2024 Frankfurt Book Fair: AI, Growth and Global Impact

The 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair was buzzing, and it’s no wonder with a near 9% increase in trade visitors and 7.5% more exhibitors over last year (PublishersWeekly.com). I was happy to be in attendance this year, walking the show floor with my colleague and company president Marissa Eigenbrood. I first attended Frankfurt in 2018—a different world pre- AI and covid, and a time when independent publishing wasn’t as widely discussed–and went in with eyes wide open. 

AI-Powered Discoverability: A New Era for Publishers

The fair underscored the industry’s readiness to explore technology beyond mere automation. Conversations around Shimmr AI’s automated advertising tools and Open Road Media‘s digital marketing strategies highlight how publishers are increasingly using AI not just to streamline processes, but to enhance discoverability and maximize the impact of backlist titles.

Extending Book Lifecycles: A Win for Indie Authors

With AI-driven marketing campaigns becoming a staple, publishers are finding new ways to keep books—including those from indie authors—visible and accessible long after their initial launch. This was particularly encouraging for self-published and small-press authors looking to extend the lifecycle of their works and reach global markets.

Automated or not, we had such refreshing conversations around collaborative launch strategies and continue to find publishers leaning into marketing conversation with great interest. Through these fulfilling partnerships, like that of our connection with Wiley, we’re learning the cadence and style of our publishers’ rollout schedules and sharing our views and insights to optimal marketing and publicity strategies and timing, we’re shaping cohesive plans that support all teams involved while prioritizing maximizing impact for the author. And making rewarding connections in the meantime!

Traditional Meets Independent: The Blurring Lines of Publishing

As a personal champion of self-publishing and creative control, one of the most compelling aspects of the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair was witnessing more acceptance–across the industry–to give space to both traditional and independent publishing.

The fair provided a clear showcase of how the line between these two publishing tracks continues to blur while also advocating for the value of each. Within our conversations, partners–new, old and hopeful–openly shared how their models allow for traditional and hybrid tracks. As industry professionals become more accustomed to working with authors on their own terms, there’s a notable shift toward collaboration rather than control, reinforced within the highly anticipated Publishing Perspectives Forum “The State of Independent Publishing” panel.

The Rise of the Educated, Brand-Driven Author

The panelists, Nelleke Geel, Publisher and Owner at Meridiaan Uitgevers (Amsterdam), Tom Kraushaar, publisher at Klett-Cotta (Germany), and Nina von Moltke, cofounder and president of Authors Equity (U.S.), came together to discuss the rise of the educated, brand-driven author and new publishing models that suit their entrepreneurial mindset. von Molke, who said Authors Equity is more of a “producer” than they are a publisher, said—and others nodded along—that senior managers at publishing houses are tired of saying “no” to authors’ great ideas (because it goes against the grain or would be too hard to replicate for their other authors), creating more friction with traditional frameworks.

As the personal brand movement only grows, further impressing the need for authors to “influence,” and the traditional parent/child or publisher/author relationship shifts, independent tracks give autonomy to writers and experts to maintain control and have a more influential role in their book’s success.

Such frank, forward-looking conversations signal that the industry is making space for more agile and author-centric models, fueling the growth of diverse voices and global perspectives.

Global Reach: A New Frontier for Indie Authors

A surprising takeaway for me is a new focus on international rights for indie authors–I could have sat with Annie Oswald, co-founder of Juxtabook and former VP of Publishing at FranklinCovey, for hours listening to her global publishing perspectives and her true passion to share worthy independently-published titles with the world. As global markets grow more connected and readers’ tastes expand globally, indie authors have more opportunities than ever to secure publishing rights across multiple regions. This trend is opening a wealth of new possibilities for self-published authors, allowing them to reach audiences that might have once been inaccessible without traditional representation.  

The Resurgence of In-Person Connections

Finally, the nostalgic mention of BookExpo in many of our conversations and the openly discussed joy that many stated in-person connections bring them, despite the digital advances and remote networking tools that have become more accessible over the last few years, it’s obvious that we (collectively) actually do value face-to-face interactions–perhaps even more than we did in 2019. It’s clear that, for many, Frankfurt serves as a vital checkpoint—a time to reconnect with industry peers, gauge new trends, and get an up-close view of what’s coming next.

Amidst the talks of AI and digital platforms, the human connection remains irreplaceable, making the Frankfurt Book Fair and other enduring conferences more than just “events,” but shared experiences that unite the global publishing community.

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