The new edition of the international Book Fair It began on April 23 with less than encouraging news around the publishing world. CORDOBA PROFILE spoke with four of the local publishers participating in the event in La Rural, about the difficulties they face this year and the uncertain future that the sector is experiencing.
“I came with super low morale because of this government, which is taking a toll on culture. I think people’s lack of money is going to get worse. This year there should be about 100 fewer stands. The presence of many provinces is also missing and the State not only defunded the fair but also did not come. On the other hand, there are many fewer visitors and with less money,” he begins by saying. Omar Mooneyresponsible for Ecoval Editionsan independent publisher specializing in nature, educational and cultural books.
Gabriela Halac is in front of Documenta Editions, and together with the collective ‘Every book is political’, they set up the ‘Ministry of the book’ at stand 1321 of the Green Pavilion. “We know that this is a more complex fair, so we try to generate accessible options for the public, knowing that pockets are tight. The last days of April were lower in the number of visitors, but it is notable that during the free entry hours (from 8 p.m.) the influx of public increases.”
For its part, Tamara Sternberg (The Emporium) recognizes that – from a commercial point of view – the decrease in audience is not good, he assures that it was positive to have invested in participating in the fair. “We have carried out activities in the Alfonsina Storni room and the García Space presenting and signing books by different authors and allowing readers to meet them and talk with their favorite writers.”
Regarding the experience of Communicate, Karina Fraccarolli points out that there were not the number of international visitors that usually attend. “With the issue of the dollar, Argentina has become expensive again. So, Chileans, Brazilians, Mexicans and Uruguayans bought less. And fewer came too,” he reflects.
Even so, Fraccarolli is excited: “On weekdays I see more people with bags in their hands. I think the entrance fee is not expensive and is returned when purchasing books. In addition, teachers, retirees, and student children enter for free. That is to say, an attempt has been made to facilitate access.”
Cover prices and book sales. Mooney admits that he has a lot of clientele (almost 300 clients throughout the country) and that allows him to stay afloat: “Miraculously, I’m getting by, but more than half of my clients, which are bookstore chains and distributors, did not come to the fair. Anyway, we talked on the phone and the one who used to buy me 50 books now buys me 20. My books are in the upper mid-range because they are in full color and with a lot of design, so they range from $5,000 and go up to $72,000, the hardcover,” says the editor of Ecoval.
From El Emporio they indicate that they are maintaining the amount of sales from previous years. “The sale is going well and our price ranges range from $11,000 to $26,000”
Taking a more comprehensive look, Halac says that – in general – sales at all stands have fallen between 30% and 40% compared to the previous year. “There were many fewer bookstores from abroad that came to buy because the prices are very high compared to the rest of Latin America and Spain. We will have to see how it affects the public. Our price ranges range from $14,000 to $30,000 and all have discounts with different payment options.”
From Comunicarte, Fraccarolli hopes that the drop is not so drastic: “We are fighting so that the drop is not so high, that is the expectation. We have very affordable prices, ranging from $6,000 to $30,000 for the most expensive, which are essays on very specific topics and more than 400 pages.”
Future outlook. For Mooney, the horizon is not hopeful: “I see it as disastrous, luckily I opened a publishing house in Mexico and we have good prospects there, but here, with the defunding of culture that this government is doing, it is going to be complicated. And not only for culture but for people in general.”
Sternberg is more optimistic than his colleagues and points out that demand will be lower but that it will normalize in the second half.
Finally, Halac provides an interesting fact: “At the national level, 75% of the news is from independent publishers, the large ones are not producing, it is always the small ones who assume the risks of these critical moments. The outlook is going to be tough, the editorial task involves long, meticulous processes, it is a concrete investment of money and with a very long-term recovery, therefore the impacts and wear and tear occur over time. We already have publishing commitments this year and we are having difficulties, because the prices of the books have skyrocketed enormously and we have not made the price increases corresponding to the entire production process,” he concludes.
THE EMPORium. The publishing house carried out different activities linked to the publishing world.
News that local publishers brought to the fair
The Emporium: The witches of the impudent finger, of Nelson Specchia; The owners of life, of Reyna Carranza; The curse of the Suquía, of Luis Alberto Lujan and My mom, why did you have cancer?, by Natalia Barraudamong its more than 40 editorial novelties.
Communicate: Relaunch of Tic Tac, by Jorge Lujan and Isol; Dear giant, Adriana Fernandez and Claudia Legnazzi in the illustrations; Poetry at school, guide to swimming without water, by Ignacio L. Scerboand Vocales al flight, by Jorge Luján accompanied by Diego Bianki.
Documenta Editions: Daphne on the background of Mount Fuyi, from Emilio García Wehbiand Filoctetes Archive, from Maricel Alvarez.
Ecoval: Birds of northwest Argentina, field guide, Tito Narosky and Pedro Blendinger; Peasants, of Marcos Karlin; The sacred manuscripts of the white jaguar, Guillermo Marinand My Edible Garden, by Elena Iakovlevaamong others.
ECOVAL. Independent publisher dedicated to books with themes about nature, education and culture.
