How I Made Germany My #1 Book Market ft. Bestseller Skye MacKinnon

Germany is the third-biggest book market in the world — and it's still hungry for indie authors. In this episode of the SPA Girls Podcast (EP560), we're joined by USA Today bestselling romance author Skye MacKinnon for a full update on self-publishing in German in 2026. Whether you've been thinking about translations for years or already have books in the German market and want to sell more of them, this episode covers everything that's changed since Skye was last on the show in 2023. We dig into why Germans are willing to pay more for books, why print still matters, how the Tolino Alliance built a genuine Amazon alternative, and what you need to know about German cover trends, the fixed-price law, the Impressum, and title protection. Skye also shares how she markets to German readers without translating every post herself, and why 2026 is still a great time to enter the market. #SelfPublishing #GermanBookMarket #IndieAuthor 📌 IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 – Introduction & welcome back Skye 02:30 – What's changed for Skye since her 2023 appearance 05:00 – Why the second edition of Self-Publishing in German doubled in length 08:00 – Germany vs English-speaking markets: the big differences 12:00 – Why IngramSpark no longer works in Germany (and what to use instead) 16:00 – The Tolino Alliance and the German ecosystem 20:00 – Marketing in a language you don't speak 26:00 – What's new since 2021: Tolino audiobooks, InAudio, and more 32:00 – Genres that thrive in Germany (including Westerns!) 37:00 – Special editions, sprayed edges, and German cover trends 44:00 – Reader behaviour, Lovely Books, and newsletter engagement 50:00 – Is it still worth entering the German market in 2026? 54:00 – Common mistakes: Impressum, title protection, spine direction, trim sizes 59:00 – Skye's final advice and where to find her 👤 ABOUT SKYE MACKINNON: Skye B. MacKinnon is a Scottish USA Today bestselling romance author with 70+ novels across multiple pen names. She's been publishing in German since 2020, where her books have been featured in hundreds of Thalia bookstores and won the 2025 Tolino All-Star Favorites Award for Children's Book (as Isla Wynter). She's the author of Self-Publishing in German: Second Edition and an admin of the Wide for the Win group. 🔗 https://skyemackinnon.com/author 📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED: • Self-Publishing in German: Second Edition: https://skyemackinnon.com • Marketing German Indie Book Translations (Facebook group) • Tolino Alliance: https://www.tolino.com • Lovely Books (German Goodreads): https://www.lovelybooks.de • Wide for the Win (Facebook group) 🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS: 🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodca... 🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app — search "SPA Girls Podcast" 💗 This podcast is supported by our amazing Patreon community! ⭐ Join at the $10 tier for access to our private Self-Publishing Mastermind group where we discuss marketing, writing, and answer your burning questions:   / spagirlspodcast   Subscribe so you never miss an episode! #WritingCommunity #WritingPodcast