Elaine Roberts at The London Book Fair

Earlier this month Elaine Roberts wrote about her expectations of The London Book Fair and how she was planning her trip. So, how did she get on?

As a London Book Fair (LBF) virgin I found it to be a fascinating place. The only thing I can give you for comparison is the Ideal Home Exhibition but bigger, much bigger. It is my understanding that this is the first time the event has been held at Olympia, in previous years it was Earls Court.

Before the day I was advised to do some preparation work. Where did I want to go and whom did I

Welcome!

want to see. That was very sound advice and something I would tell others to do. However, I did try this but the LBF website contained so much information, some quite difficult to find, so I gave up on that idea. I went along with friends, some experienced and some not so and was lucky with fabulous weather and a straightforward journey from Kent.

Once we were scanned in we picked up a leaflet that was the floor plans/maps for the event and it told us which companies were attending and where they were situated. The first stop was a cup of tea/coffee and a study of the maps. We clearly needed a plan to work to, which we did try and formulate but for me it was all a little overwhelming. So, unlike me, I decided to become a sheep and be guided by the others in my

Floor Plan

group. A lot of time was spent trying to work out where we were in conjunction to where we wanted to be and it was comforting to know we weren’t alone in that. People were standing around staring down at maps, pointing and looking very confused.

At lunchtime we made our way to the Pizza Express, although there were many eating-places to choose from. Over lunch we began talking about the strategy for the afternoon. However, it needs to be said that if you get four writers round the table they are going to spend more time talking about their writing, and we did.

Lunch!

What the event did was emphasise how big the world of publishing is and, yes subconsciously I did know that but to see it under one roof was quite spectacular. There were many talks to choose from. We sat in on “How To Promote Yourself”, which covered social media and events. It was a good talk but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know through attending the London Chapter, The Write Place and the RNA Conference.

My impression of the event is that it is a trade fair where a lot of behind the scenes business is done. All aspects of publishing appeared to be represented from self-publishing, small independent publishers to the large publishing houses as well as all genres, both fiction and non-fiction. There were also plenty of places to eat and sit for five minutes.

As an RNA New Writers’ Scheme member I have attended several conferences and chapter meetings where I have learnt some valuable lessons and listening to the talks at the LBF reinforced how much I already know. Would I recommend attending? Yes I would, even if you are only going for the realisation that as a writer you are joining, or attempting to join, a fascinating and hugely complex world.

Francesca Capaldi Burgess, who had previously attended the London Book Fair, makes comparisons between the two venues.

·      From a practical point of view, I found that Olympia is more open and airy than Earl's Court was. It also has more cafes with seating to take a break in.

·      Earl's Court was easier to get to via its underground station, although Olympia (with a station that is often closed) is an easy ten minute walk from West Kensington tube station or a bus ride from Earl's Court.

·      The directory of exhibitors used to be included in the ticket price at Earl's Court but now costs £10 extra, though I imagine that's the doing of the Book Fair organiser, not the venue.

Thank you, Elaine, for telling us about your interesting day.

The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write about a writing event or your own writing life please contact the blog: elaineeverest@aol.com

The London Book Fair 2016: Are you attending?

Are you planning to attend the London Book Fair this year? Elaine Roberts has purchased her ticket and is heading to Olympia for her first taste of one of the publishing industry’s premier events. Here she tells us of her expectations and will return later in the month to share her experiences.

For several years I have heard talk of the London Book Fair (LBF), about the many talks and publishers that attend. However, every year work commitments have prevented me from attending. The good news is that I officially gave up work on the 31^st March, so my time is my own and guess where I’m going, yes that’s right, The London Book Fair.

I purchased my ticket on line, which seems to be excellent value at £35 as it gives access for all three days, 12^th – 14^th April. I’m not sure I will have the energy for all of them, however, it does mean that a decision doesn’t have to be made months in advance as to which days to attend. I am so excited and imagine it to be similar to the Ideal Home exhibition, but for people in the publishing world, including print, audio, television, film as well as potential authors like me. Last year it attracted over 25,000 visitors so I’m expecting it to be a great experience and with a great buzz in the atmosphere. You can’t beat being surrounded by like minded people.

What will I do when I get there? Apart from gathering lots of paperwork, I really don’t know. I have returned to the website many times. It tells me there are numerous events on each day, and then there are the exhibitors. Almost every country appears to be represented on the exhibitors list for Services to the Publishing Industry. There is so much to see and hear that it is so hard to make a decision. There are many publishers represented there as well, from all over the world and it seems covering all genres, fiction and non-fiction. There are talks on numerous subjects from self-publishing to opening a bookshop. Can you imagine owning your own bookshop; I’d never leave, with all those books to read!

On arrival, a visitor is given a catalogue, which is full of information about everything that is going on at the LBF, including floor plans. I am lucky enough to be meeting up with fellow writers who are seasoned LBF visitors, Elaine Everest, Francesca Capaldi Burgess and Natalie Kleinman. I’m sure they will guide me through the day. A plan of what I am hoping to achieve before I go would be a good idea, otherwise I could be swamped with information and probably left a little overawed with the whole experience. Alternatively, I could just let the experience take me where it wants and go again next year with more of a plan; is that opting out of making a decision?

I believe a good night’s sleep the night before, a hearty breakfast and comfy shoes will be in order for the day.

About Elaine:

Elaine is a member of the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme and is currently working on a family saga set in the1800s. She has sold short stories worldwide and enjoys attending RNA events such as the London chapter and our annual conference. Elaine is a great fan of writing retreats either week long by the sea with friends or one-day retreats with fellow writers in her hometown of Dartford. Elaine runs a writing blog along with writer, Francesca Capaldi Burgess called WriteMindWritePlace.

If you’ve attended The London Book Fair and can advise Elaine please post in the comment section below. Elaine will be reporting back in a few weeks to tell us about her experiences at the LBF.

The RNA blog is brought to you by

 Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

Linda Chamberlain: In a stream of consciousness…

We welcome Linda Chamberlain to the blog to tell us about her first visit to the London Book Fair,   what she saw and the (RNA) people she met.

 

Olympia is a cathedral. High ceilings, masses of people and for three days it is full of books. The old fashioned kind, with covers, some of them hard, glossy and expensive. People, smartly dressed, selling books. Not to readers, though. The London Book Fair is a giant sale of rights - film rights, foreign rights, audio - and it feels a million miles from my lap top, lying idle today. It’s not Ideal Home crowded, but it’s busy and I remember my instructions. A programme. I spot someone giving out maps at the entrance. I’ll need one of those, not that they help me on the M25.

No programme to be found. Clueless, never been before, I throw myself straight in, wandering the aisles. The metaphor changes – Olympia is a giant oak and writers are the acorns. Some have sprouted; others might be waiting to spill their insides to the world. Plenty are here. Some of them I know. A hug from Elizabeth Jennings who runs the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy. I must go there again, she says. There’s Freida Lightfoot with Alison Moreton, RNA members both.

There are books on the Accent Press stand from some of our clan. Stop for a chat, it’s going well. Exhausting. Exciting. Lots of interest. Show my indie-published book, leave my card; take the submission guidelines since you never know. Searching for the press office but find Author HQ with its chance to sit down and listen to speakers. The digital age is more apparent here. Giving advice are a poet and a novelist who strut their stuff on Twitter. The poem that was spread over a few Tweets makes me smile. Brevity is expected from the novelist. A murder, surely, in the first 140 characters but no, this sounds like a book with a slow build.

Not waiting to find out how many readers he gains, I’m drawn to the Amazon stand nearby. More chat; good advice. So strange to see smiling faces behind this publishing giant.

Back at Author HQ a crowd forms for a talk on marketing and PR by Tory Lyne-Pirkis from Midas PR and Bethan Ferguson of Quercus. Out comes the notebook.  The advice is strongly pitched to indie publishers – get the cover right, get busy on social media, connecting to other people rather than trying to sell books. Join NetGalley, the cost is small and people there will review your book.

The trade stands that are full of children’s books seem a world far removed from such thoughts. The impression is an illusion since all books need a push in the right direction. The beautiful pictures, the colourful covers are a feast. The digital device in my bag is a useful but monochrome poor relation.

Another sit down; another talk. Diego Marano, UK manager of Kobo Writing Life, has some startling information. Research has shown that about 60 per cent of readers get to the end of a book they’ve downloaded. He proudly introduces Casey Kelleher whose grit-lit books on Kobo achieve an 82 per cent finish rate. She had no agent or publisher when she started out and writes crime in a stream of consciousness. Unusual and inspiring, think I’ll do my own version for this blog…

Making my way out of the building at the end of play I bump into Sue Moorcroft with Pia Tapper Fenton who both seem more enlivened than me. They’d had a good day, good talks – one of them at English PEN which campaigns internationally for the freedom to write without censorship.

I pick up a programme before I leave. They weren’t hidden. Next time I’ll get it right…!

I spoke to NWS member, Catherine Miller about her day at the London Book Fair and the The Write Stuff event:

The Write Stuff event was the London Book Fair equivalent of Dragon’s Den and when I entered my novel Baby Number Two, I never thought I would end up being one of the ten finalists. After my warm-up gigs having only been to the delight of my twin toddlers, facing four judges (Mark Lucas, Toby Mundy, Lorella Belli and Alison Jones) and a large audience thanks to the open stage was a tad daunting. Fortunately the practice paid off and my pitch went as well as can be expected given the immense amount of pressure. The feedback from the judges was both encouraging and helpful, not just for me, but for all the finalists involved. And afterwards it was lovely and surprising to have strangers come up to me and ask where they could buy my book. Would I do it again? Undoubtedly. Would I encourage others to enter? Definitely. Would I do anything differently? As Tony Mulliken, Chairman of Midas PR, who presented the event pointed out, I should have taken the twins. 

Thank you, Linda and Catherine.
 

The RNA Blog is brought to you by, 
 

Elaine Evererest & Natalie Kleinman 

If you would like to cover an event for the RNA blog please get in touch:

elaineeverest@aol.com