My BEA experience
To sum it up: I had a ball. It's one of the most exhausting yet productive 2 1/2 days I've ever spent at a professional function. I volunteered to help man the HWA (Horror Writers Association booth) as I have the past two years. Vince Liaguno, our point man for the past two years the event's been in NYC has been amazing at getting the booth looking attractive and organizing the volunteers and the members who wanted to hold in-booth book signings.
For those who don't know what BEA is, it's short for Book Expo America, a large trade show for book publishers and other related tradesmen to display their wares for the next selling season. So publishers were mostly pushing their fall 2011 books. Foreign publishers, children's book publishers, comic book publishers, small presses, booths looking to sell display cases or greeting cards to bookstores.
In addition to getting my entrance paid for the entire convention, HWA set up an in-booth book signing for me plus one in the main autographing area. Two of my publishers (HarperCollins for Teeth and Tor for Blood and Other Cravings and Haunted Legends) also got me slots for the main autographing area. It's wonderful to actually meet face-to-face an entirely new group of fans of my work--librarians and booksellers from around the country. Sometimes these meet-ups prove fruitful in ways one doesn't expect. Invitations to speak at a school or library, sign at a bookstore.
And then of course there's the dash whenever I had free time to pick up book catalogs so I can look for forthcoming books appropriate for review in my Best Horror of the Year. I TRY very hard to not take galleys or arcs (advance reading copies--usually a little nicer than galleys)unless I really want them. For those who regularly read my blog you know why--but it's not only space, but they have to be lugged home.
Anyway, I'd like to encourage east coast members of HWA to sign up to volunteer or at least to sign or send materials to give away next year. As a member, this is a fabulous marketing, networking tool that you need to take advantage of.
For those who don't know what BEA is, it's short for Book Expo America, a large trade show for book publishers and other related tradesmen to display their wares for the next selling season. So publishers were mostly pushing their fall 2011 books. Foreign publishers, children's book publishers, comic book publishers, small presses, booths looking to sell display cases or greeting cards to bookstores.
In addition to getting my entrance paid for the entire convention, HWA set up an in-booth book signing for me plus one in the main autographing area. Two of my publishers (HarperCollins for Teeth and Tor for Blood and Other Cravings and Haunted Legends) also got me slots for the main autographing area. It's wonderful to actually meet face-to-face an entirely new group of fans of my work--librarians and booksellers from around the country. Sometimes these meet-ups prove fruitful in ways one doesn't expect. Invitations to speak at a school or library, sign at a bookstore.
And then of course there's the dash whenever I had free time to pick up book catalogs so I can look for forthcoming books appropriate for review in my Best Horror of the Year. I TRY very hard to not take galleys or arcs (advance reading copies--usually a little nicer than galleys)unless I really want them. For those who regularly read my blog you know why--but it's not only space, but they have to be lugged home.
Anyway, I'd like to encourage east coast members of HWA to sign up to volunteer or at least to sign or send materials to give away next year. As a member, this is a fabulous marketing, networking tool that you need to take advantage of.
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