Just when you think the world of books can’t get any crazier…
We’ve seen Big Bad Wolf take millions of (mostly) English-language books to Sri Lanka this year (1.5 million), Taiwan (2 million), Philippines (twice – 2 million and 1 million)), Malaysia (3 times so far and at least one more to go – well over 5 million), Thailand (3 million), Dubai (3 million – finishing today, Oct 28) and Indonesia (twice 5.5 million and 3 million).
Now comes news that Big Bad Wolf is doing a third run in Indonesia in November, taking another 2 million books to the land where, or so we are told, nobody reads.
That’s over 10 million books shipped to Indonesia this year, and almost all of them English-language titles.
250,000 are expected to turn out for the Medan event, and total Big Bad Wolf visitors this year will run to several million.
I so often hear authors and publishers say the global markets are a waste of time unless we have translations, as we can’t sell English-language books abroad apart from in the obvious English-language markets.
Big Bad Wolf has blown apart that notion this year, taking best part of 30 million books around the world to sell at eleven day 24/7 flash sales.
And with two months of 2018 still to go there could yet be more surprises in store.
Back in February it was announced Big Bad Wolf was planning book sales in Taiwan, Dubai, South Korea, Bangladesh and Iran this year, in addition to its regular venues.
World’s biggest book sale heading to Bangladesh, Dubai, Korea and Taiwan this year
So far we’ve seen Taiwan and Dubai, and just maybe we’ll see the other three make the Big Bad Wolf countries list before the year is over.
