Interview with
Enlighten Noah Publishing & Robert G. Barbaria
Interview by Jennifer Hollowell
How do publishers decide where to bring their authors for additional book
boosting? How do book fairs tie into this scenario? Is one book fair
more important than another? These are just a few of the questions we’ll
explore when talking with Enlighten Noah Publishing and two-time author, Robert
G. Barbaria, who is published through them.
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this
interview. It’s my belief that the information you’ll be able to
provide will be a great asset to readers. Enlighten Noah Publishing
recently attended the London Book Fair from March 14th to March 16th. Can
you tell us what prompted the decision to attend this particular book fair?
Enlighten Noah Publishing: We have attended nearly all of the major book fairs
throughout the world since our beginning in 1999, and see the London Book Fair
as being the second largest held worldwide. With nearly all of the major
publishers, wholesalers, and distributors in attendance at one place, this gives
us the opportunity to meet with the various groups and discuss the possibilities
of joint endeavors. Points of discussion may include foreign distribution of our
books or even the sharing of copyrights to the foreign publishers, allowing
countries that we don’t publish in access to our books.
Robert G. Barbaria: Due to the close relationship I have with Enlighten Noah
Publishing, and the timing of the release of my newest book, The Rod of Iron,
it made sense for me to attend the London Book Fair with them.
Were there specific preparations that needed to be made
by both ENP and Mr. Barbaria or was everything handled by ENP? Can you
elaborate about what steps needed to be taken in order to make this effort a
success?
ENP: We had to prepare a “special” media package to introduce The Rod of
Iron to the London Book Fair-- which included an author biography, media
section, and a synopsis of the books.
RGB: I worked with ENP on the preparation of a media packet that was used the
week prior to the book fair at a press conference held for The Rod of Iron
in Southern California. We jointly modified and updated that media kit for the
book fair to include the television and newspaper interviews that were held the
previous week in Los Angeles. Having read my books many, many times, little
preparation was necessary for me to answer questions regarding The Rod of
Iron or Revealing The Bible’s Truth, as they might be fielded at
the book fair.
When you reached the book fair, what was your first
impression? Were a lot of people from other countries in attendance?
ENP: My first impression was that it was extremely crowded and set-up as a
confusing maze with no clear-cut directional pattern. The British were there,
but they also had a very strong American presence. Other countries in attendance
were from Australia, New Zealand, China, Greece, France, Germany, etc. I did not
notice any representation of African or South American countries.
RGB: Being familiar with such shows put on by the electronics industry, I found
this particular showing to be somewhat in disarray. It didn’t appear to be
anywhere near as organized or orchestrated as are the electronics shows I have
attended. Most of the major countries were exhibiting there, and although I
found most of the people to be quite friendly, some were also very rude. Case in
point; at one booth I waited patiently to speak to a lady tending the exhibit
booth while she spoke to a friend on a personal level. Even though she knew I
was waiting to ask her a question, she continued on in her conversation with the
other lady to the point where my patience had expired and I finally left. I
found that most of the people tending the various booths conducted themselves in
a very unprofessional manner; very laid-back, treating the exhibition as more of
a social event rather than a business activity.
How do you feel this experience impacted Enlighten Noah
Publishing as a whole?
ENP: We actually went away with a couple of good business leads. Some companies
were looking for translation services, something we do! Overall, if I had to
rate the impact of the London Book Fair, on a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate
the experience a 4.
RGB: Albeit we did meet some interesting people, and acquired some potential
leads, I found the book fair to be somewhat of a disappointment. It seemed more
like a social gathering rather than a business activity, and found only a few of
the exhibitors to conduct themselves professionally.
Mr. Barbaria’s new release, The Rod of Iron,
was introduced during the fair. How do you feel this impacted the book’s
marketing plan?
ENP: It strengthened the marketing plan abroad, only marginally. Our main
goal was to introduce the book to Europe, and if possible, sell the rights to
interested parties. Unfortunately, ALL of the companies that dealt with
international rights were booked months in advance. Since our presence was a
last-minute decision, we were not able to secure a time slot. We did, however,
introduce the book and left copies of The Rod of Iron and media kits with
specific publishers, distributors, wholesalers and other people in the industry;
them who showed interest when we described the content of the book.
RGB: We left media packets and copies of The Rod of Iron with those who
showed interest in the book. However, due to the mass confusion exhibited
throughout the event, it will surprise me if we will ever hear from those people
again without some follow-up conversations with them. In my past experience with
any of these types of trade shows, all you can come to initially expect is some
recognition of your existence in the industry. Follow-up will be key to
capitalizing on the expense of attending the Book Fair in London, and I’ll
leave that responsibility to ENP.
Aside from Mr. Barbaria’s book, were other books
announced or presented during the fair?
ENP: Yes, we represent Dr. Hwa Lim, a world-renowned bio-informatics and cloning
expert. The three books are: Sex is So Good, Why Clone?, Change,
and A Stroll Down the Genetic Road.
Are plans in the works for attendance at more book
fairs or next year’s London Book Fair? Can you explain the reasons
behind these decisions?
ENP: I am eyeing the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is a larger and from the opinion
of a colleague of mine, “a much more energetic fair.” One very important
thing that I have learned in the publishing industry is “it is who you know”
(and how big and powerful they are). That’s the bottom line, and the
truth.
RGB: At the present, I do not plan to attend next years London Book Fair.
However, I might attend the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, GOD willing.
Would you recommend attendance of book fairs to other
publishers and authors? Why?
ENP: Yes, especially if a person or company is new to the publishing industry
(or not). You meet your competitors, other authors and other people related to
the field. It will give the person in attendance a general feel of the industry--
who is out there, what they are looking for, and what’s hot.
RGB: I would probably not recommend a new author attend such book fairs until
his or her name becomes well known. It is quite expensive to attend these shows
and the benefits from them are miniscule at best. On the other hand, I believe
it is a must for the publishers to let their presence be known in the industry.
Both from a publisher’s point of view and an
author’s point of view, what’s the biggest lesson you took home with you
after this experience that you’d like to pass along?
ENP: London is expensive! Especially when there are events like this book fair
that generated a substantial income to the city. I was amazed to spend $35
per person for breakfast at a hotel, $250 for a closet-sized room, $20 cab rides
(for a two or three mile ride), $7.00 for a hotdog, and the continuous tipping
of everyone in hotels and restaurants. Once the event is done and over--
you are done and over. (Bring lots of extra cash!)
RGB: London is the most expensive place I have ever been to, and what they
consider first class, I consider the last class. It’s nothing to spend $100 on
a mediocre meal, or $250 a night for a room that is 12 feet square, and I am not
exaggerating! Four drinks cost me over $70 without the tip, and for the average
person in London, they pay more in pounds than we do in dollars here in the
States, for similar type items. With 1 pound equaling about $1.85, I can’t see
how anyone making less than $150,000 per year could even live a moderate and
conservative lifestyle in London.
I want to thank you for taking the time to answer these
questions and provide such valuable information to each reader. Is
there anything further you’d like to add?
ENP: I felt that the book fair was just a giant “clique.” It seemed like a
reunion of sorts, people seeing people once a year at these events. I would
describe it as a giant party without the food-- and with this fair, no
entertainment. P.S. Bring comfortable shoes.
RGB: The book fair was no surprise to me, and is pretty much what I had
expected. And, although THE LORD told me beforehand that we would benefit by our
attendance there, I have yet to see it! However, I will be patient and wait to
see the fruit of our works!
Again, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. It’s
been a pleasure to learn about these experiences from a publisher and an
author’s perspective.
About Jennifer Hollowell: J.M.H. Creative Solutions is a service owned
and operated by me, Jennifer M. Hollowell. The mission behind J.M.H.
Creative Solutions is to aid those non-writers who have a book in them, provide
help for self-published authors and deliver resources for any type of writer. http://www.jmhcreativesolutions.com
About Enlighten Noah Publishing: Established in 1999, Enlighten Noah
Publishing offers a multitude of titles in-print that addresses a very wide
assortment of topics in fiction and non-fiction alike. Some of the most famous
works includes Carmelita Chao’s Tien Tu Series of Books, Daniel
Deng’s American Laws 101, Dr. H, Lims Genetically Yours, Chao
Tse Fan’s Struggle of Humanism, and Robert G. Barbaria’s Revealing
the Bible’s Truth, just to name a few. Although many of the titles are in
the Chinese language, English titles from Enlighten Noah Publishing are emerging
in the mainstream and new titles will soon become available at your local
bookstores. Current titles in English and Chinese are also available at
amazon.com. http://www.enpublishing.com
About Robert G. Barbaria: Robert Barbaria is the author of Revealing the
Bible’s Truth, The Rod of Iron and the soon to be released Revelation
the Fourth Son. Born in San Francisco, California in 1946, Mr.
Barbaria grew up in a typical middle-class family and attended the local
schools. He joined the Navy in 1965, served in Vietnam and was decorated and
honorably discharged in 1968. Immediately after his release from the US Navy,
Mr. Barbaria entered into the electronics industry and held various positions
within the past thirty years plus. Mr. Barbaria then started his own consulting
firm in March of 2000, calling it “Intimate Resource Counseling.” Intimate
Resource Counseling consults both technically and managerially for several major
electronics companies with one of its key accounts being the US Navy, where
technical assistance is provided on the “Aegis Program.” http://www.jmhcreativesolutions.com/Barbaria.html
