Waterproof bathing fun for adults

Jens Korch

What does a perfect bathroom look like for you? Jens Korch has had to answer this question regularly for over ten years. "Cosy. Candles on, bath foam in, sometimes music and I like to drink a glass of wine in the bath. And of course a book is a must." Because for him, reading is as much a part of bathing as foam and water. But not just any book: it has to be a bath book. The Chemnitz native is the publisher of Edition Wannenbuch - waterproof books for adults. What began as a pool idea in Italy in 2010 has now become his professional life - a real success story.

What do people who don't have a bathtub miss out on?
Jens Korch: Of course, you can also read our books on the couch, at the table or in a garden chair. But the idea was that we would design books specifically for the bathtub and adapt them to the behaviour and conditions on site, i.e. in the bathtub. For example, the stories in the books can be read in around 15 minutes. That's about as long as someone needs for a bath before the water gets cold or the skin wrinkles. What's more, the material is waterproof and the writing is so large that you can easily read it without glasses or contact lenses.

How long did it take from the idea to the publication of the first book?
Just under a year. The idea was born more than ten years ago on holiday in Tuscany. We were sitting by the pool and friends' children were reading these baby bath books. We adults were sitting on the sidelines and asked ourselves whether there weren't books like this for us too. We thought it was a good idea. During our research, we realised that such books are really not available for adults.

Are the findings based on personal experience? Or how do the 15-minute stories, for example, come about?
These are really reports from statistical surveys or advice from experts. For example, a hot bath should not last longer than these 15 minutes. We also distributed sample copies to friends for test reading and got good feedback, for example on the font.

You always talk about we?
Yes, the two of us, Grit Strietzel and I, started designing the bathtub books. At the time, we were still working full-time as editors for a daily newspaper. The bathtub book idea was more of a hobby. However, we quickly realised that it wouldn't work on the side. So I quit my job at the daily newspaper and concentrated fully on the topic of bathtub books. Grit Strietzel is still working at the publishing house and is on the advisory board, which supports me with questions about Edition Wannenbuch.

The stories in the books should be entertaining, funny and yet sophisticated. After all, the cliché is that bathtub books are only for children. That's why it was initially difficult to find authors for the first titles. But the two founders were not discouraged and took up the pen and keyboard themselves. The first two books were published under pseudonyms - the crime novel "Blume des Herzens" and the romance novel "Yachttrip ins Glück".

What predestines you to write books?
(laughs) We kept it a secret for the first few years. As journalists, there are parallels with authors, but writing fictional stories is yet another field. Grit Strietzel wrote a crime novel and I wrote a cheesy romance novel that I'm ashamed of today. It's now out of print, so there's no danger of anyone reading it. Fortunately, after those two books, authors came forward who are now writing for us.

Almost 40 titles with a total print run of 250,000 copies have now been published. Whether romantic romance novels, thrilling crime thrillers or brain training books. Even Goethe is available as an erotic version in waterproof form for the bathtub. "We organised an erotic reading with the book in a sauna in Leipzig. It was a complete success." The portfolio even includes a yoga book for the bathtub. The creative reading idea is a hit with customers. Jens Korch even supplies the AIDA ships with his books. The NH Hotels and the Hotel Neptun in Warnemünde have also discovered the bath books as accessories for their bathrooms. By all accounts, they are a popular souvenir. So popular, in fact, that he has even been approached by companies with special bath book ideas. "With a Swiss bath foam manufacturer, there is a thriller that is exclusively available with the bath foam. Or we have published a romance novel with a sanitary equipment manufacturer. We make sure we cover a lot of ground. It can be funny," says Korch. Just like his response to the never-ending questions from readers about whether there are books for the shower. "Shower your way to superstardom. The vocal coach for the shower" is the answer.

You published the book with singer Lisa Wohlgemuth, who came second in the casting show "Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS)" in 2013. How do you read in the shower?
That was more of a joke. And what do you do in the shower? You sing. Lisa Wohlgemuth comes from Annaberg-Buchholz, just round the corner, so to speak, and she agreed to take part. In the book, she gives tips on how to become a superstar in the shower. All to be read with a wink.

What is the best-selling book?
Of the almost 40 titles we have published, "Goethe erotisch" is the best-selling with 25,000 copies. And the yoga book "Sonnengruß im Badeschaum: Yoga-Übungen für die Tanne" is already in its eighth edition on the market. We were ridiculed for it at first, but it's a great gift idea for yoga fans.

What is your favourite book from the Edition Wannenbuch?
All of them. If I don't like a book, I don't publish it. I'm involved in every book, whether it's editing, typesetting, finding the title or the layout. I'm in constant contact with the authors, so it's almost a personal defeat for me if some titles don't go down as well with readers as expected.

95 per cent of your readers are female. Does it bother you that you mainly target women with your books?
No, why should it? That wasn't the intention. It was also surprising for us. With the first two books - the crime novel for men and the romance novel for women - we wanted to appeal to both genders. But in the meantime, around 96 per cent of readers who buy our books are women. The realisation that men don't like bathing as much as women or reading in the bath is obvious.

In 2016, the Chemnitz-based "Edition Wannenbuch" received the Audience Award at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Under the title "Buddhas bathe better", author Dirk M. Schumacher used humour to describe relaxation exercises for the bathtub. "It came as a great surprise to us and we are still being asked about it today," reveals Jens Korch. He attends the major German book fairs every year. "To get into dialogue with my readers, but also with retailers and authors. That's very important to me." At one of these fairs, he was approached by interested parties from Japan and the UK who wanted to translate the bathtub books and launch them on the market in their home countries.

What happened to that?
The enquiries keep coming in. Curiously enough, a lot from Japan. But no project has materialised yet. I'm actually thinking about publishing a book in a foreign language. But then you have to have someone on site to take care of the shipping. It's a logistical effort that you have to be aware of.

How many employees do you have in your publishing house?
I have two employees and currently one trainee. We do everything ourselves. Due to the closure of bookshops during the coronavirus pandemic, we have received a lot of enquiries via our online shop.

How are you and your publishing house experiencing the coronavirus pandemic?
Well, there were no more trade fairs and therefore no more direct contact with our customers. The retail sector was also different. The bathtub books are impulse buys. You either see them and buy them or you don't. And there were no typical Christmas shopping trips last year. This year's purchases were very targeted. As a result, we weren't able to achieve the sales figures we had hoped for in-store. However, online orders naturally went up. Both via the bookshops directly and via our shop.
I also founded a network of independent publishers last year. It's called "Schöne Bücher". Around 70 smaller publishers are now part of it. During the coronavirus pandemic, small publishers in particular, like us, have been looking for ways to reach readers. The first project was a catalogue in pocket format. In this magazine, more than 50 of the participating independent publishers introduce themselves, present their reading tips and show the creators behind the works. Each publisher distributes this catalogue to its readers. This also makes them aware of other new publications. Added value for everyone involved. The second issue of the magazine will be published in March.

"Sun, sex and sangria", "Pizza, pope and panna cotta", "Ketchup", "Cult and cinema kisses", "Cemetery of bathing ducks" or "Bathing mermaid seeks dream figure": The clever titles make you want to read more. But there is still one title linked to his home town of Chemnitz missing from the list. This is set to change by the Capital of Culture year 2025. "Ideas are there. There will definitely be something for this occasion, because I was very happy about the title. For example, a Chemnitz travel guide or a Chemnitz crime thriller. Something funny," reveals the 44-year-old business graduate.

What else would you like to achieve with Edition Wannenbuch by 2025?
We are constantly working on new titles and are looking for authors. We also want to become better known and attract new readers. These are our goals for the next four years.

Is there an author you would like to work with one day?
(Shot out of a pistol) Loriot. I know he's been dead for almost ten years, but the rights to his works are still being allocated. Gentlemen in the Bathroom, one of his most famous sketches, would fit perfectly. But my previous attempts to publish this work as a bathtub book were not crowned with success.