Bringing the Growing Mexican Book Market to New York

Norwalk, CT, April 24, 2013—BEA officials have today announced that BEA's annual Global Market Forum will focus on Mexico. The Global Market Forum, which honors countries from around the world by providing educational panels and cultural exchange opportunities, has become a cornerstone of BEA’s international outreach. Last year’s initiative, which focused on Russia, included a wide range of activities throughout New York City. BookExpo America is North America’s leading book industry event and will take place in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Center, May 29 – June 1, 2013.

Mexico is a book market worth 10,084 million pesos ($830 million) in 2011, and it has grown 2.7 percent in volume and 13.2 percent in value since 2010. Mexico, the 13th largest economy of the world, with a growth in GDP of 5.5% in 2010, occupies a significant position among today's emerging economies, and - not the least through the NAFTA agreement - is a privileged trading partner of the USA. 45 million people in the US speak Spanish as their first or second language.

When it comes to books and publishing, however, the picture is more complex.

In Mexico, the government is strongly promoting and fostering educational publishing through ventures such as the 1934 established Fondo de Cultura Económica. Furthermore, a lively scene of local publishing exists in all sectors of books and content, from fiction and nonfiction to children's books and graphic novels. The highly creative sector has in recent years started to outgrow the past predominance of publishers from Spain, thereby helping to make the book fair in Guadalajara by far the largest book trade show in the Spanish language. In return, US publishers have started to set up local branches, like Thomas Nelson in 2011.

But despite significant efforts and a huge market potential, the day to day exchange of books between Mexico and the US has been limited by a number of factors, including professional contacts that must be further expanded, and more in depth knowledge and experience in how to deal with each other’s respective markets.