Building on its strategic efforts to boost the profiles of Emirati authors and publishers in the region and around the world, the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has concluded a successful participation at the prestigious Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF)’s 54th annual edition by turning the spotlight on 25 member publishers and their outstanding works on EPA’S Manassah platform.
At the recently concluded book fair, which ran from January 25 - February 6, EPA’s unique Manassah initiative, a platform created to support Emirati Publishers with the marketing of their publications at various local and international book fairs and exhibitions, showcased 2,345 copies of 250 unique titles published by member publishers.

The EPA delegation to Cairo was led by the entity’s Executive Director, Rashed Al-Kous, who helmed a series of meetings with book fair organisers, senior officials and participating publishers to discuss the past efforts and future strategies planned by the Association to highlight the work and achievements of local publishers and industry professionals on regional and global levels. He also elucidated upon EPA’s operational strategies created to advance book distribution and marketing to broaden their members’ outreach to larger segments of readers in the UAE and the Arab world.

EPA reiterates the role of social media and other technologies in marketing titles

At a panel discussion titled Content and Available Means of Publications, EPA hosted distinguished speakers Ali Abdel Moneim, publisher and publishing consultant; Neveen Eltohamy, Kayan Publishing House; Ahmed Ruwaihel, Chief Strategy Officer, Tahoun; and Abdullah Al Kaabi, EPA board member.

During the session moderated by AlAnoud Ali, Projects Manager at EPA, Abdullah Al Kaabi, emphasised the importance of social media and other technologies in marketing titles to a broader audience. He also underscored the need for publishers to create online platforms to showcase their print as well as electronic works.

For his part, Ali Abdel Moneim discussed challenges faced by publishers in the Arab region. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive training that familiarises publishers and literary editors with the fundamentals of their profession, noting that most resort to trial and error methodologies to eventually realise the importance of planning and marketing to reach their target audience.

Neveen Eltohamy noted that piracy is one of the most significant threats faced by the publishing industry in the Arab world. She added that overcoming this challenge necessitates ensuring that all nations enforce intellectual property laws to safeguard the rights of authors and publishers.

Regarding the shift towards audio content marketing, Ahmed Ruwaihel noted that global investment in audiobooks is rapidly increasing, adding that audio content in the Arab world continues to face challenges, including piracy. He said investors are monitoring global trends and showing interest in investing in the region’s audiobook industry.

Through its Manassah platform, EPA is showcasing the works of 25 Emirati publishers.