Canadian Book Seminar in Seoul, South Korea

07/16/2010

Hosted by the Embassy of Canada in Seoul, South Korea

The Canadian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea will hold its 7th Canadian Book Seminar on September 15-16, 2010. The seminar is designed to promote Canadian titles and to encourage the purchase of rights to Korean copyright managers and agencies.  The event will be an “open-house” style event, providing representatives of Korean publishing companies with as much time as they like browsing through Canadian titles. Following the event, Korean publishers that have expressed interest in specific titles/publishers will be put directly in touch with their Canadian counterpart to discuss possible collaboration and business opportunities.

This year’s seminar will focus on the following types of books:

Children’s literature, a key market for foreign publishers and a past focus of the Embassy. Children’s books continue to be one of the best performing markets for foreign publishers in Korea, given the country’s focus on education. New titles will be of particular interest to key Korean contacts, in particular those targeted at:

Preschool children: as always, picture books are widely popular.  In terms of illustration, publishers and consumers prefer pastel and oil painting colors;

Children in Grades 1-6: non-fiction titles that reinforce basic concepts that these students would learn in the classroom, in areas such as language arts, mathematics, science, economics, history, administration, social studies, common sense and even topics like wisdom of life are of interest. Those containing relevant illustrations and pictures will be of greater interest.

Literature for young readers (Grades 7-9) is a new and growing trend in Korea that continues to expand as younger readers age.  Though the current market share is rather small, there is a growing demand for fiction that tells touching and instructive stories about family, school, self-discovery and overcoming hardships and challenges. The market for genres such as science fiction, fantasy and romance is somewhat limited in Korea (with the exception of international best-sellers).

English as a Second Language (ESL) Materials, including textbooks and other materials used in schools and private learning institutes, a massive market in Korea. There is also significant demand for English learning series with different levels; and

In addition, award winning titles (including some adult titles) will be of particular interest to Korean contacts.

While French titles are more than welcome, given the limited ability of Korean publishers to read French, an English or Korean summary of the story line included with the book will be helpful to attract interest. Those materials will be very helpful for Korean publishers to have easy access to French books due to the language barriers.

If you are interested in showcasing your titles to Korean copyright managers and publishing companies, please ensure that your materials (including any related promotional materials) are delivered to the Livres Canada Books office no later than August 18, 2010:

Tricia McCraney
Coordinator, Communications and Marketing
Livres Canada Books
1 Nicholas Street, Suite 504
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7
Tel: (613) 562-2324 ext. 228

At the same time, we would ask that you also send an email confirming your participation to Ms. Hye-shin Kang at the Embassy of Canada: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  Please do not hesitate to be in contact with Ms. Kang should you have any questions.

The Embassy would like to thank the Livres Canada Books for its support of this initiative.

Report:  Livres Canada Books Scouting Mission to São Paulo, Brazil

05/19/2010

The objective of Livres Canada Books in organizing the scouting mission to São Paulo was to report on Brazil as a potential market for Canadian publishers in terms of rights sales and distribution.  The Livres Canada Books delegation consisted of three Canadian publishers with an active interest in or dealings with the Brazilian market, the Livres Canada Books Programs Manager, and Brazilian interpreter and publishing consultant, Dênya Rabêlo Castro.

Delegates met with relevant Brazilian publishers, distributors, associations and government officials in order to gain an understanding of the different facets of the Brazilian publishing market. The delegation also met with officials at the Canadian Consulate General to discuss possible future support and to build upon the work and findings of the scouting mission.

Following the scouting mission, Livres Canada Books felt that a Canadian presence at the Bienal Book Fair in São Paulo would build on the momentum of the mission, and will therefore be inviting publishers to exhibit on a Canadian Collective stand in August, 2010.

This report, written by the delegation of publishers who visited Brazil in February 2010, includes a profile of the Children’s book trade perspective, of the French-language Trade perspective, and of the Scholarly book trade perspective.

Download the report.

International Digital Rights Symposium - Frankfurt 2010

05/06/2010

Call for Speakers: International Digital Book Symposium at Frankfurt

After the success of our symposium at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair, Livres Canada Books has decided to do it again, this time with an emphasis on digital books. Livres Canada Books will host an International Digital Rights Symposium on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 5, 2010 in Frankfurt.

The Association is inviting speakers from international markets to discuss what’s really happening in the digital marketplace. We’re looking for various perspectives on rights, export sales and on different models used for eBook distribution in the global marketplace.

If you have a topic proposal, or would like to recommend a speaker, contact Tricia McCraney at +1 613-562-2324 ext. 228 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Association for the Export of Canadian Books announces a new trademark

04/26/2010

The Association for the Export of Canadian Books adopted a new image and trademark, effective April 1st. The Association now operates under the name Livres Canada Books. This name change is the result of recommendations first proposed in a strategic review conducted on behalf of the AECB. It was agreed by the Board of Directors that the Association renew its image, including name and logo, and update its website to increase the visibility of Canadian publishers and their titles in international markets.

“The Board of Directors of Livres Canada Books is confident that this new image, along with new association initiatives, will open more doors for Canadian publishers exporting books and establish Livres Canada Books as the leader in the developing Canadian digital export market.” said Executive Director, François Charette.

Livres Canda Books staff has been working tirelessly to develop a new website, which will launch today at: http://www.livrescanadabooks.com. The new site will make it easier for international publishers to find Canadian titles, thereby creating new and increased sales opportunities worldwide.

Contact: Tricia McCraney
Coordinator, Communications and Marketing
+1 613 562-2324 ext. 228
tmccraney{at}livrescanadabooks.com

End of financial year 2009-2010

03/08/2010

March 31, 2010 is fast approaching and publishers eligible under FRMAP 2009-2010 need to send by April 23, 2010, their FRMAP claims for fairs, salons and export sales trips taking place up to the last day of March. This time of year is crucial for the distribution of contribution payments as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The relevant forms are available online.