Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 is going ahead as scheduled from 14th–18th October. Between various virtual events, the fair is innovating to accommodate the latest developments and requirements in terms of hygiene and safety. That is some fantastic news for our industry as it sends a positive economic signal for publishers. Although The Frankfurter Buchmesse will change this year, this special edition will also allow the publishing industry to be more inclusive in its way of delivering events.
Memories from my student experience at the 2019 edition
As a Digital Publishing student at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing (Oxford Brookes University), I had the opportunity to fly to Frankfurt to attend the world famous book fair. On Thursday the 17th of October, about 20 of us headed to London Heathrow to catch our flight to Germany. Upon arrival, and after freshening up in our hotel rooms, the London Book Fair team kindly invited us to a cocktail evening in a nearby hotel - it certainly involved a lot of Champaign. It was a great opportunity to network with the LBF team and our lecturers. After dinner, a few Schnitzels and pints of Beck’s, we all charged up our batteries for what looked like an intense day ahead.
Thanks to the OICP, all students had booked meetings with publishers (independents or bigger ones), literary agents and other book related companies. Aside from being a great networking opportunity, it gave us students some time to ask our burning questions about the publishing industry. I felt really privileged to have appointments with Hodder & Stoughton, Casemate Publishers and Bodleian Library Publishing - especially as it lead to an internship - as the fair is always a very busy time for them. When I did not have meetings, I wandered around the many halls, often asking questions to publishers if I had the courage to do so. A little advice from me: if people are busy, they will let you know, but most of them are very friendly and available for a quick chat.
By the end of the day, after very sore feet, we headed towards the main exhibition hall for a book proof hunting session. I was told that many publishers were willing to give away proofs towards the end of the week - mainly to unload their very heavy suitcases. I managed to get hold of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore.
My takeaways
Wear comfortable shoes
Dress up appropriately to make a good impression during your meetings
Plan your day: make a note of your various appointments and locate where the publishers you want to visit are - in that respect, try to group them strategically
Download a plan of the halls on your phone
Keep an eye on your watch and allow sufficient time to travel to different exhibition halls in time for your appointments
Have a look at the panels and events happening around the fair
If you are an international student, visit your country’s own publishing corner
Try and bring your own lunch as catering on-site is very expensive (but most definitely very varied, from German food to traditional burgers and sandwiches)
This is a small clip of our day at the book fair from the OICP
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