I'm back home from sunny London to rainy Minnesota -- talk about an upside-down universe -- after my fifth visit to the London Book Fair.
I still remember walking into the Fair for the first time in 2005. I didn't know a soul, and I was confronted by a mass of exhibition booths stretching as far as the eye could see. It was probably one of the most intimidating experiences of my life. Now it feels like coming home and seeing old friends.
What do I do at the Fair? First, many of my overseas publishers attend, so I have an opportunity to catch up with them, review materials for upcoming editions, and talk about marketing support I can provide. This year, among other meetings, I was delighted to find out from my Dutch publisher that they had sold nearly 40,000 copies of STALKED in the Netherlands. That's tremendous progress in that market. He also showed me the cover for the Dutch edition of IN THE DARK/THE WATCHER, which will be released as DE VOYEUR on May 25. And yes, it's quite the cover! You can see the whole catalog spread, including the cover, by clicking here.
I also visit during the Fair with export reps that sell the English editions of my books in countries around the world. It's very common both for expats and natives in other countries to buy books in English, rather in the language of that country, so I discuss my books with reps from places like India, Singapore, Scandinavia, Hong Kong, and most of the European countries. The shelf space for English editions is often limited, so it's a competitive market, and the personal touch helps.
Finally, my UK publisher Headline usually takes advantage of my attendance at the Fair to schedule meetings with UK book buyers, reviewers, and booksellers, in order to raise my profile there. It seems to be working: THE WATCHER was #3 on the "Heat Seekers" list of UK book sales last week.
So it's always busy and fun -- and always good to get back home. Of course, we're not home for long. This weekend I'll be driving up to Thunder Bay, Canada, for an event at the local Chapters bookstore on Saturday, May 2, at 2:00 pm.
Hope your trip there was enjoyable and turns out to be globally productive for you!
Welcome back to the states and I am sure all your fans can't wait for the next Stride book!
Thanks, MO
Posted by: Mike ONEill | April 28, 2009 at 01:22 AM