Bastei Lübbe takes over successful fiction imprint LYX

Bastei Lübbe takes over successful fiction imprint LYX

Cologne, May 9, 2016. Bastei Lübbe AG (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), which is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, is acquiring the fiction imprint LYX from EGMONT Publishing International. With this specialist publisher for romantic fiction, Bastei Lübbe is rounding out its offering with another successful brand. "After the recent investment in Buchpartner, with LYX we are again committed to the classic book business. Because regardless of the medium it still belongs to the DNA of the Group's strategy: the story well told", explains Thomas Schierack, CEO of Bastei Lübbe AG.
Klaus Kluge, member of the Management Board of Bastei Lübbe AG, underlines the importance of the new brand for the publishing portfolio: "In the field of romantic fiction, LYX is one of the absolute top imprints on the German market - and we are very excited to now have the opportunity to develop it further under the Bastei Lübbe brand", says Klaus Kluge, member of the Management Board of Bastei Lübbe AG.

In addition to LYX, Bastei Lübbe is acquiring another EGMONT Publishing International imprint, namely INK. Bastei Lübbe will incorporate all books from LYX and INK into its publishing catalogue and continue the successful collaboration with all authors and licence providers. Additionally, the company will take over editing for both imprints.

According to Klaus Thorsten Firnig, CEO EGMONT Publishing GSA, the decision to hand over LYX and INK to Bastei Lübbe is based on its corporate strategy: "We have decided to focus our book activities on children's books, comic books and mangas. This concentration means that it is important that our fiction imprints LYX and INK continue to have a strong market positioning and remain attractive for our licence providers. We set great store in maintaining continuity and transferring the strengths of the relevant fiction imprints to a new editorial home", explains Firmig.

About Bastei Lübbe AG:
Bastei Lübbe AG is an international media group based in Cologne. Its business operations focus on developing and licensing content distributed worldwide physically and digitally. The company's core business includes the traditional publishing business and the periodical puzzle magazines and novel booklets in the "Book" segment. With its twelve publishers and imprints, the group of companies currently offers approximately 3,600 titles in fiction, non-fiction and books for children and young adults. In the growing segment of hardcover fiction, the company has been the market leader in Germany for many years. At the same time, Bastei Lübbe is driving innovation in the field of digital media. As well as the production of thousands of audio and e-books, the "Digital" segment also includes holdings in the self-publishing platform "BookRix" and the renowned games publisher "Daedalic Entertainment". Bastei Lübbe AG's value chain is completed by the investment in the online shop "beam-ebooks.de" and the new and internationally unique streaming platform "oolipo".
With currently 334 employees and an annual turnover of roughly EUR 110.2 million (financial year 2014/2015), Bastei Lübbe AG is the largest medium-sized family company in the German publishing industry. Since 2013, the company's shares have been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0). Further information is available at www.luebbe.de.

Contact Bastei Lübbe AG:
Barbara Fischer
Director / Vice President
Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0) 221 / 82 00 28 50
E-mail: barbara.fischer@luebbe.de