SHARJAH, 2nd May, 2023 (WAM) — The International Booksellers Conference brought together industry professionals from all around the world to share their experiences and discuss the challenges that independent booksellers face in today’s market. From supply chain issues to online dominance and marketing hurdles, booksellers voiced their concerns and brainstormed possible solutions. Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief for Publishing Perspectives provided insight into how we are even more connected and how this helps to boost sales in the industry. Expanding on this he commented, “Contrary to some confusion publishing and booksellers have come closer together in the modern era, part of this is because e-commerce makes it possible to work so closely in time, a sale that is being made can be immediately transmitted to a publisher who can use P.O.D (print on demand) to supply the book.” Another aspect he discussed was how large online distributors and e-retailers can tap into markets far and wide and give publishers access to a global network of consumers and markets they may not otherwise have been able to connect with. Seong Oh, the Founder and Shop Manager of Graphic Novel Cafe in Auckland, New Zealand, and Committee Director of Overload, New Zealand Comic and Manga Convention, faces challenges in his business due to supply chain issues. “The biggest issue we have at the moment is in our supply chain. It’s becoming harder to get our books and it’s taking a very long time for deliveries, especially to somewhere like New Zealand,” Seong explained. He believes that finding more competitive suppliers and negotiating better import and transportation costs through local logistical services could be possible solutions. Sonia Draga, Vice-President of the Federation of European Publishers and President of the Polish Chamber of Books, as well as the founder and CEO of Sonia Draga Publishing House in Poland, addressed the issue of online dominance in the book industry. Commenting on this Sonia said, “During the pandemic, many people turned to buying books online from corporate suppliers, and unfortunately, a significant number of these customers did not return to support their local bookstore or independent distributor.” Sonia believes that booksellers need to understand their market better and find ways to invigorate the community to overcome this situation. Frederico Lang, Key Account Manager of Libreria Luces in Malaga, Spain, believes that reading is alive and thriving. However, he foresees challenges in maintaining this paradigm of consumerism, where “more for less” is always better in the long run. Discussing possible solutions Fredrico elaborated saying, “Another challenge is the willingness to adapt within the industry and collaborate so that our industry is not consumed in itself by corporate heavyweights.” hmad Al Kilani, Director of Ashtar Publishing House in Canada and a repeat conference attendee, noted that the sessions, meetings, and workshops presented diverse experiences and solutions to distribution challenges. Most notably, he said, “the recommendation of using social media to promote products or services has proven to be effective in reaching specific groups of people.” He also explained that the advanced utilisation of these platforms for book promotion increases the ability to reach target audiences. Hassan Al Salman, the Distribution Manager at Safahat Publishing and Distribution in Saudi Arabia, highlighted that the conference provided fresh insights and expertise on book marketing. Commenting on one of his takeaways he said, “the recognition that each book has its target audience, and there are appropriate platforms and websites for it a certain type of promotion was eye-opening. Additionally, if a distributor cannot find a market for a book at a given time, they should explore alternative marketing avenues to find the right target audience.” Syrian publisher Fouad Yakoub, Director of Dar Safahat for publishing and distribution, which operates between Syria, Sweden, and other European countries, utilises digital platforms to distribute Arabic books and called for combating piracy to help increase the distribution of the region’s books. Stressing the importance of conferences like this Fouad said, “the conference is vital in motivating distributors to realise their role in developing the regional and global publishing system. Foreign distributors’ main challenges revolve around finding a new audience and in contrast, Arab distributors and publishers face different problems, including weak demand for books, high shipping fees, and enforcing copyright laws.” He explained that facing these challenges head-on can make the priorities of Arab publishers and distributors more focused and enable them to flourish.

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)