Why I Left BEA After an Hour & Headed for the Bookstore
So, apparently I am the only one who comes to BEA and does. not. like. it.
Whaaa??? Yep. Did not like it. Random, right? Here’s what I thought BEA was going to be like: A room full of tables and stacks of books yet-to-be-released for people in the book industry to pick up for reviewing/ buying for their stores/ wanting to promote the author. What BEA turned out to be: lots of open space with tables for people to sit and meet, look through catalogs, and look at books that they aren’t allowed to take but are allowed to look for in their local bookstore. For real. People, I can find out that information on the Internet. I don’t need to travel 3,000 miles to look at books that will be coming out soon. What else was there? Authors, apparently. But you have to plan ahead for that part and stand in wicked long lines. I love authors, but I prefer chatting with them over e-mail or meeting them at a small reading rather than traveling 3,000 miles to meet them for a moment while they sign my book. I’m just keeping it real, peeps.
So, I walked around for about an hour to an hour and a half. Here’s what I saw…
Lots of open space filled with people walking around with (somewhat) empty bags:
Spaces with tables to sit and screens with pictures of books that you would like to read (but can’t because they’re just pictures):
I did have a good laugh over the fact that the New Age tarot/ psychic table booth was next to an Evangelical table — good planning:
So, I took my two free BEA pamphlets and free reusable bag from Hyperion and grabbed a taxi to the East Village. After all that book tease, I needed to get my hand on an actual book! So, I headed to (where else?) The Strand. For those of you who don’t know, this is one of the most famous bookstores in the country as well as an iconic book lover’s site. I got lost in their miles of gigantic stacks…
By the way, that picture doesn’t even span to the top of the book stack — you need a ladder to get up there. That’s my style of book expo. 
What did I buy? Well, I had plenty of books in my hands before I remembered that I have to actually bring them back in my carry on. So I put all of them back and decided to get one that I had borrowed recently from the library and not gotten a chance to read all the way through. It seemed perfect to buy a book about a woman who not only adored this city, but whose books were so much a part of her life that part of the announcement of her death, by her son John, included letting the public know that she was surrounded not only by her family and close friends, but also her books.
I had the most incredible avacado and goat cheese (yes, you read that right — YUUUUM) sandwich at a little cafe called Paradis on 4th and swung by Union Square to say hello to my old apartment (I lived here for the summer of 2001 while taking summer school classes at NYU). Then it was time to trek back to Chelsea to meet Tira for the final episode of Oprah (complete with champagne and cookies, of course!). We headed out for dinner and a walk through Greenwich Village to end the night. It was such a beautiful day (sunny) and night (not humid, but beautifully warm).
What’s up for tomorrow? It was supposed to be BEA, but I think I am just not a BEA girl. I’m not very into passing my card along and schmoozing (which is a lot of what I saw today). I am about books. So, I’ll probably stop by one of my favorite NYC spots, the public library. A trip to the Met might be in order, and, if the weather is friendly again tomorrow, I’ll take my new book to Central Park and cop-a-squat to sit and read before it’s time to head out to The Book of Mormon!
I still can’t wait for BBCon (the book blogger’s convention) on Friday. Looking forward to hearing what the panels have to say and meeting (and catching up with) fellow book bloggers.
Thanks for this post! My eyes are really being opened about this phenomenon called BEA. First, Pam’s post over at the Armchair BEA blog saying she spent over $1500 going last year. Ack! I would rather spend that money taking my sons on a vacation. Now, what you said in your post. Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea either. I can enjoy myself just as much at the Southern Festival of Books here in the Fall. I’m just not sure if I want to spend that much money and travel that far on a plane (I HATE flying) for a less than stellar experience. Although I would like to visit New York someday. Thanks Wallace!
I do have to say that I am thrilled it got me back to New York. My friend felt bad for me yesterday, and I was just happy it got me here. It was very interesting to see it, but yes.. unless you have other plans for the city – it’s not worth it in my opinion.
Hi Wallace,
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I’ll reply to your comment there, but I hope we get to meet face to face at the Book Blogger Con. Also, I definitely don’t feel tempted to attend BEA every year as I once did. But I’ll probably attend sporatically over the years. Still, don’t write the show off. You have to work hard to get the most out of it, but it’s doable. And I did pick up a lot more galleys today, because I was specifically concentrating on that. I will say, in years past, your fantasy BEA wasn’t far from reality.
Thanks for stopping by Susan. I figured; I have heard from others that it’s quite a bit different this year, so I think that’s what happened. It’s really ok – I just wanted to experience it, and I did! It has not ruined my time here at all. But yes, won’t be planning on attending much in the future.
Hey, nice to see a reaction from Susan here! I sent you the link to her blog as you seemed to have a similar reaction to BEA. Such a pity you didn’t love it.
Well, this is different! A different perspective and one I appreciate. So how do you get advanced copies at BEA?!
*Alex writes down address of The Strand for her NY trip next week*
Yes, I seem to be one of the only ones who feels this way. The popular opinion is MUCH different, so you can see on a lot of blogs the wonderful time people are having.
I don’t know how you get advanced copies at BEA. I wasn’t planning on taking too many (only a few of the ones I really want to read) but I just didn’t see the opportunity and I definitely asked about the books I was interested in. Maybe it was just that the books I thought looked good weren’t available and others were?
Sorry it didn’t work for you, sounds like someone misinformed you! BEA isn’t all about free books, it is about relationships and the industry. It is for authors to find editors and publishers and pitch their book, bookstores and libraries to buy books, etc. They do galley giveaways for hundreds and hundreds of books all over, and if you talk to publishers about your site and what you do you are able to form relationships for the future and they will often share with you their favorite gems for the upcoming season and even the smaller ones will sometimes give you an arc for review. The best part for me is just so many book lovers in one place *drools*
But seriously, talk to publishers, form relationships, it’s a lot of fun. And if you only want the galleys then join the rush at 9am when the doors open and wander the large publishers booths, they give out tons and tons.
Also, if you talk to publishers you can promote the indie lit awards!
So glad you’re having a good time Amy! I think you’re in the majority there. I know my opinion is not popular. Still LOVING being back in New York though.
Thank you for this post. I felt like the only book blogger in the world who wasn’t going to BEA, and now I am so grateful I didn’t. I would have done exactly what you did and found other things to do. You saved me loads of cash and days of my life I would never get back.
Haha! I’m glad to help! I suppose my advice would be to come if you have other things that interest you about the city. Make a trip out of it. Then, if you feel like it, you can experience BEA and try BBCon but won’t feel bad if you don’t enjoy.
(About below comment). I think so too! I ALWAYS look at people’s bookshelves when I am at their homes. I feel like it tells you so much about them. So to look at their books through their life makes so much sense. I’ll let you know how it is.
Oh, and I am SO buying “Reading Jackie”. What a great idea to do someone’s autobiography based on what they loved to read.
I’m sorry that BEA didn’t work for you. I enjoyed talking with people in person that I already have relationships with online. That’s the best part for me and seeing some of the authors floating around through the booths and talking to them outside of the autographing lines, which are rushed with so many people waiting. I tend to only visit a few of the autographing lines and weave through the smaller press booths when I’m there. I do like the large publishers, but they usually only giveaway ARCs very early in the AM and some people are way too pushy when the convention opens.
I prefer a more leisurely approach to the conference and I enjoy the industry panels and finding gems without planning to. I also like meeting other bloggers and discussing books while they wait in line or when we bump into each other. However, I always make time to see the bookstores (there are so many good ones) in NYC and other sights.
Promoting the Indie Lit Awards would be a great bonus for you while you’re there. You could talk it up with publishers….maybe even Graywolf Press, which usually has a booth there and some great fiction and poetry titles. Just a suggestion.
Thanks for the advice. I don’t think I actually did try any of the big publishers… I didn’t see many books at any of their booths. One of the books I almost got was from a travel company, but then they weren’t sure if they were allowed to give it away, so it didn’t pan out. Oh well!
Sounds like you do quite a well rounded version of the trip when you come.
Yes. I try not to make it overwhelming. I forgot to mention that I felt more overwhelmed by the shelves in The Strand than I did at BEA. I was lost and didn’t buy anything but a tote bag!
The Strand is another one of my happy places in NYC
Yes, the lugging home part is difficult.
When I went to San Francisco and hit Amoeba records I carried that vinyl all over SF, and carried it on the plane like it was gold bullion, and not records I paid a dollar for each! LOL.
I love the Met too, and the beautiful lion Library
If you ever come to Los Angeles I will take you to our Amoeba (and Book Soup and Counterpoint Rare Books) and you can do the same thing all over again.
Today I am going to look up your tea shop as well! I still have (a little) extra room in the suitcase.
I know the event itself is a big networking clusterfuck, sorry.. but it is. If you’re looking to promote something, then the networking is invaluable. However, there is a free book component too because that’s all bloggers talk about are the free books. So then…how do they get them? Are they just more aggressive?
To be honest, I enjoy the relationships I’ve built with certain publishing houses and I did it from wayyyy over here. I can totally see why this experience wouldn’t be for everyone.
I like your idea much better.. visiting The Strand, reading a book in Central Park.. I’d work a hot dog in there somewhere but you have the right idea. No wonder we like each other!
Ti… I love you.
I’m really glad you posted this. I’ve been jealous of all the BEA goers this year and wondering if I should really pursue it next year. I just think I wouldn’t love it. The main reason I would want to go is to meet up with fellow book bloggers.
At least you ended up in The Strand, which I love so much. I can’t leave that place without armfuls of books, so you did good. Plus you had avacado and goat cheese … yum.
BBCon might be for you then! I’ll report back after I go tomorrow.
Avacado and goat cheese is crazy good. I highly recommend it.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out like you hoped, but it still sounds like you had a great day! I’m hoping to get to NY sometime this year, and The Strand is definitely on my to-do list. I hope you have fun at BBC and I look forward to reading about it.
Absolutely loving my time in New York still. Glad BEA got me out here again! I’ll be back here tomorrow evening to let everyone know how BBCon went!
This sounds exactly like how I would have reacted!! I appreciate your frankness — and admittedly I’ve never been to BEA, and only heard about it for the first time about a month ago.
Thanks Jillian. I definitely felt weird being the only one who wasn’t in love with the event, but now I see that some other aren’t (wouldn’t be) as well.
Interesting! It’s always good to hear a different opinion … it was a bit weird that everyone LOVED loved BEA so much. Hopefully you’ll enjoy BBC a lot more than BEA itself. That’s really the part I would be most interested in going to, anyways.
I think I will… there are several things that I’m really interested in going to at BBCon… will be reporting back tomorrow about what I think.
Ugh, sorry BEA wasn’t all you wanted it to be! At least you had a really, really good sandwich. Goat cheese and avocado would be amazing together!
Oh my gosh, that sandwich was worth traveling 3,000 miles for. I might even go back tomorrow or Saturday just to get one more fix.
You’re not alone:-). There are several of us who were there last year and did not come back this year. I may come back one year, but it’s a lot of money, and I’d rather spend time and money on seeing authors I care about. 95% of BEA is events/authors and books I don’t read. I can do a lot of networking from my couch, and I’m loving Armchair BEA.
I hope Book Blogger Con is a hit for you!
Good to know I’m not the only one!
I am so sorry it didn’t work out for you! When I went last year, I ended up with a ridiculous amount of books. I wonder if it’s different this year…. It does require planning to get your hands on the books you actually want (or tagging along with people who know more than you which is what I did).
I have heard that there were less galleys this year. Tagging along with others probably would have been smart, but it all ended up working out ok. It’s been a good trip (and I’m LOVING the Allende book I’m reading for TLC right now, btw!).
Sorry that BEA isn’t working out for you. At least you are making the most of your time in NYC. Enjoy BBC – hopefully it’ll turn out to be a blast!
Thanks, Nadia!
I do remember that what I needed most for BEA was stamina, stamina and more stamina. Maybe it’s changed but when I went (last time was in 2003) I picked up quite a few books and pamphlets and posters ( I am a poster freak) and had to lug it all around in a couple of bags so that by the end of the day I swore I’d never do it again. TOO fatiguing.
By the time I was able to get a cab and head on home, I needed a week’s bedrest. Ha!
Honestly, I don’t think I could do it again. BEA is for the young or for those with a nearby hotel room or apartment.
Wallace, I don’t blame you for being disappointed. It can be daunting and overwhelming and even just plain exasperating.
I LOVE THE STRAND. Lucky you. Last time I went there I bought over a hundred bucks worth of books – luckily we were driving home so the bags filled with books were no problem. I think The Strand is just about heaven on earth for a book lover.
May I recommend you also go over to PARTNERS AND CRIME bookstore if you ‘re in the mood for a good mystery. It’s over in the west village, actually within walking distance of The Strand.
Oh my gosh — to live in driving distance of The Strand could be very dangerous! haha! I will absolutely swing by Partners and Crime if I’m back in that area before I go… thanks for the suggestion.
I’m sorry this has been a disappointment for you. I went last year, and honestly had a great time…but I contacted people ahead of time (like publicists I know, and some other bloggers) and so half the fun for me was meeting people face to face. I also came home with nearly 60 books (and there were more that I did not pick up, but could have). I wonder if there are just fewer galleys this year? Or maybe it was the publishers you were approaching? The one thing I would NOT do if I went back again, was stand in the lines for the book signings. It ate up a lot of time and was not all that satisfying! I think I would rather spend my time at some of the panels and other offerings which were not on the main floor if I went again.
Most of what BEA is, in my opinion, is the networking thing – connecting with people. I loved the publishing house tours where I got to talk to publicists in small groups, and the evening parties where I got to hang out with other bloggers.
That said – it is an exhausting, expensive event…not something most people can do year after year (I know I can’t). Glad you at least got to go to a great bookstore!!!
I linked to this post from Ti@ Book Chatter, and am happy she blogged about this. For 3 years, I felt like I might have been missing out on something, but now the introvert in me, the woman content in her life of routines knows she hasn’t missed a thing. I’m happy I invested in a fancy camera instead of BEA. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Most of the fun of BEA for me was meeting up with other book bloggers who were in town for it. I did pick up some books, but I’m not big on “networking,” and on two of the three days I took off to do other totally-non-BEA things. BBCon was really the big draw for me – and I’m so sorry we missed meeting each other there!
Yeah I noticed you were going to take some days to explore New York as well… good idea! Sounds like you had the best of both worlds, actually. I’m sorry we didn’t meet either, but really hope we can meet at a Cali blogger meet up (and soonish)!
I am so glad to hear you be so honest about BEA. I have to tell you that last summer my daughter took me to the BlogHer convention in NYC. We were beside ourselves about the trip. Well, the trip was great. But right after lunch on the first day I grabbed a cab and took myself to, you guessed it- The Strand. I spent several hours browsing the basement with the rows upon rows of advance copies of books. Ended up buying one treasure to tote home. Then back to the convention I went. But that trip to The Strand was the highlight of my trip. I am not a fan of mobs of people or throwing myself at people with business cards. I almost went to BEA this year. I have even been saying I may go next year, but maybe not. Thanks for this post. I am hoping the Book Bloggers was better:)
I’m the same way (not good at “selling” myself). Especially because I don’t use my blog as a form of income. If I did – it would be different… maybe the motivation would be there in a bigger way? However, back to talking about The Strand, my uncle mentioned to me how many levels the store had and I laughed. I didn’t even make it off the main floor! Oh my gosh! I will absolutely have to go back next time I’m in New York and devote an afternoon (and separate suitcase) to exploring the whole store.
I have to admit, I was under the same impression of you… lots of stacks of books sitting around to take for review, so needless to say, I was a bit disappointed at first too. I ended up loving it though because I got a TON of autographs and met my favorite, Chuck Palahniuk. The lines moved quite fast too! Sorry you had a bad time, but I’m glad you found ways to have fun. I enjoyed BBC as well.
Chuck Palahniuk was there?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? HOW DID I MISS THAT? Oh my gosh. I would have loved to have just seen him in person (even just a walk by). Bummer.
You might like the SIBA event – it’s much more intimate, there are tons of books that publicists are much more eager to hand over and talk about them. The next one is in September in Charleston, SC, and I can’t wait for it! I was overwhelmed at BEA, and you’re right – what’s up with the tons of pictures of books but nothing tangible to look through?!
That sounds like lots of fun (even if it is still across the country from me)!