lübbe CEO Soheil Dastyari in an interview with dpa. Kasten's books are published under the community publishing label Lyx, which heavily involves social media. The target audience is young people aged 16 to 26. Lyx's revenue soared by 72 percent in the spring quarter.
"Maxton Hall" also benefits the publisher by generating income from film rights. "We do profit from this, but the larger part of this growth effect is due to increased visibility," says Dastyari. "People who have seen the series want to read the original novel and come into contact with us, which can lead them to also buy other book titles by the author or other authors from our publishing house."
Positive Prospects
Dastyari emphasizes that the company would have grown well even without the Maxton Hall effect. "We are developing positively across the board, with Lyx and audiobooks being significant growth drivers." The management of Bastei Lübbe describes the general economic environment as challenging, with global crises such as the Ukraine war causing strain and uncertainty.
However, CEO Dastyari is optimistic that his company will continue to grow despite the headwinds of the economic cycle. "People may decide to forgo a expensive sweater when shopping, but they won't forgo a book that moves them and allows them to forget the dark clouds of world politics and economics for a moment."
Pulp Fiction Only a Minor Side Business
In addition to books, Bastei Lübbe also sells pulp fiction ("Chefarzt Dr. Holl," "Jerry Cotton," "Bergkristall"), but this is now only a small sideline: Of the 26.4 million euros in group revenue in the spring quarter, only 1.7 million came from pulp fiction. This was 0.1 million less than in the previous year's period. "This is within the expected range," says Dastyari.
The success of the "Maxton Hall - The World Between Us" series, based on Mona Kasten's novel "Save Me" and published under Bastei Lübbe's community publishing label Lyx, has significantly contributed to the revenue increase of Lyx, rising by 72% in the spring quarter. Furthermore, the publishing house benefits financially from the film rights of "Maxton Hall," generating additional income.
