Thanks!
~WilowRaven
I walked to Javits from Penn Station last year and it's a nice walk without anything loading you down. Dragging my 150 pound bag behind me, I wasn't about to take that short walk back to Penn so I hopped in a livery car and had them drive me straight back to Grand Central. Considering you have your arms full, I doubt you'll get many looks and the curb outside Javits is loaded with livery by the end of the day so you won't be waiting long. I wouldn't worry about it, nor would I feel bad about it. A handful of blocks can feel like miles when you're loaded up.
So all the books at BEA are free, right? Can we only get one copy of the book or can we get an extra for a giveaway or blogger friend?
Yes, the majority of the books are free. Just be sure not to grab display copies or something like that. Those aren't for the taking.
As for taking more than one, well, the answer to this would depend on the person you asked. The piles of ARCs that publishers have are literally piles of books stacked from the floor up. Huge piles. And people grab and grab and grab. I remember reading on Lenore's blog when she posted the book bloggers' mortal sins compiled from all over the community and grabbing more than one book at something like this some people considered such a sin.
But I look at it like this - are you considered a dick for asking a publisher for an extra copy or two to give away on your blog when they send one for review? Of course not. So why are you a dick for taking an extra copy or two at BEA to give away on your blog? I know I doubled up on some books. Publishers even willingly gave me two or three copies of a book for promotion. When you see other industry professionals grabbing two, three, four copies of a book from a pile, whatever guilt you may have had would wane pretty quickly.
The way I would gauge it would be if you knew it would be a book that your readers would want to have, don't be shy about taking an extra copy or two but don't be greedy about it. You don't need 6 copies. I know I grabbed an extra copy of Tricks by Ellen Hopkins last year because I knew my readers would love a copy of that book. Nothing wrong with that, I don't think. Just in moderation. Don't do it for every book. Grabbing one of each is a heavy enough load.
Great post, full of helpful hints!
Do you think it would be okay to ask an author to sign two copies of a book, one for me and one for a friend who couldn't make it? Or would that be bad manners?
Thank you! You know, it would depend on the kind of line you're standing in. If the author's line is short and you're towards the back, it wouldn't hurt to ask. If the line's long, I wouldn't. The number of books they have at the signings is limited and they want to make sure they don't run out nor do they hold up the line (as I've said before, they try to make the signings as fluid as possible). At the end of the day it doesn't hurt to ask. The worst they could say it no, but be discrete about it. You don't want to trap the author in obligation to fulfill the same request to everyone on down the line. So if you really, REALLY want a second signed copy, wait until the end of the signing time and try then.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I'm not sure how I landed on this page, but I am thrilled that I did! You answered all of the questions that I was looking for!
You're very welcome!
When you register, what do you put as "Company" to be listed on your badge? "Self"?
I actually just put my blog title in this slot. The way it shows up on your tag is your name in big bold letters and then underneath it would be the company you work for. My company, technically, is Bites. And then next to it (or underneath it, I can't remember) it'll actually say YA book review blog as you'll have the option to put in a description of what you are.
What time does BEA end each day?
What is the autograph area? How is it different from the authors signing at the publishers' booths?
How do you get tickets for some authors' signings? Is there a cost associated for the tickets? How soon should you get the tickets?
The Exhibition Hall closes at 6 on Wednesday and at 5 on Thursday.
If you pull up the floor plan for Javits, in the upper left hand section of the Exhibition Hall map you'll see the Autographing Area. All day, both days, authors are set up for certain times to be autographing in this section. It'll be a row of tables set up that you queue up in to get books signed. When authors sign at their respective publishers' booths, they'll be at separate times and out actually at the publishers' booths in the greater Exhibition Hall.
For ticketed authors, I believe the only way to obtain those tickets is to show up at Javits at 5 am on their respective signing days and obtain them then. You can only get in the signing line if you have one of those tickets. As far as I know, they don't cost anything except lost sleep. But in all honesty, I've never had to get one of these tickets so I only know the process from what other people have said. If someone got one of Suzanne Collins' tickets last year, for instance, please chime in as to the process.
For this next (and last for this post) one I'll break it up since it's pretty long. It's all from the same person, though.
Your tips are very helpful.
Two questions :
1) What do you mean when you say
" You are considered a member of the press. "
Would I not need to have a Press card ? Does not someone screen people who claim to be from the Press ?
I am coming from a distance, and do not wish to come there all the way, and then be turned back because they do not accept me as a member of the Press.
OR have to pay a much higher fee for on-site admission.
[ I am planning to come for a nonprofit association, and buy a 3-day pass in advance.
Well, you got a few things going on here. When I say you're considered a member of the press, it means that as a book blogger, we are considered members of the press. We provide free press and promotion to publishers to promote books. They want us at BEA to help further their promotion. Hence the press pass. We do not have to be card carrying members of a "legitimate" press in order to be considered press. The officials at BEA consider book bloggers press. You need to register for a press pass in advance and provide credentials in order to be accepted as a member of the press. Registering as a book blogger, your credentials would be your book blog itself.
Ultimately you need to be connected to the publishing industry somehow in order to get into BEA. It's not a forum open to the public.
With travel and other costs also, I would like to save what I can, but not be vulnerable to a last minute surprise.
[ But Can they really accommodate several hundred members of the Press ?
And can one still attend the talks ? ]
Yes. Javits is huge and will hold tens of thousands of people over the course of BEA week. There are some events that are open forum on the BEA floor that anyone can walk up to and attend. Then there are others (like the authors' breakfasts) where you need to buy tickets in advance in order to get in. By now, those events are sold out.
I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE ON THIS MATTER SOON, AS I NEED TO REGISTER TODAY ( -- I SHALL BE AWAY NEXT WEEK )
ALSO, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO QUALIFY AS A " BOOK BLOGGER " ?
Having an active book review blog would be a good place to start in order to qualify as a book blogger. If you're considering opening up a book blog now in order to get into BEA, don't. I can name at least a dozen thing wrong with that.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) I THOUGHT BEA WAS FOR PUBLISHERS, AUTHORS, AND BOOK BUYERS, INCLUDING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
YOU IMPLY IT IS MAINLY A PUBLISHERS' EVENT.
COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT YOU MEAN ?
BEA is the largest publishing event in North America. The main focus is publishers promoting stuff, including their authors, to various book buyers, educators and members of the press. Its a means to move more books, make more publishing deals and interconnect with people all over the world. The London Book Fair and Bologna Book Fair are all in the same scheme. Agents meet up with clients, their own sub-agents, editors they work with. Authors get to meet fans, sign books. Publishers get to promote their lists, hope to wrangle in sales to chains or libraries.
Students are ultimately irrelevant to BEA. They're the buying market that buys from the acquiring market. The people that attend BEA acquire in order to provide to the buyers (or lessors or readers in terms of schools and/or libraries). It's essentially the "behind the scenes" of the publishing world. When you go to the bookstore and hold a finished product in your hand, BEA is part of the process that got that product to the store. So the publishers, the authors, the press, the educators, are all the process for the product.
Thanks.
You are doing a great service.
My email:
You're welcome!
Got more questions, comments, concerns? Send them on over!
1 comment:
Awesome - thanks Donna!
Post a Comment