Germany is the third-biggest book market in the world — and it’s still hungry for indie authors. This week we’re joined by USA Today bestselling romance author Skye MacKinnon, who returns to update us on everything that’s changed in German translations since her first appearance in 2023. Skye has more than 70 novels across three pen names, and Germany is now her biggest market worldwide.
She’s just released the second edition of Self-Publishing in German, and it’s more than double the length of the original — because there...
Germany is the third-biggest book market in the world — and it’s still hungry for indie authors. This week we’re joined by USA Today bestselling romance author Skye MacKinnon, who returns to update us on everything that’s changed in German translations since her first appearance in 2023. Skye has more than 70 novels across three pen names, and Germany is now her biggest market worldwide.
She’s just released the second edition of Self-Publishing in German, and it’s more than double the length of the original — because there was that much to update. From the collapse of IngramSpark distribution in Germany to Tolino’s new audiobook feature, from why print books still matter to how gorgeously the Germans do special editions, Skye walks us through what indie authors need to know in 2026.
IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
- What’s changed in the German market since 2023 (spoiler: a lot)
- Why IngramSpark no longer works for German distribution — and what to use instead
- The Tolino Alliance: how German booksellers built a genuine Amazon alternative
- The fixed-price law every wide author needs to understand before publishing in Germany
- Why print books still sell — and why German special editions are on another level
- How to market in a language you don’t speak (and why you already have most of the content)
- Cover trends: object covers vs man-chest, and why German romance covers look different
- Genres that thrive in Germany — including one surprising winner (hint: Westerns)
- The Impressum, title protection, and other legal must-knows
- Why translators legally own the copyright of your translation (and why that’s fine)
- Reader behaviour: Lovely Books, newsletter engagement, and the Rare signing surprise
- Is it still worth entering the German market in 2026? Skye’s honest answer
Whether you’re translation-curious or already have German books and want to sell more of them, this one’s packed with practical, up-to-date advice from someone actually doing it.
👤 ABOUT SKYE MacKINNON:
Skye B. MacKinnon is a Scottish USA Today bestselling romance author who has written 70+ novels across multiple pen names, including 50 adult novels and 20 children’s books (as Isla Wynter). A former journalist, she’s been a full-time author since 2018 and has been publishing in German since 2020 — where her books have been featured in hundreds of Thalia bookstores, hit number one in Apple Books Germany’s free chart, and won the Tolino All-Star Favorites Award for Children’s Book in 2025. She’s an admin of the Wide for the Win group and consults with indie authors on breaking into the German market.
🔗 www.skyemackinnon.com
📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Self-Publishing in German: Second Edition — Skye’s book (available direct from skyemackinnon.com, plus all major retailers)
- Marketing German Indie Book Translations — Skye’s Facebook group for authors translating into German
- Tolino Alliance — the German bookseller ecosystem that’s roughly equal in size to Amazon Germany
- Lovely Books — the German equivalent of Goodreads
- Findaway Voices / InAudio — audiobook distribution
- Wide for the Win — Facebook group Skye admins for wide indie authors
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE SPA GIRLS:
🌐 Website & free self-publishing resources: http://www.SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast.com
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