Book Shopping at BookExpo America

This week’s entry comes from Paul Dry of Paul Dry Books, a small publisher out of Philadelphia. Last month, Paul published my book, The Book Shopper: A Life in Review, and recently returned from New York’s BookExpo America. Below, he shares his thoughts about the annual convention from a publisher’s perspective:  

Last weekend we attended the controlled frenzy known as BookExpo America, where publishers and “book people” meet to talk about the season’s upcoming books. We have participated in these gatherings since 2000 and each year have a book or two we particularly tout. This year, The Book Shopper led the list. Since everyone at BEA is a book shopper, Murray’s book interested all who came by our booth.

And who were these “book people,” the happy warriors eager to weigh themselves down with giveaways of all kinds? Well, you name it: librarians from institutions large, small, and very small (and friends-of-librarians hoping for free books), writers promoting their published work, writers looking for publishers, cut-rate printers selling services in China, publicists offering to generate buzz for books, software designers specializing in the book trade, delivery men from Chinese restaurants passing out menus (every hour or so), media people from small and big markets—obscure blogs to national networks, and remainder folks who will buy for pennies the overrun copies of last year’s would-be hit.

Last, but by far the most important, were the bookstore buyers (yes, actual buyers of books) looking for new books that their customers back home in Portland or Cincinnati or Austin might want to read. While we enjoy schmoozing with all kinds of book people, these are, of course, the folks we most want to meet. But alas, their numbers were outweighed by those pitching to us. As for the work of the fleet-footed couriers from the Chinese restaurants, by the end of the show we had acquired a library of menus whose offerings were almost as extensive as the quantity of books on display at the show.  

Heading home we were satisfied with the reception for The Book Shopper and eagerly await the thoughts of those who took copies home with them. It’s an exciting time when a new book moves out of our hands and into the world to find its readers.