Self esteem rocket launcher at Bologna book fair

My first trip to the fair and face to face with Illoguild!

This month I took my first trip to Bologna Book Fair. It was only 3 weeks ago but I miss it terribly!

The most meaningful part of the trip for me, was meeting members of my online critique group. (Starting with the inimitable Jen at the airport!) For almost 2 years we have come together by the power of zoom, united by our experience of taking Mats (Make Art That Sells) courses and determined to take the positive power of the group hive mind forward with us. We had no idea how tall each other were and there were surprises for everyone!

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Why did you go?

Before leaving, I set out my intentions, in writing. This was my first trip away from my children for more than 2 days at a time. Another solo trip any time soon felt highly unlikely and I wanted to make the most of it!!

In a nutshell, my goals were research, networking, industry knowledge, workshops and talks, understanding which market suited my work and finding out from a broad range of professionals which, if any of my work, was already suitable for children’s books and should I be concentrating on fiction or non fiction. I expected to feel inspired and rejuvenated; walking the halls with thousands of like-minded creatives and BCBF23 did not disappoint.

[Below: arriving at my Air B&B, ready for 4 days of immersive experience]

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My schedule

Sunday: Day 1 Arrive, settle, drinks with Illoguild (expert Italian translation from Katie!)

Monday: Day 2 Masterclass, walk the floor, buy books, speak with publishers/show work. Most important day for snagging reviews all week.

Tuesday: Day 3 Workshop, distribute business cards, portfolio reviews (story and portfolio), visit bookshop, quiet meal whilst some of Illoguild visited Florence for the evening

Wednesday: Day 4 Visit Illustrators corner to snag last minute reviews. Workshop, visit the wall, research the unexpected graphic novel area, gatecrash illustrator talks, visit the gallery of illustrations, evening drinks with SCBWI, photos of Bologna by night

Thursday: Day 5 Coffee and depart

Friday: Write up reflections

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How did you make the most of your time?

In life and writing, I am a planner and not a pantser. So for me to enjoy the Fair, I needed to break down my time into chunks, which included rest, toilet stops and eating. Not even kidding - I wrote ‘drink water’ on my schedule. Because otherwise, the sparkly distractions would keep me on my feet all day and then I would crash. There were so many appointments to attend, I knew that taking time out would ease my introverted brain and overwhelm. My day allowed for 2-3 hrs of floor walking, amongst time-tabled meet-ups - in particular to visit the stand for SCBWI.

There are 4 halls to look around, each with a different market feel and very generally grouped by regions eg European, UK/USA, Asia/South America/Africa. Also, it is worth noting that toilet lines are long, water is expensive and any water coolers are empty by lunchtime and it wasn’t on my list of priorities to queue for an hour for espresso. (There was however, a great bar, which was quiet by 5pm for a much needed Aperol.)

[Below: one of the many stands I found inspiring]

Who did you chat with?

Agencies, publishers, workshop hosts, toy manufacturers, illustrators and writers.

Each day I spent a lot of time doing my own thing but also hooked up with one or several illustrators to walk together and spur each other on to start up conversations. All of my ad-hoc reviews happened as part of a multiple.

Prior to travelling, we set up a Wattsapp group and opened it up to anyone visiting the Bookfair, to ensure groups of lone travellers could meet up if they needed a buddy or a coffee. It grew to over 60 people and even adopted a subtle logo - a small yellow flower - so that members were recognisable to one another.

Some of Illoguild had business to deal with: Carla spent time on the Australian stand and it was great to see her book about Lulu sleeping IRL; Jen met her agent and might have secured a secret job(!); Rose had her book up on the big screen in the Foreign Rights area and the rest of Illoguild followed our progress via a Discord channel.

[Below - meeting Matsies everywhere we go! Yves]

In total, I walked 46km in 3 days at the Fair and handed out 40 business cards! Thank you DM Boots for no blisters. Many people brought large posters for The Wall, postcard sized marketing material and of course business cards. Mine were printed last minute and I was very glad to to have them - there are so many opportunities to share your details - even landing at the airport, standing on the bus and waiting in line for ice cream. I kept a couple of cards in my pocket and in my phone case to just whip out if there was even a whiff of interest. These cards might sit in a drawer for a month or a year, by which time my website and portfolio will hopefully have gone through several iterations. Bear in mind, you could get contacted for work way down the line, just as your USP and personal style is becoming defined.

[Below: lucky to take part in a workshop with Li An]

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Was it pricey?

I was asked afterwards if this was an expensive way to gain industry knowledge. For me the most expensive element of my holiday was the time off work. The flights were under £150 with great luggage allowance. Accommodation contribution was a similar amount as I shared an apartment. Buses, taxi’s and food probably cost less than £150, since breakfast was included (our Air B&B even included fresh pancakes, yoghurt, cereal and coffee) and I gave myself an allowance for buying foreign books. But if I had not been in Italy, I would have needed to be somewhere, anywhere, because I was burned out from my day job and other commitments.

The main thing I gained from Bologna was self esteem as an author illustrator and a reignition of my creative flame. I had started to wonder if there was a space for me, if I shouldn’t just lean in to being a full time project manager, with an artistic outlet for stress relief.

On my return, I made a memory journal with a beautiful notebook gift from Loddelina. This was a way to keep all the business cards in one place which I had gathered; draw little sketches; reflect on my experiences and make a plan from the advice I had been given. Next year, I would do this in the moment, to capture all those conversations in real time. Check out my Instagram highlights called ‘Bologna’.

What next?

In my dreams, I had hoped to receive positive feedback on my portfolio. In reality, this happened and so much more.

• A small European publisher read my picture book text and said it was ready for thumbnails, pacing and submission

• A large UK publisher loved my delicate watercolour and line interiors for fiction and advised to make several more with all the detailed ornaments and repeating pattern papers which I make in Photoshop

• An Italian publisher recommended I continue making gouache patterns and immediately start creating scenes with my hand made collage papers

• A boutique UK publisher loved my collage portrait and asked to send it after the Fair

• A SCBWI review offered advice on Non-Fiction and taking several of my current characters into a character sheet full of personality

  

It is a long list of actions, which I need to get started on! In April I will take part in Make Art That Sells Arty Book course (non-fiction); complete Sketchbook Revival with Karen Abend and finish watching the Weekend Festival set up by Writers and Artists, not to mention carry on with my Domestika course.

Having started the month wondering if my creative outlet would come to anything, it is fair to say I am full of wonder at the possibilities which lie ahead and motivated to keep moving forward with my illustration and writing.

If you hope to visit The Bologna Children’s Book Fair next year, I will see you there!