Golden Bologna!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Bologna Book fest and while I regrettably (extremely regrettably!) was not able to attend, I have been following it closely for all the ups and downs and turnarounds that this festival bolds for the industry as a whole.  Below are a few of the highlights of the festival.

Brightest Books

Pandora's Key by Nancy Richardson Fischer (Self Published)

The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles (Random UK)

Half Bad by Sally Green (Puffin)

Biggest Trends

While there is still interest for dystopian and fantasy fair, there is definitely am uptick in interest for more contemporary YA and middle grade fiction.  That's not to say that you should abandon that vampire novel you're writing, but just make sure that the story is fresh and the voice is distinct.

What's Coming Up

Above all, quality of the content remains number one, but expect a shift in the children's market as industry heavyweights begin to focus on what the kids really want.  We're seeing more and more that children are driving decisions and adults are purchasing books based on what their kids are asking for, not what they think their kids want.  The ultimate end customer is indeed driving the decision-making