Comments on: Bologna Book Fair

By: danny

danny — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 03:25:15 +0000

Am working on the invite right now. Who is your publisher in Taiwan? China Times or Locus or who? We can set something up for next book fair here….

By: Justine

Justine — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:57:37 +0000

Thanks, Danny, you know if we gets an invite we're so there. Taipei is only, what?, seven or eight hours away from Sydney? We were only able to go to Bologna because The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators invited us to give a workshop and keynote addresses at their conference before the fair. Glad you enjoyed the post!

By: danny bloom

danny bloom — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:31:34 +0000

re my above post, I see that yes, you hvae sold rights to Taiwan. GREAT! THen come on over next year for the book fair hair. great people to work with in Taiwan, for media promotion. They will love you here.

Magic or Madness …rights have been also to *Taiwan*, France, Thailand and Germany.

By: danny bloom

danny bloom — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:20:26 +0000

Justine,
That was one of the best reports, from a writer’s point of view, of the Bologna Fair I have ever seen in print. Thanks for that.

Read about you via boingboing.net today, and Corey Doctorow’s post about your books.

Have you sold foreign rights to Taiwan or Japan yet? There’s a nice little (big) Taipei International book fair each February, might be a good place to visit someday for you and your husband. Taiwan publishers are wonderful to work with. Bradley Trevor Grieve was here a few years ago, big media splash when he flew in.

Anyway, thanks for your Bologna blog. I want to go there someday myself. One of my friends who works at Abrams in NYC went this year, and said, yes, it was a very very busy fair.

By: Justine

Justine — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 03:01:48 +0000

Jo: Pretty much, except that they’re sitting down and aren’t wearing those weird coats. I definitely thing it’s worth going for the more established writers (ie it was prolly a bit premature for me). More foreign sales seem to flow for quite a few authors who’ve been in past years. And it’s great to get to know all your publishers.

It’s also a fab experience for publishing geeks (which I confess I am rapidly becoming). I really do feel like I have a better handle on how the whole publishing thing works now, which, of course, leaves me bursting to know more. How did these fairs get started in the first place? How long has the concept of foreign rights existed? Etc. etc.

By: Jo Whittemore

Jo Whittemore — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 01:48:18 +0000

Excellent report. I picture each little booth looking like the stock trading floor in NY. Very good advice for authors who were thinking of saving up their money to go. Now they know their money would be better spent on local endeavors.

And thank you for the food report. I like blood oranges if I don’t have to look at them when I eat them. Something about the name and the color combined…

By: Brent Hartinger

Brent Hartinger — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 22:12:14 +0000

Oh, that actually makes sense!

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:57:24 +0000

Alma: Mmmm, the food. I miss blood orange juice like you wouldn’t believe. But thanks to my lovely mother I came home to a fridge full of fruit. Including mangosteens! I have the world’s best mother.

Lisa: Definitely the most businessy fair I’ve seen. I imagine Frankfurt is the same only without good food.

By: Lisa Yee

Lisa Yee — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:30:54 +0000

Interesting, thank you Justine! I didn’t realize it was so business-oriented.

By: Alma Fullerton

Alma Fullerton — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:29:53 +0000

Hi, Justine, great report, thanks. I hope someday to get there even if just for the food

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:17:01 +0000

Little Willow: Indeed we did!

Dylan: Thanks! You know the next one, Magic Lessons is out now, right? If you can’t afford hardcover you can get it from your library. So pleased you like our books!

Brent: You know going to the Fair had the opposite effect. I now feel less overwhelmed by US publishing. It all makes a lot more sense now. But I’m still jetlagged. I’ll see if I still feel that way in a week.

By: Brent Hartinger

Brent Hartinger — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:35:10 +0000

Thanks for the report. Very interesting. I get overwhelmed by US publishing–I can’t imagine having to figure out the whole world!

By: dylan

dylan — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:00:42 +0000

Wicked! Glad you and Scott had a great time! Just brought Pretties. Uglies was damn good-finished it in two hours and your book, Magic or madness rocked- finished it in like a few days. can’t wait til the next one. Rock one! dylan NJ, America.

By: Little Willow

Little Willow — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:24:44 +0000

Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time.

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:54:51 +0000

Kathleen: Thanks! So pleased you liked Magic or Madness.

Whereabouts is your friend? Is she American? I just ask cause I’d've said yakkbum rather than butt . . . Either way that’s pretty funny.

I’m not wild about the travelling part—if only transmat beams were real—but I just love being in other places, discovering new cities, food, wine, people. Fabulous. I’m dead pleased to be home, but. Yay, Sydney.

By: Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 13:31:43 +0000

Justine, hi.

I’m a lurker (most of the time) on the yanovel listserv. I read your blog, as I find it informative and entertaining, and also because I’m nuts about all things Australian–I’ve never been there, though I do have a writer email friend who lives on a sheep farm somewhere in the wooly wilds of your country. She affectionally refers to her town as Yakbutt.

Thank you for your Bologna report. I know my agent was there. I admire how you travel all over the place, as I am a scaredy-cat and never go anywhere.

I really, really enjoyed your first book, Magic or Madness (Madness or Magic? Ack. Please forgive.) And am looking forward to the new one.

Best,
Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson