Like thousands of others, I will be heading to Los Angeles this week to attend Book Expo America.
The convention brings together publishers large and small, booksellers, librarians, famous authors, aspiring writers, and thousands of reporters and bloggers.
In other words, it’s a place to go to feel small.
Since I have never been to a convention with 37,000 other people, I sought out advice. Too bad it’s so contradictory I don’t know what to think:
“Every writer should go to BEA at least once, if only to see how the publishing industry works,” I heard numerous times.
“It’s depressing to go and realize that your book has to compete for attention with all the thousands of other books out there,” is another familiar refrain.
“I don’t go to do business; I just go to see my friends,” one book store owner told me.
“Don’t expect anything out of it,” a veteran attendee told me.
“Everyone is so busy that you have to make appointments or you won’t get to talk to anybody.”
“The best meetings are the ones that happen serendipitously,” is another observation.
“If you don’t have galleys, take your business card and an excerpt from your book and give it to anyone who may be interested,” was one piece of advice.
“I go back to my hotel room every night and throw away all the paper and half the galleys I have gotten during the day,” someone else told me.
“As an author, don’t expect to get any attention. Don’t give away postcards with the cover of your book because no one cares.”
“Follow up with an email after the event.”
“Just go and have fun.”
I’m not sure what my plan of attack will be. Am I going there as a blogger, an author, or a voyeur? Will I be invited to any of the parties that count? Or will I be relegated to the sidewalk to massage my aching feet?
Stay tuned.
