This is going to be my first year going to BEA (Book Expo America). It is on the same weekend as my husband's birthday so I am combining it with a vacation to go see NYC since I've never been there.
I ended up registering as Press; which hopefully was the right thing to do. Sadly I cannot afford the vacation time to take the whole week off of work, so I will only be there the first couple days. Which also means that I will be missing the Book Blogger's Convention on Friday :-(
I am hoping it will be a great time and am looking forward to meeting some publishers that I talk to via email and hopefully lot of new people. I am looking at this as an opportunity to dip my toe in the BEA pond and decide if I want to invest a full week next year.
So I have a question for all of you...do you know anyone else who is going? Do you have any tips for a first timer?
I have my business cards all made up and in hand. I have the list of places I want to stop by in the exhibit hall all sorted out.
I am unsure what to except. It is super crowded? Do you get a lot of free books? Will I need a box to ship them all back home in? Do you have to sign up for the author signings ahead of time?
Any other recommendations?
We are actually renting a flat in NYC near the convention center rather than staying at a hotel. We did this through homeaway.com. This is a cheaper option and give you a place to make meals etc. We've used homeaway.com to stay in San Diego, South Dakota, and London before so check it out it you are interested.
I'm going!! *waves*!
ReplyDeleteTips - wear comfortable shoes. Bring a backpack because it's better for your back than the bags they give you that you have to sling over one shoulder. And bring Advil for muscle aches.
Also it's a good idea to look at the website to find out when author signings/events are and try to plan your day.
Otherwise - it's a LOT of fun and there will be plenty of book lovers to talk to in line. Hope to see you there. I'll be uh, a half-asian girl with a lot of books? If you see me, say hi!
I wish I could go! Can you post about your experience, so I can live it vicariously, please? Have fun!
ReplyDeleteJanicu,
ReplyDeleteAwesome I will keep an eye out for you. Or maybe just randomly introduce myself to every half-asian girl with books I see :-)
Anne,
I will definitely post about it and let you guys know how things go. I am getting more and more excited about it the closer it gets and will be happy to share pics and experiences :-)
- Karissa
I also hope that I can get some good swag to giveaway on the blog too!
ReplyDelete-Karissa
This year will be my first time at BEA as well. I'm really excited! I have a gist of what to expect but the first day of BEA will probably just be very overwhelming! :) Hope to see you there.
ReplyDeleteHaha. :) Well maybe we can figure it out with our badges.
ReplyDeleteHi Ophelia!
ReplyDeleteDid you have to pay for admission fee when you registered as press? And where can you register?
Thank You,
I Heart Book Gossip
Hi I Heart Book Gossip,
ReplyDeleteI did not pay a admission fee. I registered as press with credentials and had to provide info on my blog and how often I review books.
To register just do a search for Book Expo America and then click the register button on their site.
- Karissa
Hi Karissa!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I attended last year and it was totally different and they never asked for credentials. *cross fingers hope I get to go.
Here are my 10 tips and the books I snagged last year.
http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Expo%20America%202010
Hope this helps. Thanks again for telling me how to register!
- I Heart Book Gossip :)