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Reading time 1 min 56 sec
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Good Morning, First Name!
HarperCollins recently announced they will not attend the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026.
That made me pause.
Not because the world's second biggest publishers will change the entire industry in one go alone, but because it raises a more interesting question:
What role do book fairs really play today?
Does it matter to you?
That depends.
If your business thrives on long-standing relationships and pre-negotiated deals, Frankfurt remains an important meeting point: a place where conversations are continued and partnerships deepened.
But if your focus is shifting towards direct connection between authors, readers, booksellers and markets, then other formats, such as the Leipzig Book Fair, offer something very different:
A space where books (+ publishers & authors) meet readers more directly.
Where conversations feel immediate, alive, and less transactional.
What’s quietly changed in rights
I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
Because in international rights, something fundamental has already shifted.
Many deals today are well advanced — or even agreed — long before a(ny) book fair begins.
The discovery, the matching, the early conversations?
They increasingly happen online.
Fairs still matter.
But their role is evolving.
Less about initiating deals.
More about strengthening relationships, visibility, and trust.
As CEO Jürgen Welte of HarperCollins observed at Frankfurt:
'Tradition is not about preserving the ashes... reallocating exhibition space is not a concept — it merely results in moving the furniture around.'
Meanwhile, the book rights business thrives online.
A shift I noticed early
I began noticing this change as early as 2014, but I kept going til 2016.
That’s when The Wittmann Agency had the last time a booth at Frankfurt Book Fair and then moved fully into digital workflows: first with curated PDFs from the former print catalogue, and now, in April 2026, I have launched an interactive foreign rights online catalogue.
No physical constraints.
No time-zone limitations.
No dependency on a stand location.
Just focused, global rights matchmaking, where the right titles meet the right partners, wherever they are.
So… Frankfurt or Leipzig?
It’s not a question of better or worse.
It’s a question of purpose.
Frankfurt: relationships, scale, global visibility.
Leipzig: readers, energy, direct engagement.
Both have their place.
But the future of rights work?
It’s already unfolding elsewhere:
👉 online
👉 targeted
👉 relationship-led
If you’re curious how this shift could support your own rights strategy, you’re very welcome to explore further:
👉 Discover the new online Foreign Rights Catalogue →
With optimism and always a good book on the nightstand,
💕
xoxo
Claudia
Founder, The Wittmann Agency — your global book publishing co-pilot
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I’m an ex-corporate girl, a creative and global book publishing and licensing expert and the host of the Love Letter To Bookworms. Welcome to my virtual living room!
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For occasional and awesome social updates, here is where to find me on X – Where hasTwitter gone? – YouTube – Pinterest – Xing – Kress – Linktr.ee –and VGSD (Member of the Association of Founders and Self-employed in Germany) and in your E-Mail (Love Letter To Bookworms).
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Thank you for reading and sharing, xoxo Claudia
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