Flow is a household name among magazine enthusiasts worldwide. In addition to the Dutch edition, there are editions in Germany and France that are made under license in Berlin and Paris. An English-language edition is now being added. This is published twice a year and is made in the Netherlands and printed in Belgium. A British distributor distributes the magazines in twenty different countries, including America, Australia, South Africa and England.
An English-language Flow is not new. An English-language edition was produced six times a year until 2020 and distributed from the Netherlands. This was very successful, but had to be stopped due to the Corona pandemic. Irene Smit, founder and editor-in-chief of Flow, explains: “In 2020 we saw that paper and distribution costs increased enormously and at the same time more and more bookstores closed. Due to Corona, we were confronted with extremely high costs and much less income. Stocks also remained lying around due to the lack of sales points.”
Demand for Flow remained high
She says that the situation was untenable and that the publisher – DPG Media – then pulled the plug on the English-language Flow. This is much to the sadness and dissatisfaction of Flow fans all over the world. “We have many international followers, especially on Instagram. And every day we received questions about when the English-language Flow will come again. Comments like ‘The world needs Flow, now more than ever‘, ‘I used to call your books my Paper Porn, I really miss having these‘ and ‘I am thinking of learning Dutch or French as I miss the English Flow so much‘. It seemed as if Flow acquired some kind of mythical status. Lots of fans and nowhere to buy,” Smit laughs.
Roularta has an international focus
Flow was sold by publisher DPG Media to Roularta in November 2023. And the new publisher saw opportunities in the republication of the English-language Flow. Smit: “Our new publisher has a better focus on international publishing and licensing. And they do see a future in the English-language edition.”
The English-language Flow is printed in Belgium by the. printing press from Roularta and then distributed worldwide. There is no other way, Smit explains. “It is too expensive to print the magazine in small editions in America and Asia.” She explains that Flow has a complicated production process that consists of different types of paper, different attachments and so-called ‘paper goodies’. “Roularta has its own printing company. So it is interesting to print Flow in large quantities for the global market,” says Smit.
Recycled content from the Netherlands
The English Flow consists of content that previously appeared in the Dutch editions. “Flow in the Netherlands is published ten times a year and consists mainly of timeless content that often has an international focus. This is due to the Licenses in Germany and France. So it is no problem at all to fill the English version. We now also often have the paper goodies printed with the Dutch edition. Think of a notebook, wrapping paper or folding pages. This way we can save some of that printing for the English version,” says Smit.
Book for paper Lovers
The English-language Flow is sold in America at Barnes & Nobles, among others. “Their magazine buyer visited us last summer and they are very enthusiastic,” says Smit. “The magazine has always been in the top 5 of best-selling international titles. The first English-language edition will appear on shelves at the end of November. In the meantime, existing stocks of The Book for Paper Lovers (which is bilingual: Dutch and English) have already been sent ahead. And they go like clockwork. We almost make more turnover with Flow than Taylor Swift’s magazine! So that promises something for the future, when the English-language Flow appears in America,” Smit concludes.