We leave our native “culture” aside, leave the stand and go on an “expedition” (as the great thinker Winnie the Pooh says). This is more or less what all the big, not-so-big and not-at-all-big publishing houses do when they come here. With bags and briefcases in hand, everyone is an envoy of something – “publishing house” is the most prosaic in this case, here are representatives of printing houses, agencies, intermediaries, communities of publishers/writers/illustrators, paper factories, inks, toys and everything you can’t even think of. What unites them all, besides their desire to import and export their own trade? These are catalogs. They are literally everywhere. They lurk in piles and mountains from every corner, and if you glance somewhere, they literally jump into your hands.
Joking aside, the catalogs at the Frankfurt Book Fair are truly one of the most valuable things, and they are actually free. Why does anyone bother to print and carry so much heavy paper all over the world? Because a business card in this case does not do any good. The catalogs contain more or less the majority of the year's book production. Large publishing houses usually compile several thematic catalogs, to make it easier for the "publisher-opponent". It is much easier to present your interlocutor with a small brochure than to bombard him with tons of books that you offer, from which a common colorful mass will remain in his head anyway. Until the next meeting or stand. Therefore, by browsing the synthesized information, the potential client can get a much clearer idea of the direction and policy of each publishing house. Of course, in order to have a catalog, you must have authorial production to present.
The Bulgarian stand presented the third issue of the catalog "Contemporary Bulgarian Prose", published by the National Book Center at the National Palace of Culture. The issue brings together 33 of the best Bulgarian authors and their new books, published in the period July 2016 - December 2017, and the official premiere of the catalog in Frankfurt is with the support of the National Culture Fund (!!!). Whether there is interest in this catalog or not - we have no idea, it is sitting there in the back corner of the ABK. On the other hand, we did not see (if there was, and we missed it, we apologize) a general catalog compiled by the ABK, which would present the production of the publishers included in the fair. This should be a commitment of the association that represents them, and not "each one to save himself individually".
But let's get back to the catalogs, which you could potentially benefit from. A little trick that we can safely recommend – carefully consider what exactly to take. There is no point in walking around all day with a pile of paper that you don't need. Spend enough time at the kiosk you stopped in front of to get to know the publisher. If you have questions or are looking for contact information – ask, no one will refuse you information, after all, we are all there for that very reason. If you work in the field of illustration, head to the publishers with children's books, cards or comics. The spaces here are also grouped thematically, so this does not mean endless wandering in a total of 11 halls. Potentially, there you have the best chance to then send a portfolio that meets their interests. In Frankfurt, you will hardly find a meeting on the topic of "I am an illustrator", rather the walk there is exploratory, to get acquainted with the publishers, with whom you can arrange a meeting in advance next time. For the professional eye, collecting catalogs is also a very quick check of where exactly you position yourself as an artist. These catalogs definitely open not only market ideas, but also everyone's eyes.
Here is where these priceless books are nestled. You can find more photos on our Facebook page.
Photos and text: Milena Radeva
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