What It’s Like to Attend BEA
BookExpo America is the biggie. Or as its website (www.bookexpoamerica.com) says, “Combines the largest selection of English language titles on the planet with special industry and author events and unparalleled educational content to create a dynamic environment for networking, sourcing and relationship building.”
Anita Alan (Central Coast) was among several CWC members who made the trip to New York City the first weekend of June to immerse herself in this publishing industry marketplace. Your CWC Bulletin Editor sat down with Anita when she returned home to learn more about what it’s like to attend BEA for the first time.
Joyce: What were your first impressions when you walked into that massive exhibit hall at the Jacob Javits Center?
Anita: It felt like being inside a kaleidoscope of books. It seemed to me impossible to actually visit every booth in just three days, even if I didn’t attend any of the conference sessions or awards ceremonies. The event was held on three floors and each floor spanned football fields. I wished I was wearing a pair of those Heelys that the kids scoot around town with — not that the mix of plush carpeting and smooth surfaces would make for safe skating. Aisles teemed with buyers, publishers, authors, and librarians, all seeking free books and book-related materials — posters bookmarks, and an array of items that would thrill classroom teachers and school librarians.
Joyce: What was it like to do a signing at BEA?
Anita: A thrill! And highly organized. Authors appear 30 at a time on the hour
and on the half hour. Monitors judge the length of the lines, the time, and the number of books
left. To my astonishment, the authors scheduled to sign at the same time as me included Alan Alda,
Deepak Chopra, and John Lithgow. Daunting enough? I honestly had visions of no one at my table.
Happily, all four boxes of my books found homes, including several placed in public and school
libraries. All-in-all, it was certainly the fastest hour of my life.
Joyce: What advice would you have for an author attending BEA for the first time?
Anita: First, become as familiar as possible with the facility. Numerous resources — participant lists, booths, maps, schedules, etc. — are available online. The better you prepare in advance, the more you’ll be able to do at the actual BEA. Expect to ship home a lot of books and related materials. Books at BEA aren’t sold; they’re given away (which is why BEA is open only to industry professionals), so the chance that you’ll overload is great. Decide what you think you can handle and leave plenty of time to stand in the long shipping line. Making up your shipping labels in advance could be helpful. I spent over an hour in the FedEx line in one day alone.
Joyce: BEA is heading west to Los Angeles in 2008, so perhaps more CWC members will be able to attend next year. What advice do you have for them?
Anita: I would hope California Writers Club would have a presence at BEA. If the San Francisco Writers Conference can have a booth, as they did at this year’s BEA, why not CWC? We could be planning it as perhaps the prelude to CWC’s centennial celebration in 2009. If you’d like to attend as an individual, but don’t have an “in” with the publishing industry, consider volunteering. BEA requires a huge cadre of volunteers to have the event go smoothly. I may volunteer next year. It’s certainly worth making the effort to attend. I learned more about all aspects of publishing and marketing at BEA than anywhere I’ve ever been. BEA is the standardbearer for book conventions.
Joyce Krieg is a mystery writer. Her books include: Murder Off Mike, Slip Cue, and Riding Gain. She is editor of The Bulletin—the California Writers Club newsletter, and Scribbles—the Central Coast Writers newsletter.
Anita Alan is the author of Big Sur Inn: The Deetjen Legacy (Gibbs Smith, 2006)
