Croatia's Comeback
FROM PUBLISHING
TRENDS (DECEMBER 2001)
Though
much battered in the last decade, Croatia’s 4.5 million
inhabitants are citizens of the most developed and richest
former Yugoslav republic — and one eager to traffic
in the world of books. The Zagreb-based publisher Hrvoje
Bozicevic of Editions Bozicevic profiles
the nation’s evolving publishing business.
The wartime atrocities that befell Croatia and Slovenia
just before the first democratic elections of 1990 opened
a new, grim chapter in the region’s history. But as
this tumultuous decade sees its epilogue at the International
Tribunal in the Hague, Croatia’s long-awaited recognition
has brought a glimmer of light as well. Moving toward
European integration, and boasting a high-quality education
system, Croatia makes a worthy business partner for
publishers in Europe and beyond. Though it is a small
market (comparable to Finland), the nation’s growing
economy and expected rise in standard-of-living may
turn it into one of the most profitable areas of Central
and Eastern Europe.
Admittedly, recent years have been hard for Croatia’s
publishers. According to the National University
Library, 3,600 titles were published in 1997. But
by 1999, after the introduction of a 22% value-added
tax on books, that number fell to 2,940. As the price
of books soared, sales dropped significantly. The situation
stabilized after the VAT on books was abolished at the
end of 1999, however, and last year, 3,200 titles were
published, with this year’s forecast more than optimistic.
About 200 publishing houses operate in Croatia, the
most prominent including Skolska Knjiga, which
publishes 300 titles annually and specializes in textbooks,
scientific, and professional literature; Leksikografski
Zavod Miroslav Krleza, with encyclopedias and monographs;
and Matica Hrvatska, an interdisciplinary institution
with its own publishing house. Though there is no reliable
list of bestselling books in Croatia, eagerly sought
titles include The New York Trilogy by Paul
Auster, The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler,
and all titles by Milan Kundera (one of the most
popular writers in Croatia). History titles and memoirs
sell well, too, and in fact Century of War: Anglo-American
Oil Politics and the New World Order by F.W.
Engdahl was one of the bestselling books of 2000.
Of course, Grisham, Cornwell, and Clancy
are hits here as everywhere, owing their popularity
to movie rights sold.
In a hopeful sign, several young Croatian writers have
stepped onto the scene. Among their much-translated
colleagues are Miljenko Jergovic (Sarajevki
Marlboro, Penguin); Slavenka Drakulic
(Marble Skin, Norton); and Dubravka
Ugresic (Fording the Stream of Consciousness,
Northwestern). Still, many important authors
remain to be translated or even reprinted. These include
the great poet Nikola Sop (he was translated
by Auden), and Janko Polic Kamov, whose
short stories were published in Grand Street
and Partisan Review.
A key challenge remaining to Croatian publishers is
the lack of a suitable distribution network. Books are
not sufficiently available in smaller towns, and marketing
and media support are lacking. Moreover, print runs
can be as small as 1,500 copies for serious literature,
or 4,000 copies for J.K. Rowling. Meanwhile,
book prices run from $6.50 to $25, relatively costly
due to short print runs, hefty taxes, and large discounts
to distributors (up to 50%). Since most people cannot
afford to buy books, many are borrowed from libraries.
On the bright side, the Croatian Association
of Publishers and Booksellers is laying the
groundwork for a national book distribution network,
and Internet sales are growing through sites such as
www.sveznadar.com.
More hearteningly, Minister of Culture Antun Vujic
has made publishing a priority, buying books for libraries
and subsidizing titles that do not have a large market
potential. Vujic recently said that though the number
of new titles was growing (thanks to stronger government
support), the goal must be a completely market-oriented
publishing industry. As the economy matures, Croatia’s
publishers are hopeful that they can meet this challenge
profitably.
©2001
Publishing Trends
