On December 18, the Ukrainian Book Institute gathered a professional community of publishers, authors, translators, cultural managers, and journalists to discuss the results of Ukraine’s participation in international book fairs, and in particular in the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book event in our part of the world. The discussion was attended by representatives of the institutions that co-organized Ukraine’s participation in Frankfurt, authors, publishers, and cultural managers. They shared their experience in building international partnerships and promoting Ukrainian books abroad.
The event was organized jointly by the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine and the Dialogue Art Council with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
Authors
Andriy Kurkov
письменник

Promotion of a book and an author are different processes, and promotion of the author is more important. If the book is “sold” together with the author, it works much better.
Andriy Kurkov emphasized the importance of direct interaction between the author and his foreign publisher. If there is no physical contact, if they haven’t had 10 drinks together in different restaurants and discussed the writer’s plans for the next book, the first book may be the last one published by this publishing house or even in this country.
The publisher must understand that it is not only necessary to publish this book, but also to promote it. The writer should constantly ask the publisher what the promotion plans are, where the book will be launched, at what festival, what kind of press is available in this region or in this city. Does this publisher have friends who own private independent bookstores? We think that books are sold by the publisher, but in reality, books are sold by bookstores. In Germany, independent bookstores sell more books by lesser-known foreign writers than large chain bookstores. This raises the question of contact between the publisher and the writer with these bookstores.
Every book has its own audience, even a bad one. But you need to understand this audience and know where it is. If the publisher is not looking for your audience and is not an agent of Ukrainian literature, you are on the wrong track.
The writer should strive to make the publisher and bookstores make money on him or her. He or she should gradually become a brand of Ukrainian literature in the country where he or she has found a good publisher.
Advice from Andriy Kurkov:
- Do not stop at the achievement of “my book will be published abroad!”.
- Having a close relationship with your foreign publisher is the key to long-term success.
- Seek out the foreign publisher’s contacts with independent bookstores, as this helps to reach a wider audience.
- Know your foreign publisher’s plan for book promotion and be an active participant in this process.
- Promote not only the book but also the author along with it, creating a personal brand.
Halyna Kruk
writer, finalist of the Griffin Poetry Prize

The presence of a writer is an essential part of his or her promotion abroad. It is important to understand that attempts to institutionally promote an author without an established reputation often fail. We can bring a writer, but if he or she is not recognized in a certain environment, it usually does not work.
The book market is highly segmented. Literature for a wide audience, fiction, poetry are different segments, and success depends on how much the author is present in his or her target segment. Focusing on a narrow audience can yield significant results. For example, success in the poetry community, as in the case of the Griffin Poetry Prize, allows you to scale your efforts. Being shortlisted for this prize ensures that the book is purchased by municipal libraries, presented, and receives professional interest and recognition.
Publishers should use the opportunity to submit books for this and other prizes, as it helps them enter the professional environment.
Promotion also depends on the audience. We can focus on both the foreign audience and the Ukrainian diaspora, and in both cases, we will have different strategies. In many countries, there are Ukrainian reading clubs that actively promote books. These clubs can become a bridge between the book and the local market, providing additional advertising.
In addition, the participation of a professional moderator from the writing community can significantly increase the effectiveness of the author’s speech. An introduction or moderation by a well-known representative of the literary community makes the event much more effective and increases interest in the book.
Tips from Halyna Kruk:
- Apply for foreign awards – it attracts professional interest in your work.
- Present your books through Ukrainian book clubs abroad.
- Choose moderators among representatives of the professional writing community abroad.

Yulia Orlova
CEO and co-owner of Vivat Publishing House
Participation in foreign events is extremely important for any publisher. It is not only an opportunity to expand the partner base, buy and sell rights, but also to share experiences and adopt best practices. It would be useful to organize online training from foreign publishers. This could become not only an educational project for us, but also a platform where we can share our experience with our international partners.
As for strengthening Ukraine’s national image, it is important to demonstrate that our country remains creative even in the most difficult times.
We must emphasize: “We exist because we publish books”.
Ukraine’s image is currently associated with war. However, we want to be noticed not only because of this, but also because of our talented authors, high-quality texts, illustrations, and the meanings we carry. Fairs give us the opportunity to make this known louder.
Advice from Yulia Orlova:
If possible, participate in training and exchange of experience with foreign publishers.
Emphasize that Ukraine is not only about the war.
Mariana Savka
writer, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Staryi Lev Publishing House
We have been actively participating in international book fairs for a long time, and this consistency is paying off. Back in 2014, we presented a stand in the children’s literature pavilion. Today, thanks to the cooperation with the team of the Ukrainian Book Institute, we are able to join the national stand, which is a completely different level. The structure and visual design of the stand are especially important. It should be convenient and attractive so that people do not get confused but start looking at the books more closely.
I would like Ukrainian publishers to be more actively involved in joint discussions and panel discussions at Frankfurt, making our presence more visible.
We need to draw attention to ourselves, because participation in events where Russian representatives are present has always played a negative role for us, and we have lost the opportunity to make ourselves known. My dream is for Ukraine to become an honored guest at the Frankfurt Book Fair. To do this, we need careful preparation and joint work.

Advice from Mariana Savka:
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in international events if Russians also come there.
Source: Chitomo