Lismore CBD Magazine - September Issue - Spring 2021 | Vol 1 No 3

SOCIAL LIFE & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. S E E T H E A R T S

Benefits of Hosting a Book Fair

There are many good reasons to host a book fair

Few reading-related events lend themselves to genuine nostalgia as a book fair does. A happy place where authors, publishers, and book lovers come together to celebrate the written word, a book fair offers a wonderful opportunity to discover new writers and reconnect with the classics, including numerous new books.

You could attend seminars, workshops, presentations, and panel discussions given by leaders in your literary niche, as well as witness demonstrations of new products and services.

One such opportunity is attending a local book (trade) fair.

Above all, book fairs allow for tremendous networking opportunities. You will meet your fellow writers, authors, and artists. You might find new friends and potential collaborators who could provide feedback, insights, recommendations, and strategies.

A book fair is a great place to buy books, but it’s also so much more: It attracts people from all walks of life who have varying interests, making it a perfect event for families to attend. It’s a fun event for children in and of itself, but it also exposes them to the joys of reading.

Local Book fairs are also wonderful learning opportunities. They are a great place to share ideas, gather market intelligence, explore new trends, and tap the tools and technologies that could help you succeed in the changing publishing industry.

Book fairs are one of the few venues open for a new and selfpublished author to get exposure for their book and brand. Going to a book fair is a great way to sell not only your books but also yourself and your author brand to potential readers, as well as the entire book industry.

It’s important for self-published authors to know that joining a book fair won’t guarantee that they will land a literary agent or publishing deal.

They are, however, worth attending because they give a glimpse into what the book publishing industry is all about, and for the skills and training opportunities self-published authors need to turn their writing into a profitable venture.

Attending a book fair could help boost your presentation, networking, and sales skills. There you’ll learn how to market your book, develop your platform, grow your brand, manage distribution channels, and track revenue and sales. If you’re building a career as an author, you need to learn the business side of things, and joining a book fair will expose you to the business aspects of writing and publishing.

Other than potential readers and publishers, probably the most important person you’ll ever meet at the book fairs is the literary agent. You can ask them questions about the book industry, what genre they represent, etc. You could also pitch your book idea to them face-to-face.

You might not land a contract with a literary agent but you’ll at least get feedback on your book idea or manuscript.

If you’re a new author or self-published, you might be wondering how to attract more readers, sell more books, and make a difference with your work. Joining a reputable book fair or book festival might be the next push you’re looking for in your writing and publishing journey.

Book fairs are a must for self-published authors because these free and public events are attended by the “who’s who” of the book publishing industry. Attendees include not only famous authors and booklovers but also publishers, literary agents, librarians, booksellers, artists, multimedia specialists, journalists, and other people that matter in the book industry.

Book fairs can also be part of larger events, usually conferences or meetings, which are nonetheless major book events. Your book could even be exhibited in any of the following conferences and meetings:

Book fairs also give you the chance to instill a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

At the book fair, you’re never far away from finding good books that drive your imagination! What could possibly be a more lasting impression?

Northern Star Lismore, Tuesday 12 July 1949. "Book Week" in Lismore Opens

A large range of children's books! are on display at Lismore City Library for children's "Book Week," which opened yesterday.

The books deal with a wide" range! of subjects.

The aim of "Book Week" is to encourage children to read to gain beneficial information from suitable books. The books on display cater for the tiny tot and the boy or girl in the! upper school grades and deal with hobbies, art, music, adventure, and for the youngest, fairy stories.

The display is arranged in various sections. One section entitled "What do you know of your own country," is comprised entirely of Australian books. Others deal with the British Empire and Australian authors. The display was arranged entirely by librarians Helen Riddle, Edna Pearce and Shirley Compton. Question boxes have been placed around the room for the children to submit the name of their favourite author or book.

The library contains over 2000 children's books and while there are many children belonging to the library, for a city of Lismore s size the number should be far greater. Book Week, which is a State-wide move, is partly sponsored by the Department of Education.

Miss Riddle said that she would j like to see the children's parents visit the display to see the wide range of books on hand. Miss Riddle said that parents) should encourage their children to i read the many books which are available.