The actors of the publishing universe began the year with two situations that have been dragging: the inflationary spiral and the increase in the cost of its main raw material due to the concentration of the paper industry. However, the 47° Buenos Aires Book Fair It represents a special moment that transcends the dimension of massiveness and commercial movement. In it converge publishers, booksellers, librarians and readersunited by the object-book and the habit of reading that, from April 27 to May 15, are traversed by private initiatives and public policies who aspire to continue promoting the publishing production.
“Our fair manages to position the book as the protagonist of everyday life“, it states Jorge Gutierrez Brianza, Commercial and Operations Director of the Book Foundation. Therein lies its importance beyond billing numbers: some 500 publishers in the country prepare their main annual releases for these three weeks. Clubs, political organizations, universities, provincial governments and publishers: walking through the corridors of the fair is, practically, knowing the reading possibilities of Argentina.
The most important event for the Argentine publishing industry suffered a recent shock: after being carried out uninterruptedly since 1975, even going through military dictatorships, it had to stop during 2020 and 2021 due to the sanitary measures that required the coronavirus pandemic. However, his return caused a renewal of expectations: “Last year was very special. After two years without a fair, there was an explosion of people and sales. This year is good, but not as much as in 2022. I would tell you that for now there are 15% or 20% less sales”, points out Constance Brunetdirector of Editorial Tidechosen as the best label of the year in 2010.
The editor underlines the incidence of the national inflationary situation: “Unfortunately the prices have gone up a lot.approximately 35% since the beginning of the year, divided into two increases. We translated what was the increase in paper, printing and all other costs. We are always increasing a little later than inflation and costs so as not to lose market.”
The panorama described by Brunet coincides with the analysis of Martin Gremmelspacherlabel manager bonus and holder of the Argentine Book Chamber (LIME), who emphasizes the problem of paper: “Many publishers had to reconsider their production program, despite the success of the fair, because paper was not available. In addition, the little that is obtained is very expensive ”. In this sense, he remarks that “the supply of books for this fair was clearly affectedespecially from small and medium-sized stamps, which are buying paper day by day”.
Professional conferences: when the world of books has an appointment
The professional days of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair They are one of the most anticipated events by the actors that make up the book industry. This year, between April 25 and 27 (the days prior to the opening to the general public), this framework once again brought together Argentinian and foreign publishers, booksellers, distributors, literary agents, illustrators, librarians, designers and translators. The schedule of meetings prior to the meeting with the readers makes possible the concretion of future co-publishing agreements, links between authors and cartoonists and, essentially, the sale of title rights from editorial catalogs to international stamps.
“Those weeks could represent for some publishers 20% or 25% of their sales abroad,” traces Jorge Gutierrez Brianza. In this 2023 edition, it is estimated that more than 700 national and international buyers from more than 20 countries were linked for three days, where the booksellers had the bonus of the program “Amiga Bookstore”, which allowed them to firmly acquire the titles of the publishers’ catalog with a discount of 50% of the retail price.
In that sense, gremmelspacher he estimates that “the Book Fair is more or less one more month of billing in my annual program. But then it also has another value that is more difficult to measure, which occurs throughout the year. The first three days we generated a lot of sales with the professionals, with the indoor and outdoor booksellers who come to visit us and then continue to buy from us throughout the year, and also with the reading public, because It is the only time of the year that we can fully exhibit our catalog”.
“This year we have a record of presentations and meetings at the fair, which are promotional situations within the Fair. Within the framework of a face-to-face presentation, more is sold”, he points out. Constance Brunet and adds: “all those presentations, those books that arrive at the libraries, those new clients that one meets, the bookstores that come and with which one begins to work, the clients from abroad, the authors who promote themselves while at the fair and contact with a huge audience is a token gain very important”.
CONABIP Book Fair
Photo: Telam Agency.
The book as an object of public policies
Beyond the discounts and specific promotions provided by the National Bankthe program Book % intended for the National Commission of Popular Libraries (CONABIP) is the main sales driver. With an investment of $356,529,000the financing line of the culture Ministry The national library is intended for 983 libraries throughout the country, which between May 5 and 7 have an equitable budget (between $360,000 and $442,000) to purchase the latest products from the catalog of some 200 publishers present at half price. Book Fair.
The state investment includes the cost of travel and lodging for librarians, who find in this space opportunities to find titles that, due to distribution issues or the size of the publishers, are not promoted or distributed in all provinces. “A fair with these characteristics and dimensions is a unique thing that Argentina has. Just as it has asymmetries in other aspects, in this it is very important and valuable”, highlights Gabriela Hallucinone of the managers of the Maria Blanca Borau de Simonotto Popular Libraryfrom the city of Formosa.
“The opportunity provided by CONABIP is very significant because the popular libraries offer an important service in the different cities where they are installed”, he assures and indicates that “When we arrive in Formosa we will make an exhibition of the new books that we have so that it is known to the public.” “Expectation is generated with the novelties that we bring so the impact will be very positive,” he adds.
Besides, hallucinate emphasizes that “The library is attended by many children and young people, so we choose many books especially for them“. In this sense, the popular library becomes the favorite place to carry out “activities to promote reading and for children to become familiar with books and all the cultural activity that this generates”.
“Our books go to the length and breadth of the country with this program,” he celebrated gremmelspacher but longs for “the State to accompany with policies of soft loans. Let’s take into account that a productive cycle of a book is almost one year. The investment made now will only see the fruits perhaps within a year”.
In addition, the owner of the LIME He highlights another of the reiterated claims: “Transportation today is a matter. It is a very high cost that we publishers and booksellers haveand perhaps generate a policy of subsidies or accompaniment by the Argentine Mailwhich is a state-owned company, would be very useful for us”.
Each year, the offer of the publishers changes, in line with the thematic and aesthetic demand in which publishers and readers dialogue. However, there is one thing that never changes: the halls full of enthusiasts and the book, once again, as the center of the party.
Source: Ambito
