publishers optimistic

Political turmoil might affect reader sentiment, but publishers remain optimistic that Book Expo Thailand 2008 will draw the same level of traffic as last year and that sales at the event will not drop.

The exposition kicks off tomorrow and runs until October 23. It is one of two annual book fairs.

The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand forecasts that the number of visitors will be 1.5 million, unchanged from last year.

Association president Risuan Aramcharoen said, "We still believe that the fair's target groups are not those who are so obsessed with politics that they pay no attention to other things. Even if protesters are still hanging around Government House, this will not affect attendance at the fair".

Over 1,000 titles from 400 publishers are scheduled to be launched at the expo. A similar number was introduced at last year's fair and the one earlier this year.

Busy-Day Publishing is among the 400 publishers that will introduce new titles at the expo, in its case seven "How to" and two business books.

Busy-Day managing editor Chaiyakorn Pleomcharoenkit said that the political bloodshed might have a slight impact on the fair and some publishers. If the situation were more violent than the bloodshed on Tuesday of this week, the expo and publishers would definitely be seriously affected, he added.

Yet he is optimistic that his firm will meet its sales target growth of 15 per cent at the fair, as it did last year.

Overall, traffic at the book fair will be similar to last year, while Chaiyakorn said he expects the "How-to" segment to be especially strong.

Chaiyakorn expects the overall business book segment to drop, especially those focussed on setting up new businesses, as a consequence of the local political turmoil and the global economic slowdown.

Busy-Day has suspended new titles relating to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), he said.

"We planned to release SME books but we had to freeze the plan because we knew the mood was not encouraging readers to buy business books," he said.

Nanmeebooks Publishing managing director Suwadee Chongsatitwatana said she hoped that the political situation would not affect the expo and publishing in general. She noted that at similar periods of unrest in the past book sales were not particularly affected.

She added that publishers would find out what sales are going to be like for the whole fair this weekend.

Suwadee is optimistic that the political and economic situation will make people seek relaxation by reading books.

Vilailuck Thitipornthamrong, marketing and brand communication manager at Amarin Printing Publishing, said that last week's bloodshed might affect the fair.

But Amarin has high hopes for "The Last Lecture", which it believes will enjoy the same sort of success as the recent "The Secret" in the inspirational and self-improvement category.

Vilailuck noted that publishers, including Amarin Printing, will continue releasing new books even in the face of a bad mood because all publishers have to plan and work many months in advance.