Fewer Editors in Attendance at Bologna
By Julia Eccleshare -- Publishers Weekly, 3/24/2009 9:24:00 AM
At first glance, this year’s Bologna Book Fair looks much the same as usual, but just a little below the surface there are some notable differences. In past years, the rising tide of children’s books and their huge sales have brought company CEOs to Bologna to endorse the highly successful business. This year, many companies have cut back the number of staff they’ve brought, leaving behind not only the CEOs but, more significantly, their editorial staff. From the U.K., notable absences are the Puffin and Random House Children’s Books editorial teams. From the U.S., the gaps are even greater. As LAW agent Philippa Milnes-Smith observed, “It is easier to say who is here than who isn’t.” (Among the more visible U.S. editors this year: Megan Tingley from Little, Brown; Emma Dryden from Simon & Schuster; Simon Boughton, Jean Feiwel and Laura Godwin from Macmillan.)
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Author David Almond signs a book for |
In terms of how the fair feels, after an apprehensive start yesterday with talk of things being “quiet,” publishers seemed relieved today, appreciating the business that is taking place, especially from new markets. Slovenia is a small market but a new one, and both Scholastic and Milnes-Smith quoted it as a country that is buying. Antonia Pelari, who handles international rights for Scholastic UK, said, “Brazil is also buying picture books. In our traditional markets such as France, Spain and Italy, people are buying, but they are being more selective. So long as we get the print quantities on the books we are selling, it means we can continue to build up successful co-edition print runs.”
Macmillan USA’s Jean Feiwel said that this year “feels really collegial, less competitive, although maybe I'm living in a bubble.” There were no hot deals she was aware of, but she was enjoying herself, particularly the chance to see what everyone is doing. “I am doing more selling than buying. I have seen a picture book that I loved, some interesting formatted books, but nothing that jumped out at me for fiction—except from the Mac UK list.”
The strength of the dollar continues to be a problem. Elaine McQuade, managing director of Scholastic UK, cited the high cost of color printing, which is squeezing British picture books. “The bookshops are adamant that we cannot put up the price of picture books, so we just have to be very careful with what we do.”
Picking well, or “focusing,” seems to be the buzz word of the fair. Milnes-Smith is enthusiastic about the sense of purpose. “People are coming with such a clear idea about what they want and what they are doing. There have been some no-shows, but there hasn’t been a wasted meeting.” Of course, no one knows what will happen next. “Everyone worries that we haven’t bottomed out yet,” Milnes-Smith said, and that remains true. In the meantime, publishers are busy doing all they can for their big-name, well-established authors, who are ever more important given the worldwide economic uncertainty.
For more Bologna coverage, check out our Bologna by Day and Night blog, for frequent dispatches from the fair.
