BookMasters Blog

Book Expo America, or BEA, is the book industry’s premier trade show. Before you start thinking of stereotypes of black-rimmed glasses and hair buns (though, I guess there is a good bit of that), think for a minute why BEA is a good thing for people that just appreciate good books.

First, though publishers, especially the big 6, have been drug through the mud a lot lately (meaning people that are self-publishing are calling them dinosaurs and incompetent fools who have no idea what a good book is and are only in it for the money), a lot of that negativity is hogwash in my opinion. They certainly are not always perfect, they have lots of room for improvement, and the industry is changing rapidly, but I have a lot of respect for these people. Whew, just had to get that out there.

How does my rant connect to why BEA is good for the book loving public? Major deals among major players go down, prepping the road for some fantastic reads to come in the months ahead. For better or worse, these are the people that shape and determine what a lot of people read. And though some might disagree, I know I have benefited from their discerning eyes. I love that they have a venue to hone their craft and to make decisions that effect what we will be hearing about and reading a little down the road.

Futher, BEA it is a mixing of the worlds. People new to the game rub elbows with publishing heavy weights. This can only result in innovations for publishing that again benefits the reading public.

Though you might not get to go to the show, I hope you stir in your book-loving heart a little bit of book love for the BEA and for all that comes out of it.

Photo: MissTurner, Creative Commons

If you are going to Book Expo America, or BEA, I hope you will take the time to stop by to see us at booth 3052-3054. Here’s an idea of who you might meet:

Dave Wurster - CEO of Bookmasters

Larry Bennett - President of Distribution Services

Ernesto Martinez - Manager of Spanish Language Products and Programs

Tony Proe - Senior Vice President of Sales, AtlasBooks

Mark Levine - Vice President of Publisher Relations

Randy McKenzie - Vice President of Sales, AtlasBooks

Deb Keets - Vice President of Global Development

Violeta Chinni - Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Claire Holloway - Operations Manager of Content Services

Ashley Mathews - Executive Assistant to the CEO

Jocelyn Kepko - National Accounts Manager

Robert Troast – National Accounts Manager

Elaine Penagides – Special Markets Consultant

We are proud to have this all-star cast represent Bookmasters at this year’s BEA. As you can imagine, they will all be very busy at the show, so I recommend that you try to schedule now for any meetings you would like to have. Or just drop by to say “hi” when you have a chance.

Bookmasters will have a strong presence at this year’s BEA (Book Expo America). (If you don’t know much about BEA, we have a post for you.) You may be thinking, “that’s great for you…you get to go to New York, schmooze with some industry folks, and eat some great food, but why should I care?”

While some of those things do happen and we usually have a pretty great time, BEA is a lot of work and expense. Of course part of our BEA strategy is our own self-interest; to strengthen brand reach, catch up with publishing partners, and court potential customers. And, I guess if you are one of those potential customers, this is also your benefit that you can set up a meeting with our folks at the show.

But if you are already working with Bookmasters, it still is to your benefit, and it should still matter to you that we attend the show. By attending, we do the important work of a hands-on look at what is going on at the most important trade gathering in the United States. We are on the floor hearing what the buzz is all about, attending the informational events to keep up with the changing industry, and networking with key accounts and vendors.

Maybe you are one of those folks that aren’t working with us, and you don’t really have a plan to work with us. Let me take a moment just to ask you to check out all the different things we do as a company. You will likely find that we can help you with your publishing project. And in the spirit of this topic, we are at BEA for you, too. As a company, we work to observe publishing trends and anticipate your needs. This show goes a long way in helping us accomplish those goals.