When Book Fair officials indicated in September that the total number of exhibitors for this year’s convention was likely to fall by about 5 percent a European wire started played up the “decline” as a digital casualty. But at today’s opening press conference, the Fair said that total exhibitors are actually up, at 7,533, a three percent increase over last year. But that number isn’t particularly meaningful since, as in previous years, the full fair will comprise the exact same amount of exhibition space. “Strong demand” for tables in the Literary Agents Center (and the volcanically-quiet London Book Fair this […]
Book Fairs
Pre-Frankfurt Analysis: Where the Deals, and Aren’t
With the Frankfurt Book Fair officially opening on Wednesday (and dealmaking already underway at the Frankfurter Hof), “mood”-watchers like the Guardian are already proclaiming last year’s recession-induced “austerity” over. Publisher of Harper UK’s Blue Door Patrick Janson Smith says, “People have short memories. It was instant panic last year but now it’s back to business.” But the schedule has also affected the key pre-Frankfurt selling season. With a late Labor Day followed quickly by the Jewish holidays and an earlier-than-usual Frankfurt itself, there have been barely a few “shopping weeks” prior to this year’s fair. We decided to look past […]
Briefs: Frankfurt Exhibitor Count Slides; Best Buy to Add Kindles; Canada to Look at iBookstore
* The Frankfurt Book Fair will have 6,930 exhibitors–about five percent fewer than last year–and thus, in the current press mood, like Barnes & Noble and printed books, considered “declining” and barely shy of extinction due to ebooks. The Fair says the drop is mostly due to a smaller group of publishers from this year’s guest Argentina, compared to last year’s big delegation from China. Which is a bit disingenuous, since they also blame the economic slowdown and cite declines from Eastern Europe as well. But if you look at stats from the last decade or so, the exhibitor totals […]
People, Etc.
Jeanette Limondjian is leaving Barnes & Noble this week “to start the next chapter in her life.” She has been with the company for over 40 years, starting creating store windows and writing radio ad copy and most recently serving as vp, editor at large and new business development at Sterling Innovation. The London Book Fair announced that China has signed on as the “market focus” partner for the 2012 convention.
People: Hitchens, Merwin, and More
In a brief statement yesterday, Christopher Hitchens explained his sudden book tour cancellations: “I have been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me. I regret having had to cancel so many engagements at such short notice.” News outlets concluded that the treatment is related to esophageal cancer, which is linked to both smoking (Hitchens was a heavy smoker until recently) as well as drinking alcohol. Two-time Pulitzer-winner (most recently in 2009 for the collection The Shadow of Sirius) W.S. Merwin has been named the Library of […]
Final BEA Stats Use New Measure to Count Almost 22,000 Attendees
BookExpo America (BEA) officials said this morning that verified attendance at this year’s show was 21,919 people. Exhibitors comprised just over 8,000 people, with all other “industry professionals” comprising 13,872 people in all. For the first time, the show is tabulating all people who actually attend the show. In the past BEA has provided a breakout of registrants for their “book buyer” category (which includes librarians), but now spokesman Roger Bilheimer says “we have decided that while the book buyer number is a standard of measurement that is important, it is not the only standard of measurement. In that sense, […]