Anyone for Bologna Children’s Book Fair?

Perhaps it’s wishful thinking.  Perhaps it’s a touch of over-confidence.  Perhaps it’s even a touch of arrogance.  However, two of the major international book fairs happen very soon, and for me this means the possibility that I might pick up more foreign rights deals on my work.  Lots of copies of the above proof of Firestorm will have been sent out to the overseas publishers prior to the fairs. More are currently being sent to reviewers and retailers to start to build the buzz about the new series, and reviews are starting to appear on the internet already. I’ll start linking some up this week.

Having my books translated into other languages is one of the most exciting elements to being published by an established Publishing House.  The International Rights Team at Simon & Schusters have done me proud so far, picking up contracts with some of the best publishers in the territories that my work has sold into.  It’s strange really, as it would be easy to think it’s all about the money that comes with such contracts … I can tell you quite honestly that it’s not.  The money is nice (though it’s seldom very much) but there is more to having a book translated than hard cash.  It’s the whole idea that my work will be appearing on the shelves of countries around the world in their native languages and gaining fans with whom I will never properly be able to communicate other than through my stories - this I find exciting.   (That and the knowledge that my bid for world domination is gaining momentum … mwah ha ha!)

 The first of the big book fairs is The Bologna Children’s Book Fair. I’m not going personally this year, though I’m considering going along next year to meet some of the publishers who have already bought my titles. Since I was first published by Simon & Schusters I have worked hard to maintain relationships with as many people there as possible (not just my editor) and I feel that having several people within that company who know me and my ethos for writing and marketing books has helped my progression. I’m not sure whether this would be the case on an international basis, but I’m considering trying next year. The Bologna book fair is possibly the most important book fair of the year for me, as it’s all about books for young people. The Frankfurt fair is bigger, but covers all genres, and the children’s books are just one small element.

Hard on the heels of Bologna comes The London Book Fair. By the time this is over, my best shot at making an impression on the foreign publishers during 2008 will have come and gone. I have high hopes for the Dragon Orb books at both festivals and, as happened with the recent rights sale into Germany, I hope to potentially sell some rights for the Imperial trilogy on the back of sales of the Dragon Orb titles.

My fingers will be well and truly crossed at the end of the month for Bologna … and during the middle of next month for London. Let’s hope I have lots of good news to pass on then.