This week is the official start of Book Expo America that takes in New York City From. Wednesday, May 28th (pre-day) Thursday May 29th- to Saturday May 31st. Book Expo America is the largest publishing event in North America. Tens of thousands of publishers, authors, book sellers, librarians, reviews, bloggers and readers, etc… end up at the Javits Center where BEA takes place. This will be my 5th year at BEA.
BEA is a mecca for book lovers from all walks of life. If this is the first year you’re attending BEA, you’re in a for a real treat!
My BEA advice for newbies:
There is a lot to see and do at BEA. I would recommend you go over to the BEA website and create your personal show planner. With your personal show planner, you can add when panels you want to sit in and the authors you want to meet. There are hundreds of autograph signings at publishers’ booths and at the autograph table signing section. Also you can jot down when book drops will happen.
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES! The #1 lesson learned as you navigate BEA is wear comfortable shoes. Can you imagine standing for 8+ hours and walking around the convention center floor with 6 inch high heels? Wear flats. Trust me on this.
Bring multiple bags. I always being my tote bag with my personal belongings, such as wallet, camera, phone, etc…. Bring an extra bag(s) for the books you will take. Some people can end up with more books than they can carry (I’ve seen a few with 50 books or more each day). Publishers also hand out bags. If you find yourself carrying too many bags that you can’t walk around, there is a bag check that is pretty reasonable. I limit myself 10 books a day if I can.
Have cash. Along with any credit cards you may have, I also recommend you have cash on you. Sometimes you want a bottle of water or soda, or there have been times the food court will have shorter lines for those using cash. Speaking of the food court- it’s utter madness. I really, really recommend you grab a bite to eat (lunch) at off-peak eating hours. You may not find a seat and may end up eating on the floor, which many people do regardless.
Be respectful, courteous and professional. BEA is a publishing industry event and should be respected as much. There are many book drops for some much buzzed about, hot future releases. Don’t be a that person who knocks people aside to grab an ARC or beg and plead one of the publishers’ employees for a book. You are there as a professional, so act like it, regardless of what role you play in the publishing world. Don’t be greedy, because remember, it’s just a book. Bring business cards. The more you hand out your business cards, the more you will be contacted in the future to review books or interact with your favorite authors.
I’m big on attending the panels so I can find out all the new and interesting things going on in publishing. My goal is to sit on at least 2 panels a day if I can. Here are some of the panels I hope to attend that may be of interest to you:
Thursday, May 29th:
1:oopm: Goodreads 201: Advanced Tips for Driving Book Discovery, speaker, Patrick Brown. Brown will present Goodreads 201 for authors and publishers. This session will teach advanced tactics to help authors and publishers get the most out of Goodreads.
2:00pm: Beyond Authors: Self-Publishing & The “New” Agents, speakers, Christopher Kenneally, Jason Allen Ashlock, Rachelle Gardner, Robert Gottlieb, Steven Axelrod. Once the dirty word of the book world, “self-publishing” is transforming – some say, reinvigorating – the business, mostly by rewriting the relationship rules for authors and publishers. The balance of power has shifted dramatically. So where does this all leave literary agents? What role remains for “authors’ representatives” to manage clients who may one morning strike out on their own? Who are the “new” agents, and what kinds of services are they offering?
Friday, May 30th:
11:00am: ROMANCE 2.0: Fan Fiction, Indie Authors & the New World of Publishing, speakers Joyce Lamb, Adam Wilson, Amy Tannenbaum, Christina Lauren, Kim Karr. The winning combination of romance and fan fiction offers opportunities to authors, publishers and readers! Learn how fan fiction and indie authors have changed the world of publishing. Find out how and why Publishers are signing on with these titles. This session unwraps the secrets to what Publishers are doing “right” to market and publicize these types of books.
Saturday, May 31st:
12:30pm: Your Opinion Sucks! Special Edition: Rotten Tomatoes Critics vs. Fans; Best and Worst Book-to-Film Adaptations. Face off with your favorite Rotten Tomatoes movie critics when they join Editor-in-Chief Matt Atchity and TV Editor Sarah Ricard to debate your favorite — and least favorite — book-to-film adaptations. As Matt and Sarah invite courageous audience members to challenge the critics, everyone in the room uses their Personal Tomatometer Paddle to dis/agree with the score.
1:45pm: Romance/New Adult – Bad Boy Heroes. Tattoos. Motorcycles. Big pointy teeth. What makes a bad boy so bad? And why do we love ‘em so hard? Readers everywhere are taking their romantic and new adult fiction with a jagged little edge…and we have to wonder: has the era of the enlightened heroine been supplanted by the re-emergence of the alpha male? Or is the take-charge female finally ready to give up a measure of control? Join four of the biggest names in popular fiction, Cora Carmack, Jeaniene Frost, J. Lynn (aka Jennifer L. Armentrout) and Sarah MacLean, as they talk about the overwhelming appeal of domineering men – and what this all means about the women who love them!
Where to eat? At one point you may want to leave the convention center for lunch. The Javits’ food court can be pretty pricey. Also after the day ends, you will be starving and want dinner. 9th Avenue once known as Hell’s Kitchen is only a 10-15 minute walk away from the Javits and has many wonderful restaurants that won’t break your bank account. Here are some of my top 5 foodie recommendations (I’ve been to these restaurants more than once because they are my personal favorites):
Yum Yum Bangkok (650, 9th Avenue) Yum Yum Bangkok serves traditional Thai and Asian Fusion cuisine in Manhattan, New York. Yum Yum has a great pre-fixe menu with soup to nuts for under $20.
Vynl Resturant (754, 9th Avenue). One of my favorite places to eat. It’s all about the music there, and the happy hour is excellent. A little quirky, but with great food and very friendly staff. The personal bathrooms are one of the reasons you eat at Vynl.
Southern Hospitality (645, 9th Avenue. This is owned and operated by Justin Timberlake and has pretty good BBQ. A great place to kick back, relax and have some ribs. But if you want some of the best BBQ in Manhattan, head up to 42nd Street near Times Square to 3 Dallas BBQ. You get a lot of eats at Dallas BBQ for a very affordable price.
Uncle Nick’s Greek Cuisine (747 9th Avenue). In the mood for some Greek food that tastes home made? You must heck out Uncle Nick’s. Big portions at a great price.
Zen Palate (663, 9th Avenue). The best Chinese, Japanese for Vegan and Vegetarians. Very affordable with big portions.
And the most important rule of all at BEA: HAVE FUN!
Want a better idea of what to expect at BEA? Check out my reports from last year:
BEA 2013 Report #1
BEA 2013 Report #2