Update From Bologna

I am very much at fault here for not posting, so let me give you a quick little update in the few minutes before the show officially opens:  The food is amazing, and the city is beautiful!!!

On a more official note, set up was fairly smooth, but in the three days we were here setting up before the show opened, we can already get a sense of how laid back this is going to be.  As I type this, just minutes before the show's opening, some of our neighboring booths are still not set up.  This is no Frankfurt, I can tell you that.

Rumor has it that the whole show is a joy, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it goes.  There's a huge illustration exhibit at the entrance to the fairgrounds at which I plan to spend a lot of time (if I can get out of the booth).  The fair is spread out between four halls, with the majority of American publishers and companies here with us in hall 26, so all the foreign publishers will know where to find us.  The fair's organizers and management are very happy that we and The American Collective Stand are back, so we have a prime spot.  Fear not:  if you have a book in the collective, it will be seen!

I spent all of yesterday in a seminar about International Rights.  It was seven hours of intensive "training," and I'm looking forward to getting out all of the information I've picked up onto you one way or another, so be sure to check out the next issue of the CBE Newsletter, and keep on eye on PubMatch.

Speaking of PubMatch, it's growing daily!  And, while we're here in Bologna, we plan on getting the word out and spreading the international flavor.  If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out www.PubMatch.org!  It's free and useful (and free)!

More tomorrow (or later today).