Yes, You Can Buy Children’s Book Rights at the Frankfurt Book Fair!

September 7, 2011 • Andrew Wilkins - Publishing Perspectives 

Although I’m primarily a  children’s publisher, I have so far done most of my business at the Frankfurt Book Fair, rather than the world’s major children’s book fair in Bologna.That’s down to necessity rather than strategy.

Coming from distant Australia and being small press, Wilkins Farago only has the budget for one fair each year. Because we mostly buy both adult and kids rights from non-English-speaking countries, that one fair has to deliver as many books and publishers from as many countries as possible. Frankfurt’s 7,500 exhibitors from over 100 countries are hard to ignore.
Buying at Frankfurt is a distinct pleasure. Of course, it’s easier than selling: even the haughtiest rights manager can be won over if you walk up to them smiling and say “Hi, I’m from Australia and I want to buy your book.” Also, because I’m not in the trans-Atlantic English-speaking publishing loop and don’t have a stand to tend, I can roam freely to parts of the fair where English-language publishers are less frequently spotted. I bought my first picture book from the excellent Slovenian publisher Mladinska and have bought others from Brazil, Korea and Malaysia. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Czech and Iranian stands at my last Frankfurt, and I’m frustrated I still haven’t published anything from China, Japan or India.

While I wouldn’t turn down a book from one of the larger markets (we’ve published quite a few French and Italian books and this year — finally — our first German one), I’m probably happiest walking Hall 5.1 on Sunday morning after all the important people have gone home. It’s good to be reminded that the world’s an enormous place and brilliant publishing is occurring everywhere. I have a feeling I’m really going to enjoy Iceland as Guest of Honor this year (and my New Zealand neighbors in 2012).
Buying illustrated books, you really need to keep your eyes peeled. Earlier this year, I found myself with 30 minutes to spare in Beijing’s massive Wangfujing Bookstore. I covered every floor before finally spying the one book among many thousands that I thought just might work in my market. I felt like a supermarket shopper on a “mad minute” shopping spree.
Andrew Wilkins' full piece here.