Bologna Book Fair: An Exploration of the Top Children's Titles and Their Secrets to Success
At DropCap, we are all about using data to match titles with our foreign rights book buyers.
One of the best parts of our proprietary software, affectionately known as Sherlock, is that we are able to track the entire foreign rights process, measuring the popularity of titles from the first sign of interest all the way to the completion of the contract.
It’s why we created DropCap Marketplace—to use the same pioneering software we use with our publishing partners to take outstanding indie books and authors to the global market.
The latest Bologna Book Fair, which focuses on children’s books, is a great example of how our software doesn’t just manage foreign rights contracts: it gives us the opportunity to get a real understanding of the market in specific places around the world.
Our analysis of the event revealed several titles that can offer a glimpse into the global book market which we know indie authors and publishers alike can learn from.
Here are the top 5 titles from this year’s Bologna Book Fair and Insight from our rights agents about why they were such a success:
1) Perfecta by Canizales
Perfecta, by Canizales and published by Disset edició, was a popular title among book buyers in Bologna. It has been licensed with the help of DropCap in Spanish and Greek.
2) Ghost Hunters by Susan McCauley
Ghost Hunters, by Susan McCauley and published by Celtic Sea, was popular in Bologna and recently licensed in Russian.
3) The Math Kids: A Knotty Problem by David Cole
The Math Kids: A Knotty Problem, written by David Cole and published by Common Deer Press, was very popular at the Bologna Book Fair, and was recently licensed in Korean.
4) I Won’t Cut My Hair by Daniel Georges
I Won’t Cut My Hair, by Daniel Georges and published by My Crazy Stories, turned many heads in Bologna this year. It has been licensed with the help of DropCap into more than FIFTEEN languages, including Hebrew, Hindi, Chinese, and Bulgarian.
5) The Little Big Chats Series by Educate2Empower
The Little Big Chats series, published by Educate2Empower, continues to perform well with book buyers. It has been licensed in Vietnamese, Mongolian, Romanian, and Dutch.
Part of our job as foreign rights agents is to take a breath after the whirlwind of the fair and see what the data is telling us.
“Bologna really showed us how popular and relevant children’s books are around the topics of empowerment and individuality. We have seen a huge spike in interest for books teaching children empathy, respect, and compassion.”
-Monica Meehan, DropCap Rights Agent
DropCap agent Allison Olson agrees, and is always on the lookout for children’s books that make education fun as well as well-written stories that foster a lifelong love of reading.
“These topics are universal,” she explains. “Our foreign rights book buyers are always interested in titles that inspire kids to learn, but also to love sitting down with a great story.”
A few highlights from the Bologna Book Fair, captured for our Instagram page.
If you think your indie book is a good fit for the global stage, we’d love to include it in our DropCap Marketplace. Learn more about our amazing foreign rights marketplace for authors and publishers →
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