Ana-Maria Stănicioiu (Bookzone): “The book market in Romania grew significantly — from €100 million in 2023 to €120 million in 2024”

One of these professionals is Ana-Maria Stănicioiu (Ecommerce Manager, Bookzone). A BusinessLeague Unicorn that has been dominating the rankings lately and showing every single day how much can be achieved through affiliate marketing in a highly competitive market: books.

This year, Bookzone set out to make Black Friday 2025 “not just a discount campaign, but a true celebration of reading.”

And if we look at how Bookzone’s promotional budgets have grown (from €3 million to €4 million in 2024), it is very likely that this goal will be achieved over these days.

BusinessLeague helps us expand the Bookzone ecosystem beyond traditional channels and bring our books in front of new yet relevant audiences in a natural and credible way.

Read the full interview with Ana below.

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Ana, let’s start with a fun, if slightly predictable question: do people still read in Romania? 😀

Well, even though people keep saying that “nobody reads in Romania anymore,” reality beautifully contradicts this myth. The book market in Romania grew significantly — from €100 million in 2023 to €120 million in 2024.

This growth isn’t the merit of a single entity, but of an entire community: online and offline bookstores, literary agents, the media, bold publishing houses, extraordinary authors, and, of course, passionate readers who choose every day to nourish their souls through reading.

To honor our promise of putting the right books into the right hands, at Bookzone we increased our promotional budget from €3 million to €4 million in 2024, reaching the homes of over 1.5 million people and delivering more than 4 million books.

The upward trend continues this year as well, and we have tried to stay close to readers regardless of circumstances beyond our control.

And, as confirmation that there is a clear interest in reading, the beginning of 2025 found us hosting a sold-out event at Sala Palatului — the Bookzone Literary Awards Gala — an evening that proved that yes, people do read in Romania. And much more than is commonly said.

Last month you were #1 in BusinessLeague, with over 10k sales. What did it take to get here?

It took a lot of consistency, strategy, and above all, a passion for reading. Our success in BusinessLeague — with over 10,000 sales per round/month — didn’t happen overnight.

Behind the numbers lie years of solid building, continuous testing, and learning from every campaign. We learned to combine data and emotion: to understand what readers want and offer them not just books, but life-changing experiences.

The team also mattered tremendously, because at Bookzone it’s not just about marketing or logistics — there is an entire team that genuinely believes a good book can change the direction of a day, a mindset, and sometimes even a life.

How do you interpret this year’s growth of the Books category in BusinessLeague?

It shows that reading is becoming an ally for people, regardless of the times.

After years of hearing that audiences no longer have the patience to read, we are now seeing the exact opposite — people are looking for meaning, balance, and inspiration, and books offer precisely that.

From a business perspective, this growth reflects:

• a clear professionalization of publishing houses and the way book marketing is done in Romania;
• larger investments in quality content and smart promotion, bringing literature closer to young, online-connected audiences;
• and, very importantly, an active community of readers who turn their passion for books into a sense of belonging.

In short, it’s not just growth in numbers — it’s a confirmation that literature still has the power to unite people, inspire, and create a movement. And the fact that this is happening right now, in Romania, is excellent news for everyone who believes in the power of words.

For you, how does affiliate marketing through BusinessLeague perform compared to other sales channels?

For us, affiliate marketing through BusinessLeague is an important channel, because in e-commerce what matters is reaching readers across as many touchpoints as possible.

Each channel plays its role — some bring visibility, others drive fast conversions — and affiliate marketing manages to combine both through authenticity and genuine recommendations. BusinessLeague helps us expand the Bookzone ecosystem beyond traditional channels and bring our books in front of new yet relevant audiences, in a natural and credible way.

In short, it is not just “another sales channel,” but a key piece of a larger puzzle that helps us grow sustainably and bring reading closer to people.

What sells most often on Bookzone in general? And what about on Black Friday?

Although preferences vary by season, this year brought some very pleasant surprises: thrillers and dark romance grew spectacularly, a sign that the Romanian audience is becoming increasingly curious and open to new narrative styles.

At the same time, non-fiction categories remain at the top — especially health, nutrition, and personal development — areas that show how much readers want to understand themselves better and live more balanced lives.

In short, Bookzone readers cannot be boxed into a single type of reading — they look for emotion, meaning, and knowledge, regardless of literary genre.

On Black Friday, the same trends hold true, though of course our special offers also help boost volume across specific literary categories.

Speaking of Black Friday, what have you prepared this year? With what expectations & resources are you approaching BF 2025?

This year, we set out to make Black Friday 2025 not just a discount campaign, but a true celebration of reading.

We are coming with the largest selection of discounted titles in Bookzone’s history, special themed bundles, new releases strategically launched during the campaign, and communications designed to turn the entire experience into a marathon of discovering the right books for every reader.

We expect record volume, because we already see a heightened appetite for reading and an audience waiting for Black Friday as the perfect moment to restock their bookshelves or buy gifts.

In terms of resources, we have prepared with:

• larger stock levels than ever before,
• an expanded warehouse and customer care team,
• and a significantly larger marketing budget, to make sure our message reaches everywhere — from loyal readers to those who are just discovering the joy of reading.

In short, we are entering Black Friday 2025 with high expectations, energy, and enthusiasm, ready to prove that no matter how crowded the discount season gets, a good book remains the most valuable gift you can give yourself or your loved ones. 

What good books have you read this year? 😀 Give us your top 3 for 2025.

It’s hard to pick just three, but if I were to put together a personal Top 3 for 2025, it would look something like this:

1. “White Nights” (“Nopți albe”) by F. M. Dostoevsky – a classic that remains timeless, and the new hardcover edition released by Bookzone is absolutely gorgeous. A delicate story about loneliness, dreams, and hope, which you rediscover in a new light every time.
2. “The God of the Woods” (“Glasul pădurii”) by Liz Moore, winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 – Best Mystery & Thriller, a novel that captivated me with its depth.
3. “Raising Brows: My Story of Building a Billion-Dollar Beauty Empire” (“Conturul unui vis”) by Anastasia Soare – a book that proves dreams become reality when backed by hard work, perseverance, and confidence. A read I recommend to any marketer — and beyond — for the lessons in vision, personal branding, and courage it offers alongside the success story.

As a bonus, I would add Freida McFadden’s books, probably the most successful author of the moment – for the fast pace, perfectly dosed suspense, and those endings that leave you speechless. 

How would you describe BusinessLeague in a single sentence?

BusinessLeague is the competition that turns sales into partnerships and performance into a team sport. 

What is the secret to a successful affiliate–store collaboration in BusinessLeague?

When the affiliate understands the brand’s story and the store provides transparency, support, and strong creatives, the result is simple: authentic campaigns that sell naturally.

What plans do you have for 2026 – both in BusinessLeague and beyond?

In BusinessLeague, we want to grow our presence even further — attracting new partners, developing more creative campaigns, and turning affiliate marketing into a strategic brand channel, not just a sales channel.

And outside BL, we are wrapping up 2025 with a major milestone: opening the first two physical Bookzone bookstores, spaces designed as true cultural hubs where readers can discover unique experiences alongside our community.

Online, 2026 will bring even more books, unexpected experiences, and heartfelt surprises, so that every visit to Bookzone is not just a shopping session, but an adventure full of inspiration, emotion, and joy discovered with every click.