London Book Fair 2018, or It's a Mad, Mad, World

LBF18

London Book Fair, the highlight of the UK Publishing calendar, is frenetic, exhausting and absolutely fabulous. Last year I was like a rabbit in headlights. This year I was much more prepared. I had arranged to meet up with others and spent mote time chatting and discussing all things bookish.

The highlight of the Fair is meeting up with friends old and new, all immersed in the book world, and all willing to help, support and advise. There are wall to wall events covering writing, editing, translation, book selling, foreign rights and any other subject you could mention. These are by subject experts and are usually cutting edge. One example is the use of Blockchain presented by Orna Ross and several Alliance of Independent Authors members.

Talking of ALLi, I spent some time helping out on their stand chatting to visitors who wanted to know how joining ALLI could help their careers. This was a joy to do as there are so many ways that this happens. ALLi is an outstanding organisation which works tirelessly on behalf of Independent authors.

On the ALLi stand

On the ALLi Stand

It was also lovely to meet with Robin Cutler the Director of Ingram Content Group. I have heard so much about her. What a dynamic, delightful and genuinely supportive lady, which pretty much sums up Ingram Spark which she is now leading into the future. It was fabulous to meet up with Nick, Andy and Saskia from the company. If you are looking for a someone to print and distribute your book then I can highly recommend Ingram Spark. They re highly professional and genuinely helpful. Nothing is too much trouble. 

The highlight had to be speaking on the panel on the Agony and Ecstasy of Self Publishing alongside Robin Cutler, Orna Ross. Porter Anderson and David Penny all experts in their field. 

I also managed to have my picture taken in the Oval Office. This was a genius marketing ploy by the publishers of a  book called The President is Missing, but so much fun.

So, to conclude, I had an exhilarating time and, although exhausted, am looking forward to LBF19. I can highly recommend it. 

About the Author

Wendy H Jones, President of the Scottish Association of Writers is the Amazon Number 1 best-selling author of the award winning DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Her Young Adult Mystery, The Dagger’s Curse was a finalist in the Woman Alive Readers Choice Award. She is also an international public speaker, and runs conferences and workshops on writing, Motivation and marketing. Wendy is the founder of Crime at the Castle, Scotland’s newest Crime Festival. She has just edited a Lent Book, published by the Association of Christian Writers.

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