It is the chance to talk up their authors and get publishers to wave their checkbooks in a carefully choreographed public relations exercise. A master of the art is British agent Christopher Little, who within four days of receiving a manuscript from first-time author J.K. Rowling had signed up the Harry Potter sagas that became a publishing legend. It is such a giant rights market. People keep their best for Frankfurt. There can be a buying frenzy.
People put big money behind a book.
Harry Potter has sold 57 million copies in 200 countries. That's the way it is. Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited . All rights reserved. Pages will open in a new browser window External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.