As fall begins, the Frankfurt Book Fair looms, coming to the German financial capital October 19 through 23.
Traditional expectations for industry trade shows face unprecedented challenges in 2016, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer. The Frankfurt Book Fair organizers, he says, have managed to keep the show fresh and attractive by moving outside the comfort zone of many publishers.
“Frankfurt will always be a book fair,” Albanese notes. “But over the last decade, the organizers have brought in all other content areas—film, games, TV, tech, you name it. That’s been a great example for a book business that needs to look at every opportunity offered by digital, beyond just words on a page.
“Last year, attendance at Frankfurt actually rose—and that’s a remarkable achievement,” he tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “Suffice it to say, there is optimism around this year’s fair—which is hard to come by in a tough global economy, political turmoil and the impending Brexit, a refugee crisis, and of course digital publishing going in reverse with e-book sales declining in the U.S.”
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Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.