If Iceland’s beauty as a country is a reflection of their literature, then their motto “Sagenhaftes Island” (English translation “Fabulous Iceland”) holds true. This year the Frankfurt book fair, held at the Frankfurt Trade Fair (Germany), introduced Iceland as the guest of honor with a focus on Icelandic literature. Well played, guys.

Book publishing representatives and multimedia companies from across the globe are drawn to the fair each year for a variety of reasons. Primarily for networking and negotiating publishing rights and licensing fees. Authors, librarians, illustrators, film producers, translators (the list goes on and on) all play an active role in the fair and are key components to this event.

Our very own Tim Machier (Head of Business Development and Coordination Int) represented BookRix this year and took the time to answer my questions about his experience at the event.

Everyone is different. To you, what was your favorite part of the fair?

My favorite part [of the fair] was two things: The host country Iceland with its beautiful hall and booths. In addition, all the book people from all over the world. It was so nice to meet and network with everyone.

As you said, people travel from all over to attend this annual event. Tell us about the people you met.

I met a lot of people from the US and of course from Germany. It was a pleasure to talk to our BookRix Users who visited our Booth.  There were famous authors like Jussi Adler Olsen, Charlotte Roche or Reinhold Messner who was the first guy in the world to climb Mount Everest. Last but not least, I met a lot of friends who also work in the publishing industry (Online and traditional of course).

Sounds awesome! How did people react to BookRix? What was the overall feel?

Well here in Germany the digitalization of books is not as advanced as it is in the USA. The Market is on the move and therefore a lot of “traditional” publishers and people feel that eBooks are dangerous for printed books. But overall most of them predict that eBooks and companies like BookRix will dominate the market in the next few years. Besides that we received a lot of positive feedback from authors, writers and readers concerning our upcoming author services in Germany and USA.

What we’re some of the highlights? (speakers, guest appearances, book signings, etc)

For me, the highlights were hearing from the producer of Harry Potter, Roland Emmerich (Director of 2012 etc.), who attended the publishing conference this year. Besides that, there were a lot of German TV-Stars and famous authors visited the book fair for book signings or interviews.

Thanks for sharing, Tim!

Tim & Jussie Adler Olsen

Tim & Charlotte Roche

Tim & Reinhold Messner

You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you’re comfortable with something? Whether it’s a restaurant, a bar, a nature hike, or an author you can always rely on for good material, consistency is key. Its nice to rely on things, and sometimes having the ‘same old, same old’ just feels right. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Well…

We’re not gonna come out and say that our previous text editor on BookRix.com wasn’t awesome. Ok, wait. Let’s just say it was so-so. Good for what it was, but in need of some fine tuning. Our members wouldn’t describe it as “phenomenal”  and they wouldn’t exactly brag to their friends about how awesome it was. I think what we’re trying to say here, nicely of course, is that our previous text editor left room (a lot of room, actually) for improvement. So we took it upon ourselves to fine tune it. Introducing….. (drum roll please!) BookRix’s advanced text editor!

<end drum roll/>

Creating a book with the updated advancements should be a breeze. You can format text, add images, insert page breaks or new chapters in an easy to use, streamlined fashion. We know change can be scary. But this minor facelift is going to make your lives easier. We promise! Not convinced? Check out our how-to guide here. We’re confident you’re gonna dig it. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

If any of you have ever frequented LAX airport, you’ll understand my pain. It’s crowded, it’s hot (at least it is every time I’ve been there), kids are screaming, and the overhead speakers shouting out flight updates make my brain hurt. Needless to say, when my friend asked if I could pick him up from the airport I wasn’t thrilled at the opportunity, but agreed because he’s awesome and would do it for me. As luck would have it, his flight was delayed 40 minutes due to bad weather. Yay for me.

$7 bought me a snack sized bag of trailmix and a Reeses peanut butter cup. Walking out of the store, I saw a tall, white haired woman in uniform take a seat in the only secluded area of the airport and I decided this was my best bet. She pulled a Kindle out of her bag, put on her glasses, and let out a sigh. Five seconds later, she returned the Kindle to her bag. I guess I was staring because she met my gaze and clarified: “dead battery”. Her tone was so full of disappointment that I couldn’t bring myself to pull the Bret Easton Ellis book out of my bag and crack open the first chapter. Instead I offered up my unopened Reeses and struck up a conversation with Rachel. (She wouldn’t agree to a photo)

1. What book has been the biggest influence in your life?

Eloise. Is that odd? When I first read it with my mother, we both laughed ourselves silly. Over the years, I came to realize that my mom bought the book for me not just because it was about a wonderfully imaginative free spirited girl, but because she hoped it would instill in me a belief that growing older doesn’t have to be a bore. Be a character and make no apologies.

2. What author and/or character do you identify with most?

Gloria Steinem. I can’t begin to explain why. Perhaps I see her as “Eloise” all grown up. I’m not sure

3. What do you think happens to you when you die?

[chuckles] That’s a pretty heavy question to ask someone you’ve just met. I’m quite certain that when I die, I’ll cease to exist. No frills there.

4. Have you ever penned anything yourself? And if so what’s the recurring theme?

I’ve written a few short stories. I rarely write about the same subject, but the theme is consistent. Irony is always around you.

5. If you had to re-live your life as a character in a book, what book/character would it be?

Lotty Wilkins in “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth Von Arnim