By Edward Nawotka
Frankfurt Book Fair attendees
The professional book fairs — Frankfurt, London, BookExpo America, Beijing, Guadalajara, Abu Dhabi and countless others — are a top priority for publishers each year. They offer unique opportunities for publishers to interact with each other, talk shop and make deals. As the self-publishing community grows in importance and influence, should these professional events do more to incorporate self-publishers into the mix? If so, how?
Of course, this raises further questions. For example, if invited, will self-publishers — many of whom are attracted to the low cost of publishing digitally — be willing to invest the time, money and effort it takes to make a strong professional presentation at such events? Finally, will the traditional publishing community balk at their further inclusion?
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8 Comments
Is the question “whether?” or “when will self-published books exceed traditional?”. Our company attends all the global book shows with our self-published authors and I am proud to announce that we have eLibrary deals for every self-published author in our catalog into Asia, in the English language to boot.
IMHO traditional publishers are “dead man walking” and if I were a book fair owner, I would fill up my booth inventory with any publisher or author or service company that I could. The name of the game is “book industry” not what kind of publisher to target.
Furthermore, look at the six and seven figure attendance of consumers to the Asian book shows. This allows the retailers to participate and the larger ecommerce sites must be thinking about exhibiting and attending.
The name of the game is marketing for the future, not publishing. Publishing has reached the “commodity” stage.
We are finalizing a contract to market one of the largest Asian book shows to the West, and you can bet we won’t be concentrating on traditional publishers.
Robert Fletcher – CEO
http://www.PublishOnDemandGlobal.com
The Publisher’s Publisher & Consultant
These book fairs have been inviting and hosting self-publishers for years.
There is no discrimination.
Self-publishing is the future.
Why would self-publishers be denied the privilege of displaying their books?
Same argument for ebooks. See http://GlobalEbookAwards.com
–Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual
Any self-publisher who can afford to do a book fair should be able to do so without the distinction being attached at all. It is already not fair that the big six publishers dominate the book fairs by being able to get multiple booths, sponsor their authors on all the reading stages and open bookstores with cash registers on the spot. There should be no difference between booth sponsors pointed out, nor should there be a cul de sac for small or self-publishing companies. The booth assignments should be on a first-come-first-served basis and that’s it. I am tired of seeing the self-published treated as if they are not worhty of respect. While the big six enjoy all the perks of their brands and their big money, small publishers should be given the same opportunity to establish themselves as purveyors of quality content. What difference should there be to fair organizers, when the color of money is exactly the same?
Yes, self-published authors have already been participating via companies like Combined Book Exhibit. I’ve have seen book fairs do well for self-published authors that register for local and regional shows, as well as getting foreign rights opportunities by being a part of international shows like BEA and London. Children’s book authors have an excellent opportunity with the Children’s book fair Bologna. No travel required.
One of the benefits of the book fair is having a listing in the show catalog, buyers, publishers, etc. hold on to those. Authors don’t have to buy a booth to participate and it is quite cost-effective.
A book fair will not sell books overnight, but it’s a great tool to enhance an author’s overall marketing campaign.
I went to Frankfurt in 2004 on behalf of a very small indie publisher – not to take a booth but to shop the book’s international rights among some of the UK and US publishers conveniently gathered in one place there. As a first-timer, I found it a great adventure. A quarter-million publishing professionals in one place – wow!
There are two thoughts that pop into my mind upon reading this article:
1. Book fairs, like publishers, are going to have to undergo a radical overhaul if they are to survive the Copernican revolution currently taking place in publishing. There may not be a Big Six in ten or even five years time. Rights trading is a big deal at book fairs, but with the way ebooks are shaking up publishing rights, who will be trading them in the future, and why would they need to go to a book fair to do it? (much as we love a book fair!)
2. Self-publishers should indeed have every right to have a booth (and as I understand it they already do, so long as they are willing to mortgage the house to pay the fee!) But then, with the way the publishing landscape is changing, what will be the value for them in doing so? What will it achieve that cannot be achieved at least as successfully, if not more so, by intelligent use of the web and social media?
Thanks for the thought starters. This is a fascinating issue.
Allow me to rephrase the question. Should the blatant discrimination against self-published writers displayed in many quarters be allowed to continue? If the traditional publishing establishment believes, as they have so often claimed, that self-published books are, for the most part, of inferior quality to traditionally-published books, why should they “balk” at the prospect of competing against them on a level and non-discriminatory playing field? What are they afraid of? I put it to you that any institution that supports or condones a blanket discrimination against self-published writers takes a position that is morally indefensible. Rather than trying to delay the inevitable, they would do well to listen to voices of reason urging them to work at finding ways to adapt to the Self-Publishing Revolution.
Trade Fair organizers should offer low-cost display space to authors and self-publishers. It will help them promote their work(s). Hopefully, Trade Organizers will offer special incentives to authors etc. Publishing Perspective can also help putting across this proposal. Thank u for your time.
The article highlights my initiative to promote self published Authors. We have a Bibliotherapy book fair next month. The Ebook revolution is here and is real, the groundswell has only begun.