BEA with Little, Brown

1.) How much planning goes into an event like this for you and your staff?

BEA is our biggest event of the year! Our goal is to present our upcoming books to key influencers: the people who will spread the word and increase sales at the time of the book's publication. Since attendees of BEA include all swaths of book people: booksellers, librarians, authors, agents, media, bloggers, distributors, foreign publishers, digital publishers, and now, with BookCon, consumers—anyone who pitches our books to anyone works at BEA. Marketing does the promotion, advertising, giveaways and booth experience, and Publicity does author events and entertaining. We also work closely with our Sales team to staff the booth.

2.) How would you compare BEA to other book conferences/events?

BEA is the one-stop-fits-all for all book industry folks. Other conferences usually have a more specific focus: teachers, librarians, digital publishing, bookseller trade shows, etc. BEA is where you get everything. Except a chance to take a breather! (Kidding.)

3.) Any suggestions for how bloggers/librarians should approach publishers at BEA?

The best time is when there isn't an in-booth event going on. If there's an author signing, or a big giveaway happening, the staff running the booth will primarily be focusing on that, so it will be difficult to have a conversation. Come back at a quiet time, comment at what catches your eye, and ask us questions! 

4.) What advice would you offer a first time attendee?

There will always be too much to see, read, and do. Come prepared with your "musts" and go with the flow for everything else! 

5.) Are there any titles from Little, Brown/Hachette you're excited will be at BEA this year?

The question is OBVIOUSLY yes! Be on the lookout for Ryan Graudin's THE WALLED CITY, which is set in the real-life, only-demolished-in-the-90s city of Kowloon, in Hong Kong. The city is almost a character in and of itself—if you think Manhattan is densely populated, you should google "Kowloon Walled City". Then come back, I'll wait.

Crazy, right? People living on top of each other, with hardly any daylight peeking through. Drugs, brothels, gangs… you name it. THE WALLED CITY features three characters with interweaving story lines and reads like a dystopian thriller, but then you realize that it was based on a real place. I've heard the editor throw around the term "histopian." Bloggers, can we make that a thing?

There are also new books by old favorites (Holly Black, A. S. King, Paolo Bacigalupi, Rebecca Serle) and new favorites (Kendall Kulper's SALT & STORM, Josh Sundquist's WE SHOULD HANG OUT SOMETIME). Come to booth #2820 and we'll tell you all about them!