Tips for Writers
Book Expo for Readers
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
I’ve received many emails commenting on my post dated April 5th titled Book Expo America. Most have asked about the relevance of attending if you are not an author or publisher but a reader. The answer I would offer anyone that is curious about attending as a consumer of books is YES! If you enjoy trade shows, or have never attended but are curious, then by all means go and enjoy.
The cost of entry is steep but this conference offers a full day of activity and the opportunity to get a boat load of free galley copies that the biggest publishers offer. The food is expensive, the crowds can be a pain, but overall the experience is worth the effort if you enjoy browsing what is essentially a huge bookstore.
When you buy your ticket you will receive a badge that indicates by color that you are a visitor, which means when you walk through the booths of the big New York publishers you will be ignored, which is fine. If you are seen carrying what appears to be a large envelope, or manuscript, they will run the other way because these companies do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Carry a canvas bag for all the free stuff that is given away and wear comfortable shoes.
You should bring bottled water, assuming they let you take that into the center (you might want to check online before you head off to get details). Restrooms are plentiful but you must have a map of where you can find the biggest publishers. You can easily get lost and turned around if you do not have a map of the show and where everyone is located. You must check out the booths for Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Putnam, Holtzbrink/MacMillan/St. Martins, Harper Collins and Hachette. Those are the biggest and will offer the most for free.
Take your time, don’t be in a hurry and enjoy the day. It’s a huge air conditioned hall with carpeted walkways and booths. Parking could be a problem so again, check online before leaving your home since mass transit may be your best bet. Book Expo America offers readers and fans a great opportunity to see the business up close and personal.
Tags: Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers, eBook, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
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I would like to express my appreciation for your post. That’s really great to know that there are such people like you who do their job very well and with such enthusiasm.