How to make the most of The London Book Fair

The London Book Fair is next week, and it's one of the biggest publishing events in the book trade calendar, so here are some tips on how to make the most of it.

Last year, I went to the London Book Fair for the first time. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know anyone else going, and I felt out of my depth because I wasn't a publishing professional.

Fast forward 12 months, and I still don't know anyone going, and I also am not a publishing professional. However, I am a Creative Writing student writing a novel and a publishing hopeful.

After my first visit to the London Book Fair, I knew immediately that I wanted to go back again. I may not have meetings set up or clients to see, but there is still plenty more for me to get up to as a student attendee.

But I know it can be overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. Therefore, I thought I'd share some tips on how to make the most of your visit to the London Book Fair, based on my experience last year.

Know the location

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The London Book Fair takes place at the Olympia in West Kensington, London. It's a big event venue, but if you've never been there before, it can be challenging to get to.

Before the event, it would be useful to know the whereabouts of the Olympia and where the entrances are. Last year, before each day, people had to queue outside the venue, so getting there early and knowing where the doors are will save you time.

Another thing to factor in is travel. If you don't live in London, you'll most likely be travelling in each day, unless you're staying somewhere nearby.

There are some tube stations close to the Olympia, but I would recommend planning your route to the venue and making sure you know which tubes you need to get on and at what time, so you get to the London Book Fair right on time.

Use a map

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This tip came in really handy for me last year because the Olympia is a big venue. It spans two floors, and there are a lot of stalls and different areas allocated for different things on both.

If it's your first time attending the London Book Fair, I would definitely recommend printing out a map of the venue or having a digital copy.

That way, each day, you can quickly look up where the different things are, from talks to the toilets, so you don't spend ages walking around in circles, lost.

List the talks and times

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Across the three days of the London Book Fair, there are multiple talks in different areas at different times. If you want to attend any of the talks, it might be handy to have a list of the different ones, where they are and at what time they are.

You can find out what the talks are by visiting the London Book Fair's website. They have a list for each day, giving a brief description and stating who is giving the talk.

Note the exhibitor locations

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As the London Book Fair is a trade publishing event, most of the Olympia will be used for exhibitor stalls. These are different publishers, agencies, and other publishing companies.

Whilst the majority of these will be conducting meetings, there might be brief moments when people at the stands are available for a quick chat.

In that case, especially for publishing hopefuls, if you'd like to pick the brains of certain exhibitors, make a note of where they will be located within the venue. Last year, there was a separate Children's Publishing area, which made it easier to locate publishers, such as Usborne, Walker Books and Nosy Crow.

Stationery

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I absolutely love stationery. I have a whole box dedicated to stationery in my office, so when attending the London Book Fair, I will definitely be making sure I've got the right equipment.

I'm attending LBF as a student with a plan of attending talks for publishing hopefuls and authors, as well as hoping to pick the brains of publishing professionals. For me, I don't have any necessary paperwork I need to bring for meetings.

However, I will be bringing a new notepad, a few pens and some business cards with me. Ensuring you have a notebook will make it easier to take notes when attending talks, and if you're able to network, it could be a good place to jot down some important contact info.

Careers Clinic

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This next tip is definitely for publishing hopefuls. Book Careers, run by Suzanne Collier, runs a careers clinic on the Thursday of the London Book Fair.

I attended the clinic last year, and I've booked my place to do so again. You have to have a ticket to LBF in order to attend, so if you are going to LBF and are a publishing hopeful, I'd definitely recommend attending the careers clinic.

There will be staff from different publishers, such as Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Walker Books, Springer Nature, and Bloomsbury. So, if you have a copy of your CV ready and a note of some questions you'd like to ask about job applications, recruitment, etc., then this is your chance to get some feedback from publishing professionals.

Get the LBF25 app

Credit: The London Book Fair

My final tip for attending the London Book Fair is to download the app.

LBF25 contains all the information you need to know about what is going on at the London Book Fair. It has the seminar list, exhibitor list, and floorplan of the venue, and it allows you to bookmark different talks you want to attend.

It is a really handy app to have over the course of the three days, so if you are attending the London Book Fair, be sure to download it.

I am attending all three days of the fair; if you're going, I'd love to meet you and have a chat. Hopefully, these tips can help you feel more prepared and make it less daunting.

Until next time...