The “Publishers Conference” did not address the rise in book prices, and publishers are betting on the “passion for reading.”
While visitors to the “Riyadh International Book Fair” complain about the high prices of books, year after year; The participants in the “International Publishers Conference” did not address this concern of the cultural public, and they promised that “the craft of selling books needs a soul,” and some speakers stressed that publishers are betting on what they called “the passion for reading and the urge to acquire it” on the part of the public.
Visitors at the Riyadh Fair, as in other book fairs, complain about the exaggeration in book sales prices, compared to the selling price in the countries that export these books, despite the facilities that publishers receive from exhibition departments in the Gulf. Intellectuals say that publishers consider books “a profitable commodity.” Relying on the purchasing power of the target audience.
Publishers who participated in the “Publishers Conference,” which concluded its work the day before yesterday, did not hide that exhibitions are an industry that depends on the audience that fills the exhibition halls and pavilions, and one of them said that “exhibitions are a public industry.”
The rise in prices provides a golden opportunity for the growth of the electronic publishing market, as the “Riyadh Exhibition” celebrated many digital publishing houses and initiatives to transform cultural content into electronic publishing.
The International Publishers Conference discussed a number of topics to transfer professional experiences to startup companies (Middle East)
The most important thing in the “Publishers Conference” is to discuss innovative solutions for developing software that supports access for readers with special needs, and to develop the publishing industry by adopting the highest quality standards and best international practices.
Book selling is still thriving
In a meeting within the sessions of the International Publishers Conference, entitled “Selling Books: Lessons and Secrets from Inside Bookstores,” the writer and owner of BookTalk, Katrina Malkati, the director of the Egyptian “Shorouk Publishing House,” Ahmed Badir, and the CEO of Hachette House, spoke. Antoine” Emile Tian, and they were interviewed by publisher Salwa Mansour.
Malakati attributed book sales rates to the population, with the necessity of having a passion for reading: “In order for sales to increase, it is indispensable to use social media, provided that books are presented in an appropriate manner, and in order to reach this goal, tools must be created that contribute to increasing Demand for the book.
For his part, Ahmed Badir said: “One of the duties of the publisher is to make books available in both paper and electronic types, and to strive to achieve business sustainability.” He said: “We at (Dar Al-Shorouk) are trying to deal with the sales platforms that have protection and an accounting system, especially in light of the problems of publishing and the lack of a mechanism.” Arabic publishing.
He added that the craft of selling books needs a spirit that can be found in holding specialized exhibitions, especially since it still enjoys appeal to the public. He said: “Its impact on sales is still tangible and present, and as is known, exhibitions are a mass industry, and every country boasts about its publishers and readers.”
Emil Tian believes that the sales of certain types of paper books are not affected compared to their electronic counterparts, such as children’s books, saying: “While the impact appears to be apparent in the sales of travel books, travel books, novels, and dictionaries, which virtual world networks have shown in a simplified and clear form,” he added, “In general, we are betting on those who They have a passion for reading and the motivation to acquire it.”
Digital innovation
The “Innovation in Access” symposium discussed software solutions that support the reading of people with different abilities, and how to deliver books to them, in which the advisor to the Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities, Noura Al-Jabali, the CEO of the “Pintesh” platform, Michael Johnson, and the General Director of Publishing at the Authority for Disabilities, spoke. Literature, Publishing and Translation » Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Wasel, and the expert in comparing the best digital book experiences, Muhanna Al-Muhanna, and it was managed by the publisher Ibrahim Al-Sinan.
Abdul Latif Al-Wasel said: “Since the establishment of the (Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority), it has been concerned with people with disabilities, working on their project as stipulated in the Marrakesh Treaty that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed with several countries, and facilitating access to the product to them, both in paper and electronic form,” pointing to the efforts of the “Literature Authority.” “Publishing and Translation”, “in converting all printed texts into digital ones.”
High prices provide a golden opportunity for the growth of the electronic publishing market (Middle East)
He mentioned that there are two initiatives that follow digital transformation, namely the “Publishing Initiative” and the “Book for All Initiative,” and the purpose is to reach all target groups, especially those with disabilities. He added: “Digital transformation is not a requirement to join the initiative, as technology is important, but in accelerators we encourage all ideas and do not We exclude technology, but through it we seek development and departure from the prevailing.”
Al-Wasel called on publishers to pay attention to people with disabilities, and said: “Publishing houses must be prepared for them and provide all their requirements.” He added, “There are projects that the Authority is working on to make content available to this category, and publishing houses are our partners in that.”
For her part, Noura Al-Jabali began her talk about digital innovation and its contribution to ease of access for people with disabilities, and the challenges it faced. She said: “Accessibility requires society’s knowledge of the needs of people with disabilities, everything related to them, and the opportunities for them to access content such as holding book fairs.”
She added that the demand for books by people with disabilities is remarkable, “as they contain what suits their needs and interest, amid government support and social responsibility programs, and continuous efforts to adapt what suits them and try to reach sustainability,” stressing, “We have no choice over technology.”
Muhanna Al-Muhanna shed light on digital formats, saying: “The difficulty you face is the medium that transmits audio-visual language for people with disabilities. Digital formats are valid for everyone, and their strength depends on the medium that transmits them.”
He touched on assistive devices and applications for people with disabilities, adding, “There are modern programs that convert any content into an electronic language that is suitable for them, especially visual.”
Johnson introduced the audience to the “Pintesh” platform, saying: “It is called Bookshare and is used around the world. It contains more than a million publications, but it lacks the Arabic language, while it includes a diligent work team to provide technical support and books to a million people with disabilities.”
He added, “There are laws that oblige publishing companies to provide and publish products for people with disabilities, and to provide everything that facilitates access to books.”
The first dialogue symposium within the activities of the “Publishers Conference” was titled “Sustainability in the Face of Critical Times,” during which publishers and experts discussed the most prominent topics related to economic challenges and the measures taken to ensure the sustainability of the publishing industry in the future.
While the second dialogue symposium, “Entrepreneurship and Emerging Projects in the Publishing Sector,” discussed information and statistics about the increase in the number of entrepreneurs, and how it contributes to increasing the number of emerging companies in the field of publishing.
In the presentation titled: “Global Trends in Book Sales,” Professor Hazel Kennon addressed the conditions of global markets in the field of books and publishing and the opportunities to contribute to their spread.
The “Saudi Publishing Society”, under the auspices of the “Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority”, had launched the “International Publishers Conference”, during the cultural program at the “Riyadh Book Fair 2023”, amid the participation of an elite group of Saudi and international speakers, specialists, publishing industry leaders, and publishers. Individuals, authors, and content creators.
The International Publishers Conference discussed a number of topics: To transfer professional experiences to emerging companies, enhance the opportunities of local publishers to enter the field of copyright trading, enable the sale and circulation of rights and transfer experiences, export Saudi culture to the world, and develop the publishing industry by adopting the highest quality standards and best international practices. The program also included a number of dialogue sessions dealing with sales and marketing. How to reach the target audience, and other sessions that address the preservation of rights and the impact of artificial intelligence on intellectual property rights, in addition to various topics in the field of entrepreneurship and its growth in the world of publishing and libraries.
The conference established a platform for trading rights in the exhibition, whether paper or electronic copy rights for books, for various languages and book classifications, with the participation of publishing houses from Saudi, Arab, and international publishers. The platform will be dedicated to individual meetings between attendees, speakers, and those interested. To establish business, communicate between them, and trade rights in the publishing industry.
