Reed Exhibitions, whose trade fairs include BookExpo America and the London Book Fair, has signed on as an affiliate partner to PubMatch, the book-publishing and rights database founded earlier in 2011 by Publishers Weekly and Combined Book Exhibit. The addition of Reed Exhibitions adds the capability for conference attendees and exhibitors at BEA and LBF to obtain real-time rights information in several different languages.
Steve Rosato, event director for BEA, says, “BookExpo America is thrilled to be able to have a formal relationship with PubMatch because we see it as a value add for everyone who participates in BEA. It is a tool that enables our attendees and exhibitors to maximize what they get out of BEA when they are there, allowing for them to interact with more people in advance of the show and continue to transact business after BEA.”
“Reed Exhibitions have worked with both the Combined Book Exhibit and Publishers Weekly for many years and I can think of no better partnership to launch this innovative new venture. The London Book Fair and BookExpo are delighted to be working with PubMatch and look forward to showcasing the service to our customers,” observed Alistair Burtenshaw, director of publishing & books for Reed Exhibitions.
PW president George Slowik, Jr., noted that Reed Exhibitions “brings to PubMatch the expertise and long experience of managing BookExpo America and the London Book Fair, respectively. These book fairs are valuable tools in the worldwide rights industry, making them invaluable to the PubMatch community.”
According to Jon Malinowski, president of Combined Book Exhibit and PubMatch co-founder, “PubMatch is fast becoming the leading Web site for multilingual rights information around the world. The addition of Reed Exhibitions as an affiliate partner is a huge step forward in realizing the potential of PubMatch.”
Currently the membership of PubMatch is nearly 3,000 and Malinowski and Slowik expect that number to climb to 10,000 or more by the end of 2012. PubMatch affiliates include Taiwan-based Lee’s Literary Agency and Author Marketing Experts, based in San Diego. The PubMatch Web site is offered in English and simplified Chinese, with traditional (or complex) Chinese currently being programmed and the next language to go live. German is to follow later this fall.
Malinowski said new programming on PubMatch includes an improved catalogue-generation feature and search capabilities, and added that a section dedicated to service providers is forthcoming, with areas included for translators, illustrators, editors, trade associations, distributors and wholesalers and more. The additions are expected to be live in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair. Another new section is to include an employment exchange by country; already the site is streaming in Publishers Weekly’s popular job postings.
