Book Expo America wrap up – thanks, NYC!
POSTED BY elaine ON June 8, 2011
Wow, what a whirlwind! We’re back and recovered from NYC – yet another great BEA! We’re still sorting through notes and following-up with everyone we met, but we wanted to take a moment and share a few highlights of this year’s trip.
This was the first year that six of us went to BEA. With so many of us there, we were able to cover a lot of ground. And at the Javits Center, there is A LOT.…of ground….to cover….
The campaign managers scheduled back-to-back meetings with media at the show since there is no better way to get to know new contacts and pitch clients than in a face-to-face meeting. We sat down with a wide range of people, from a CNBC producer and an Associated Press reporter, to the New York Journal of Books and the most delightful book blogging duo you’ll ever meet, the Texan ladies behind Bookshelf Banter. In the time of Twitter, texting and constant multitasking, we loved that they all cleared some time for a real conversation.
We were also able to get out and visit a few media friends on their turf. Thanks to Sarah Smith at Kiwi Magazine, Robin Sanders at CBS News, Ashley Diamond at Better TV and Heather Graham at iVillage for welcoming us into your “homes!” We’re looking forward to working with all of you!
Aside from making new contacts, the best part of BEA is meeting people you already work with in person. These included our new friends at NetGalley and a long list of publishers, including B&H Publishing Group, Worthy Publishing, Thomas Nelson, Wiley and Workman (who threw a fabulous happy hour party at their offices, I might add).
We attended a panel called the Book Editors Buzz the night before the show and we all agreed it was one of our favorite events. Six editors from 6 different publishing houses presented their pick for favorite upcoming title. Each one was so passionate about their selection and their enthusiasm was contagious. When the session ended, the attendees rushed the galley tables and it turned into a bit of a mosh pit. Tolly took an elbow to the eye when she tried to grab a galley, but could not have been more pleased. Seeing that much passion for books was a wonderful way to start off the show.
The book getting a ton of buzz at the show? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday, Sept 13, 2011). Absolutely. Cannot wait. To read this book.
Of course we left a little bit of time for play. We wined, we dined, we shopped just enough and we navigated the subway….sort of (six Texans and a Nashville agent getting to Brooklyn and back home again one night resulted in somewhat of a comedy of errors. But that’s another story for another day).
Thank you, New York. We’ll see you next time!
Here's Marika at the PR by the Book table at the Rights Center. This was a great place to have meetings away from the hectic show floor (with a great view of The Hudson, too).
Tolly in front of the New York Times
It was the New York public library's 100th birthday!
Marika had the only celebrity sighting of the entire trip - Mrs. Brady!
This is how we rolled up to the Workman happy hour. Seems cool, but really we just couldn't find a taxi that would agree to take all of us together. Our concierge hooked us up.
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