Children's publishers expect 'upbeat' Bologna

01.03.10 | Caroline Horn - The Bookseller

Children's publishers are reporting an upbeat mood as they make their final preparations for this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair (23rd to 26th March). Early indications are that there are solid reasons for publishers' optimism, with the young adult (YA) market expected to be the focus of rights activity and signs of improvement in sales of picture books.

There is also more interest in one-off fiction deals as publishers shy away from committing to longer series. The Americans, too, are returning to Bologna, although not yet in pre-recession numbers.

Meyer's sales may decline here and in the US this year, but internationally, the YA market is still growing, said Alex Webb, director of the Rights People agency. "YA is really taking off for us in Asia, particularly in China, and countries such as Germany, France and -Brazil are still very strong."

Outside the paranormal genre, fiction in general will be a strong category at Bologna, said Carla Alonzi, head of children's rights at HarperCollins Children's Books, particularly high-profile, author-driven fiction with a strong focus on teen, YA and cross-over. Candace Bushnell's The Carrie Diaries (Carrie Bradshaw before "Sex and the City"), for example, sold in 17 languages in pre-emptive deals before sight of the manuscript.

Interest in digital rights for fiction titles is not yet uniform although UK publishers are moving ahead with their digital developments. Hachette will launch its first range of e-books including its bestselling brand Jiggy McCue (Orchard) at Bologna, and Usborne will be releasing some key fiction titles later in the year for e-book readers.

Link to The Bookseller for their Bologna Preview - in depth