Do you have delusions of grandeur about the demand for your book? If you don't, you’re not a typical new author. Dreams keep us writing.
However, if you think that alt your book needs to “take off” is to be displayed at a major book fair, you’re going to be disappointed. Of the hundreds of success stories the author has seen, read of, or heard of, none has been due to an exhibit at a book fair. Don’t be misled by the advertising you receive from exhibitors. Save your promotional money for more productive activities.
While you won’t sell many books at these gatherings, you can meet important people. If the location of the fair is attractive, you can even enjoy a vacation. The 1982 American Booksellers Association (ABA) convention was held on Memorial Day weekend in Anaheim, California. The convention center was sandwiched between Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and the Pacific Ocean beaches.
The author has attended numerous regional fairs, two national ABAs, and one World Book Fair (held in Frankfurt,
West Germany). At each of these fairs, important contacts were made within the book industry.
At regional fairs you have the opportunity to meet the management of printing companies, binderies, paper suppliers, and other publishers, both large and small.
If you insist on exhibiting your book at a fair, at least do it in an economical manner. How best to exhibit a single book depends on the size of the fair.
Regional Fairs
At regional fairs, the cost of a booth will be at least $200. By the time you add the cost of gas, food, and accommodations, it will probably cost you $450 to $500 to exhibit your book.
Why not share the cost of a booth? That way you will have time to visit the booths of other small presses. By the time your book is in print, you should have met several other author-publishers. You may even be able to share living expenses with co-exhibitors.
As stressed earlier, do not go to a fair expecting to make money selling books. After expenses, you won’t. Such profits will come indirectly in the future, from savings in your next publishing venture, contacts with other author-publishers, and so on.
National and International Fairs
LMP lists more than eighty regional and national book fairs (under “Book Trade Events”), many of them in such specialty areas as music or religion.
The annual ABA fair is by far the largest of the national fairs and an experience that every author should enjoy. The location changes every year. Dates and sites are announced in the spring editions of Publishers Weekly.
At a national fair, you may wish to hire the services of a professional exhibitor. Numerous exhibitors are listed in LMP under “Exhibits.” Exhibitors usually reserve space at all major fairs, including many international fairs. Then they try to offer their services to enough publishers to cover their expenses. When they cannot cover their expenses, they cancel out. Be prepared to hire another exhibitor if this happens to you.
Do not hire a professional exhibitor if you do not plan to attend the fair. The exhibitor may have hundreds of books on display, many of which will be spine out. If the exhibitor knows that you are not attending, your book will probably have low visibility. Even when they know you’re attending, your book may be displayed spine out.
The fees these exhibitors charge to display a book range from $75 on up. Many exhibitors will also offer to act as short-term agents for small publishers for a commission of 10 to 15 percent. For the duration of the fair, this may be a good idea. If your book is represented on an agency basis by your exhibitor, it’s more likely that it will be prominently displayed.
If you do hire an exhibitor to act as your agent (at a fair you attend), the extent of the exhibitor’s effort may simply be to refer you to major publishers who have expressed an interest in your book.
International Fairs
Annual book fairs are held in Brussels, Bologna, Jerusalem, Montreal, Quebec, Warsaw, Toronto, Frankfurt, and London. Pick your vacation.
The major fairs are in Frankfurt and Bologna. Frankfurt, the largest in the world, is called the World Book Fair. Bologna holds the largest annual convention for children’s books.
Frankfurt’s fair is in mid-fall. Accommodations should be arranged at least a year in advance. The fair is so large that it’s impossible to view all the booths. Simply viewing the English-language books is a major undertaking.
At the Frankfurt Fair, the author concluded negotiations for the British Commonwealth rights to his first book. While negotiations had been initiated earlier, the interest generated by several other publishers improved the terms of the final agreement. The book was displayed and represented by an exhibitor.
Plugging Your Book on the Radio