Biblio diversity The monthly newsletter of the Alliance of Independent Publishers February 2008 – Issue No. 9 – ISSN 1778-4018 Editorial When the Casablanca International Publishing and Book Fair (Morocco) The common thread running through this opened, the Alliance was especially keen to latest issue of Bibliodiversity – a newsletter support the campaign being waged by which, don’t forget, comes out certain members of the Moroccan book simultaneously in French, English and trade. Our original intention was to co-sign a Spanish – is perhaps the international book statement with the International Association fairs and exhibitions . We must add sadly of French-language Bookshops (AILF), but that, just this once, a rather depressing event this was not possible. The situation of opens the new issue of Bibliodiversity. When independent bookshops is giving sufficient we attended the most recent Dakar cause for concern – it seems to be facing a International Book Fair (FILDAK – determined initiative on the part of a Senegal) last December, we were concerned subsidiary of the Hachette group (France) – about the direction and future of such for us to feel the need to urge it into a events in Africa – particularly for its French- dialogue about plurality, the promotion of language area. bibliodiversity, even if we have to do this just in our name. Still under the heading of Events , we are going to spend a little time considering the Among these sometimes worrying or, to say setting up and running of joint stands at the least, serious developments, there are trade fairs – which many of you have shown nevertheless a few rays of sunshine. We are particular interest in. Starting with a short pleased to welcome into our Alliance two report on the joint stand run by the Alliance new members , Leone Verde directed by at the Children’s Book Fair in Montreuil Anita Molino (Italy) and Éditions Jeunes (France), we will consider the format for this Malgaches (Madagascar) run by Marie type of operation. And following these two Michèle Razafintsalama. And to round it all articles, we suggest you take a look (again) at off, we are going to introduce you to the the many and various international events Alliance’s youngest member – the young and being held during 2008 – on page 5 you will dynamic Octavio Kulesz, co-director of the find a list of the main international book Argentinian publishing house Libros del fairs and exhibitions that have happened or Zorzal . are about to happen. Étienne Galliand Event A rather depressing International Book Fair in Dakar (Senegal) business-to-business dimension – is What : The Alliance’s visit to the gradually pushing Dakar out of the big International Book Fair in Dakar (FILDAK league of international book fairs. And this – Senegal) leaves one question unresolved: which major Why : to meet African French-language book fair now represents the great richness publishers, circulate the Declaration, hold and diversity of Africa’s publishing world? working meetings on pan-African co- Southern Africa’s hopes – after the decline publishing projects of the Harare Book Fair in Zimbabwe – Features : FILDAK is organised every two seem to lie now in the fairly new Cape Town years by the Senegalese government. The Book Fair. For the French-language area Alliance organised its first major gathering might it not be, paradoxically, the book fairs of members on the in North Africa that are fringe of FILDAK going to represent sub- 2003. Saharan Africa tomorrow? Last December the Alliance attended the Apart from this rather International Book Fair disappointing in Dakar (Senegal). We assessment, progress left with a fairly poor, was nevertheless made not to say depressing, with several ongoing impression. The issues. Serge exhibition was held a Dontchueng Kouam long way from the city circulated the centre – which is International Declaration of nothing new, but Independent Publishers in serious traffic problems French, the joint in Dakar make travel publishers involved extremely difficult. The signed a co-publishing admission charge kept contract for the next the public away. And two pan-African the event was given very publications (Sozaboy by little publicity. For all these reasons, it was Ken Saro-Wiwa and De l'autre côté du regard poorly attended by the public. We found (As Seen from the Other Side) by Ken Bugul). there the stands of the NEAS, the NEI, as So in the end the trip was not fruitless for well as those of French publishers Hachette, the Alliance, but it was tinged with Editis and Belin. Only a few independent disappointment all the same! African publishers were there, including Ruisseaux d’Afrique, Eburnie, BLD and ENDA. As is often the case, very few Senegalese publishers were in attendance, and the few people we were supposed to meet there did not even show up! These two things – a fair with little commercial potential due to a lack of attendance by the public and a practically non-existent 2 Joint stands, a model worth Roundup of the joint stand at Montreuil repeating? – The total takings for sales at the “Multiple Africa” stand came to €7,021.50. This was an excellent commercial success. As usual, What : An assessment of the joint “Multiple the takings were distributed by the Alliance Africa” stand at the Children’s Book Fair in to the publishers present as the event Montreuil (France) and some general progressed. Big differences in marketing thoughts about joint stands were nevertheless evident between Why : to help member publishers find new publishers, related to the language of commercial markets publication (with French having a certain Features : a joint initiative with the edge), the size and degree of professionalism organisers of the Montreuil Book Fair, of the publications. According to the supported by the embassies of France in publishers taking part, the Brazil, Benin and positive points of this joint Mali, and by the stand lay essentially in its large IFAS (French size, its design, the diversity Institute of South of publishers involved, the Africa). support of the Alliance before and during the Fair, and the friendly atmosphere on the Last December, stand. Conversely, stock the Alliance of recording for the stand, Independent management of the single till Publishers and management of client suggested to flow, were not the strong around ten points of our organisation. member publishers that they present their Considering the principle children’s book of joint stands – Recognising production on a these strong points and joint stand weaknesses is very useful in measuring 60 sq helping us to take a careful look at how we m. The publishers who attended, from West might make joint stands work better in the Africa but also from Brazil and South Africa, future. Many of you have asked us to repeat were thus able to test the waters at the this type of arrangement. The Alliance can – Montreuil Book Fair (France), the biggest as was the case in Montreuil – be the one to French-language children’s book event. take the initiative and run the stand entirely, making it available to its members. In this How the Montreuil joint stand worked – context, it can use three possible strategies: The joint stand was run by the Alliance of with all the publishers represented on the Independent Publishers, in partnership with stand publishing in the same language the Fair’s organisers, setting up of the stand (linguistic strategy); all the publishers and its design, management of joint takings, publishing books on the same subject scheduling of meetings and discussions etc. (thematic strategy, as with the “Multiple Each publisher could share in the costs, up Africa” stand at Montreuil); or with the to 150 euros per publishing house. For the publishers comparable in terms of size, Alliance, this operation cost a total of status and commitment. The three strategies around €5,800 (including direct costs and can of course be combined, the important man days). thing being to find a clear identity on which to base the stand and any related events. In 3 addition, if the Alliance is managing the operation directly, we will have to specify the commitments of each party, i.e. what the Alliance is to do and what the publishers are responsible for. In this context, we have now accepted that we cannot continue to calculate each publisher’s share on a strictly equal basis (with all the publishers paying the same amount); instead we will have to determine the share of costs on the basis of the sales made by each publisher (according to marketing results), or on the number of copies of books on display (according to the amount of space occupied). Finally, the Alliance could support the setting up of joint stands which it does not personally manage; either where the stand is the direct initiative of publishers belonging to the Alliance, or where the Alliance takes the initiative but entrusts its management to an independent bookshop, for example. When it comes to promotion and activities, the best way would be to involve all the opinion leaders beforehand: associations, librarians and teachers. Be that as it may, we are keen to hear your suggestions, in this as in other areas. Opposite we list the international book fairs – please let us know which of these you will be attending this year, as this information is extremely helpful to us! 4 International Book Fairs in 2008 14th Casablanca International 53rd Warsaw International Book Fair Publishing and Book Fair - guest of Poland, Warsaw, 15-18 May honour France - Morocco, Casablanca, 9-