For the seventh time in a row, Nicole Witt held a full-day workshop on Rights & Licences for the 16 participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme (on Sunday before the book fair started). The visitors were publishers from 16 countries across three continents. The workshop helped the participants prepare for dealing with international rights discussions. It covered the main points and potential issues in agreements, including aspects of Artificial Intelligence and the audio book format, along with tips on how to negotiate them. After the talk, participants got to ask questions and sort out specific problems they were facing. Another part of the seminar focused on the roles of different market players like agents and scouts. It discussed how new publishers can connect with business partners, present their books, create pitches, and organize their work and submissions. Following the main presentation, participants had the opportunity for hands-on activities, presenting their own projects and receiving a feedback.

The Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme, with support from the Federal Foreign Office, provides an opportunity for small independent publishing companies from Africa, the Arab world, Asia, and Latin America to take part. For publishing companies in these areas, globalization has both positive and negative aspects. On one hand, reaching the global market seems easier because of widespread communication. On the other hand, the rise of new conglomerates makes it tougher to enter the market.

Rights & Licences workshop for the Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme 2023 (14th October 2023)

For the sixth time in a row and for the thrid time in attendance since the pandemic, Nicole Witt, assisted by Carolin Janitschke, held a full-day workshop on Rights & Licences for the 17 participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme (on Saturday before the book fair started). The visitors were publishers from 17 countries across three continents. The workshop helped the participants prepare for dealing with international rights discussions. It covered the main points and potential issues in agreements, along with tips on how to negotiate them. After the talk, participants got to ask questions and sort out specific problems they were facing. Another part of the seminar focused on the roles of different market players like agents and scouts. It discussed how new publishers can connect with business partners, present their books, create pitches, and organize their work and submissions. Following the main presentation, everyone split into smaller groups for hands-on activities.

At this year´s London Book Fair 2023, Nicole Witt has been invited to contribute to the panel “Evolution of the Translator”.

The panel will take place in the Literary Translation Centre on Wednesday 19th April 2023, from 11:05 until 11:50 am.

How has the role of the translator evolved over the last 20 years? This discussion, moderated by WWB’s Editorial Director Susan Harris, on the occasion of WWB’s 20th anniversary, will gather a translator, an agent, and a writer to discuss the ways translating has changed in the past two decades, and how it might continue to change over the next two decades.

Nicole Witt will be joined by Samantha Schnee (Founding Editor, Words Without Borders), Naveen Kishore (Seagull Books) and Anton Hur (Translator).

https://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en-gb/whats-on/seminar-programme/programme/session-details.3159.186110.evolution-of-the-translator.html

Africa and the World: A mini series of digital exchange N°3, organized by the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Federal Foreign Office, took place on 16 February 2023 at 17:30 CAT (Central African Time, UTC +2).

The event’s subject was: How to brush up your international business at book fairs: tips, tricks and recommendations: a conversation.

Participants were invited to benefit from experts who shared their success stories:

Laura Prinsloo: 17000 Islands of Imagination Foundation, Indonesia

Sophie Sumburane, Author and Editor, Germany

Nicole Witt: MertinWitt Agency, Germany

The session was presented by Sandra Tamele,
President of the Publishers’ Assocation of Mozambique

Rights & Licences workshop for the Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme 2022 (15th October 2022)

For the fifth time in a row and for the second time in attendance since the pandemic, Nicole Witt and Jordi Roca held a full-day workshop on Rights & Licences for the 20 participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme (on Saturday before the book fair started). The guests were publishers from 20 countries and six continents. The workshop strengthened the participants for their international rights negotiations by presenting main points and pitfalls of agreements and how to negotiate them. After the presentation, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and clarify specific issues they faced. Another part of the seminar was dedicated to the role of different market players such as agents and scouts and how new publishers can find business partners, how to offer their books, how to pitch and how to organise their work and submissions. The plenary presentation was followed by practical work in smaller groups.

The Invitation Programme from the Frankfurter Buchmesse,  supported by the Federal Foreign Office, offers small independent publishing companies from Africa, the Arab world, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean the chance to participate. For publishing companies from these regions, globalisation is a two-edged sword. Access to the world market seems easier thanks to all-pervasive communications. At the same time, the advance of new conglomerates makes it harder to break into the market.

Some voices of the participants:

»The seminars were very enlightening. I am now equipped with more publishing tools and knowledge.«
Chinyere Elohor Egbordi, Ouida Books, Nigeria

»The seminars were an invaluable opportunity for the publishing houses and for my country and for myself, as a professional.«
Rena Suleymanova, Fabula Publishing House and Libra Kitab Publishing House, Azerbaijan

On 16th April, Luis Sepúlveda passed away in Asturias at the age of 70, having fought the coronavirus for over six weeks and having even defeated it.

> READ MORE

Nicole Witt was invited as Fellow to FILBo, the International Book Fair of Bogotá, held in April 2018.

> https://publishingperspectives.com/2018/04/five-bogota-book-fair-fellows-rights-viewpoints/

Nicole Witt on the passing away of Carmen Balcells.

> https://publishingperspectives.com/

Nicole Witt of the Mertin Literary Agency reports on rights deals from the Buenos Aires Book Fair, where literary fiction is always a highlight.

> https://publishingperspectives.com/dealmaking-at-the-buenos-aires-book-fair/