The Writers' Union warns of the scandalous publisher Lava - again
Quick Look
The authors' union warns authors and translators against entering into agreements with the book publisher Lava and its owner Bookea Group due to corporate restructuring that entails increased financial risk, especially in the hybrid publishing model where the author finances the publication himself.
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Why It Matters
The Writers' Union has previously warned about Lava in the fall of 2024 due to unfair agreements and lack of clarity about what was sold. The warning was removed after dialogue but has now returned due to Bookea Group's corporate restructuring.
The authors' association is again warning the book publisher Lava and their owner Bookea Group. In a letter to its authors, the Authors' Union writes that the company's corporate restructuring, which began this summer, means an increased financial risk for authors and translators to enter into agreements with Bookea Group.
The authors' association believes that the hybrid publishing model is extra risky due to the company restructuring. Hybrid publishing means that the author himself participates in financing the publication of his book - and in the statement the Authors' Association describes the model as a "problematic intermediary" between author and publisher.
"The author takes a significant part of the financial risk, but at the same time risks locking up his rights with the publishing company and having limited opportunities to dispose of the work himself and its design," writes the Authors' Association.
"Got into financial trouble"
Kulturnyheterna has previously reviewed the hybrid publishing industry and the publisher Lava, which has described itself as "the Nordics' largest book publisher". In 2023, Lava published 486 titles and in the same year they made a profit of SEK 12.3 million. But the following year it turned around: in 2024 it showed a loss of SEK 9.2 million and now the parent company Bookea Group AB announces that a corporate restructuring has begun.
In the restructuring application that Bookea sent to the Stockholm district court this summer, the company wrote that they "got into financial problems" and cannot pay salaries and supplier debts that are due soon.
Not the first warning
It is not the first time the Writers' Union has warned about Lava. Even in the fall of 2024, the union issued a warning to enter into agreements - then it was about, among other things, unreasonable agreements, what was described as unreasonable confidentiality clauses and a lack of clarity about what was actually being sold. The warning was removed after Lava and the Authors' Association had a dialogue, but now the Association is once again warning about the hybrid publishing giant.
Kulturnyheterna is looking for Bookea Group.
Open Questions
- How will the corporate restructuring affect Lava's existing writers and translators?
- What are the exact terms of the hybrid agreements that the Writers' Union warns about?
- Will Bookea Group be able to continue operations during the reconstruction?
