Shang’hi’!

 I am Dajana, and I work in the Foreign Rights and International Sales department. 

 It is the busiest time of year for Foreign Rights and International Sales at Sweet Cherry Publishing. After attending the Beijing International Book Fair in August, and then the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, the November fairs have officially started.

 I have just arrived back for the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair, and thought it would be the perfect time to write a quick blog before I head off to Guadalajara International Book Fair, to give you an insight into how exciting (and exhausting!) these fairs really are.

 Jet-lag and extreme tiredness aside, each fair proves to be an adventure, but there is a lot to do. So here is a quick breakdown of what I got up to in Shanghai:

 After an eleven hour flight, I arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport just after 10am. I went straight to the hotel to leave my luggage. One strong coffee later (much needed) and a quick freshen-up, I went to the Shanghai Expo Center to set up. Look at how fantastic the Sweet Cherry stand looked!

Children’s publishers from all over China, as well as some other countries, attend the fair in the hope of finding a book title to acquire, translate and bring into their territory. To help ensure that our books are enjoyed all over the world, the Foreign Rights department is responsible for organising these international sales. In order to do this, it is important to meet with the right publishers. I had arranged several meetings with publishers who have similar interests, in which I pitched and exhibited our newest titles. With the help of our agents who look after Sweet Cherry in the different territories, we hope to meet publishers who are as passionate about our titles as we are. A crucial part of the Foreign Rights Department is to build and maintain strong relationships with these publishers in different areas.

 And the rest is a blur! I met some wonderful people from all over China, and my schedule was extremely busy, but I had a great time. It was particularly interesting to learn first-hand what kinds of fiction the Chinese market enjoy. I even got a chance to head downtown, to see Shanghai’s famous skyline – The Bund.

 To summarise, the fairs are definitely the most exciting part of my job. I get to meet very interesting people all over the world, who also have a genuine love of children’s books. What’s key in this role is to be dynamic, culturally sensitive and patient – language barriers do exist, but that’s what makes the job all the more interesting.

Anyway, back in the office, I am working on following up the sales leads I secured in Shanghai, and I am making those all-important final preparations for Guadalajara, which I’m sure will be just as exciting as Shanghai.

 Foreign Rights at Sweet Cherry hope to spread the joy our wonderful titles on an international scale!