Reinvention is the name of the game for Publishing Ireland Trade Day 2022
It’s that time of year again when the publishing world in Ireland gets together for an exciting day of discussions, panel events, and networking.
Trade Day 2022 takes place on November 11, 2022.
This year, attendees will all be in the same—real—room again for the first time since 2019. As big as ever, 2022 sees a new location, with a whole day of events hosted in the beautiful Chester Beatty Library, marking ten years of Trade Day.
If the theme last year—somewhat ironically for a covid-shadowed virtual event—was Reconnecting, this November it’s all about Reinvention.
Everyone from all aspects of Irish publishing will be there to listen to experts in the field, in areas such as management, copyright law, marketing, and inclusion. In between there will be quick coffees and catch-ups about the latest developments in the industry.
In a wonderful conclusion to the day’s events, there will be a chance to pitch ideas and rub shoulders with professionals from the television and film world.
Of course it’s fantastic to have people in the same room again—but the advantages of having a virtual event haven’t been lost. Trade Day 2022 is a hybrid event, so you can join in person or online.
And let’s not forget that there will be a rather lovely drinks reception, with networking, debriefing (and maybe even a little literary gossip?) to round off a full and busy day.
“Trade Day has always been a wonderful opportunity to meet with friends and colleagues from across the industry, and I am looking forward to seeing familiar faces but also meeting some people for the first time in person.
As a small industry, our networks and peer support play a key role in working effectively—Trade Day is the epitome of that community ethos. It affords a chance to share and learn from the challenges and successes faced by our sector over the past year. It will be my pleasure, as the recently appointed President of Publishing Ireland, to welcome our members and open the 10th annual Trade Day on Nov 11th.”—Caoimhe Fox, President of Publishing Ireland.
Come along to Trade Day, November 11, 2022—tickets available here.
TRADE DAY 2022
Aidan McCullen—Permanent Reinvention
Reinvention|riːɪnˈvɛnʃ(ə)n|noun: the action or process through which something is changed so much that it appears to be entirely new.
The theme of reinvention this year couldn’t be launched any more appropriately than with Aidan McCullen, who is a bright star in the area of change management.
Aidan hosts The Innovation Show podcast, where he invites guests to share information and empower new thinking. Aidan’s maxim is that ‘you cannot change business models until you first change mental models’.
What does it mean to have a constantly evolving mindset? How can this impact the world of publishing? Aidan will be talking about these questions, and more, as he discusses the benefits of reinvention.
Following this will be two short, important segments crucial to all Publishing Ireland members.
Changes to copyright law and the new Digital Services Act will be outlined by Samantha Holman, CEO of the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency (ICLA).
There will be a brief discussion on academic publishing and open access with Ruth Hegarty, Managing Editor of the Royal Irish Academy.
Bluemoose Books, Kevin Duffy
The keynote speaker for Trade Day 2022 is Kevin Duffy, co-founder of Bluemoose Books.
Bluemoose Books is an award-winning independent publisher from West Yorkshire. Two of its run-away successes in recent years are books by author Rónán Hession: Leonard and Hungry Paul and Panenka.
Leonard and Hungry Paul, selected by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature as One Dublin One Book in 2021, has now something of a cult following, while Panenka was shortlisted for The An Post Irish Novel of The Year 2021 and The British Book Awards Book of The Year.
Mindful of not having the resources of their London publishing counterparts, Bluemoose use innovative marketing to make sure their books stand out from the crowd. Kevin will be addressing this issue—and much more besides—in his keynote address.
Panel Discussion—New Ways of Promoting Books
We’re all aware of BookTok. Likewise we’ve all been curious as to the rise of certain books into the top ten from relative obscurity, thanks to a two minute video of someone endorsing them—whether that’s on TikTok, Instagram, or other social media.
The landscape of marketing is changing; it’s no longer just a case of hiring the right publicist and getting that review into one of the broadsheets or on national radio. Communication—and marketing with it—is changing fast.
The question is, how should we encompass these new, and fast-paced ways of marketing into our publishing strategies?
A panel of experts including publicist Peter O’Connell, campaigns officer at Penguin Random House Laura Dermody, and Instagrammer Rosie Cremin (@somethingarosie) will raise this question and more, exploring the merits and pitfalls of old and new ways of bringing a book to market.
Irish Book Market Update with Nielsen BookData
It may be true that data is the new oil, but getting reliable data is extremely difficult. So commented Ronald Schild at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where the World Intellectual Property Organisation hosted an event asking how data serves the publishing industry.
Sara Mulryan of Nielsen BookData—who supply all the data for the official Books Ireland monthly best-seller charts—will be on hand to present the illuminating round-up of Irish sales figures.
Trade Day: Building an Inclusive Publishing and Literary Landscape
How can we make publishing more inclusive in Ireland?
It’s a question all of us are raising, with many seeking practical advice as well as continuing to explore what diversity means, both in the workplace and in the books we publish.
Dr. Ebun Joseph, a diversity and race relations consultant, will offer her expertise and insight into this important area. Dr Joseph is also Module Coordinator and Lecturer in Black Studies at University College Dublin (UCD), Director at the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies (IABS), and founder & Chairperson of the African Scholars Association Ireland, AFSAI (2018-2022). You can find out more here.
Coinciding with Dr Joseph’s talk, there will be a brief update on the Words Ireland Charter, which intends to encourage a more inclusive industry.
Books for Screen
In a sparkly end to the programme, in partnership with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, publishers can rub shoulders with professionals from the world of television and film, in the Books for Screen event.
This is a members only event taking place on Friday 11 November from 4 pm – 5 pm and you will need to register separately to participate.
This is a fabulous opportunity to pitch your stand-out titles to directors, producers and screenwriters. Everything is on the table, from high-budget feature films, to TV one-offs and series for RTÉ, TV3 and TG4, to longer-form series for the likes of Netflix.
There is an appetite for both fiction and non-fiction (for documentaries)—for adults and children. While many arts industries are slowing down at the moment, the film industry is still seeking material for future projects, so this is an unmissable opportunity.
You will pitch two to three titles, in 5-minute slots with PowerPoint slides that will be provided as a template. The full collection of slides will travel beyond the room to Irish film industry people worldwide: it’s a great opportunity to extend the reach of your books.
Drinks Reception
After a busy and informative day, The Irish Copyright Licensing Agency (ICLA) is hosting a drinks reception in The Bull and Castle, from 5pm—7pm.
The ICLA promotes respect for copyright, legal access to content, and fair remuneration for rights holders, and this event will celebrate thirty years since its foundation by the Irish Writers Union, and the Irish Book Publishers Association in 1992.
All Publishing Ireland members are invited to the drinks reception.
If you would like to attend Trade Day 2022, please book your tickets here.
