PMA, BEA, Leadership, and Staying Home

A Saturday Rant 5/8/04


On the Pub-Forum and on other lists there has been a great outpouring
of sentiment about how everyone and their dog needs to attend BEA.

Well, lets stop a minute and take a look at just who (or is it whom) is baying
at the moon.

You don't have to stop for too long. The sirens of BEA are the vendors (like me,
but not me.)  Everyone who has something to sell to you is urging that you spend
some major bucks to attend BEA in one of the country's most expensive towns...Chicago.

We have the seminar givers, the web providers, the copywriters, the editors, the
graphic designers, and a whole bunch of others who earn their living on (or is
it off of) your business. I can't remember when there has been so much hype
about a BEA. It's as if "they" know that you really don't want to do this, that
you really can't afford it, and that you could really care less. The vendors
have come on Pub-Forum (and other venues) to entice you to journey to this
over-priced convention where it is not all that likely that you will ever make
even half of your investment back.

And who exactly is the biggest siren of them all?

It's the PMA.

Well let me speak a few words about the PMA. Over the years there has  not been
a more vocal opponent of the Nathan Family Inc. organization. I've beat the ever
lovin' crap out of them, but to no avail. No matter how many times I've called
for the members to rise up and "take back" their own PMA, nothing ever happens.
Jan Nathan and Family are more in-control than ever. And the board of directors
has continued in its long tradition of doing what is best for the PMA and in my
opinion this is not exactly in the best interest of the membership.

Did you get your membership renewal bill recently? Did you notice how much the
PMA has raised their price of membership? And how is that justified?
And who is benefiting? Are you and your company?

Forget for a minute that the PMA doesn't do a whole hell of a lot to help your
business grow. And forget for a minute that the PMA's charter is not to provide
service to members. The important thing to remember is that the PMA's reason for
existence is to deliver your business address and e-mail address to people who
want to sell you something.

And the biggest thing that the PMA has to sell is the annual Publishers
University and the Ben Franklin Awards, held each year at BEA.
Is it worth it? It has in the past, but I think PMA-U is getting just a bit 'tired.'
With the internet and the many lists where help is available,
I'm starting to question to value of the PMA-U.

Now let me come clean. I am a member of the PMA ... and urge others to be also.
Why am I a member? Simple. Because I think that Jan Nathan will get
the message from me and others that this is the YEAR that she and her staff HAVE
to STAND UP and support the small press.

This year and next year will be watershed events for our segment of the
industry. Be it pricing, discounts, returns, bar codes, copyright, or whatever,
the PMA needs to stand and deliver for the membership.

I've heard from over a hundred members whom I've written to about the PMA and
all of them tell me the same thing. The PMA needs to be FOR us and not see their
role as USING us. OK, a hundred or so members out of about 4000 is not that big a
deal, but I hope I can convince you to take it on faith that these are the
"opinion makers" in the small press and who are ready and willing, and able to
bolt the PMA for a different venue. And this might be the year they do.

Can you spell SPAN? The more I see of SPAN the more impressed I am with it.

People say "Hey Al, why don't YOU lead the revolution." The answer is simple.
Most people in this industry already see me as revolting :-) I don't have the
credentials, the following, or the constituency to be the "undoing" of the PMA
and the harbinger of a new and better organization for publishers. I'm just a
writer and my greatest ability is to get people to think and maybe to act. But
at the end of the day it will take a man or woman whom everyone can get behind,
whom everyone can support, and whom everyone respects, to really make something
happen. I can help, but I can't do it.

So, you ask, "Al, are you going to BEA?"

My answer is yes. But I'm not going with any illusions that I will sell lots of
book or lots of software. In the past I've written glowing Saturday Rants about
how the BEA is the greatest thing you can attend. This year, considering the
prices of lodging and travel, I'm just not sure. I'm going to have fun, to see
friends, and to see if maybe I can get some new ideas for books to publish.

There is no way that I believe that you or I will sell one more book because of
attendance at BEA. Not one.

And I don't believe for a minute that I will even come close to making back  the
investment. But because of my outside consulting (computer programming) I can
afford the trip and it will be good to see and talk with so many of those in
this industry I admire.

Should you go to BEA?

I don't think you should if you going for the gold.

I just don't see how you will make up the investment. If the reward is in seeing
friends and having a good time, you will get your money's worth. If seeing old
pals is not your sole objective, I don't see how you will benefit. This is NOT
what the vendor community wants you to hear, but I believe that this year, and
at these prices, this is the best advice I can give. I wish it were otherwise,
but the past twelve months have not been a good year for many of us, and this
will be the most expensive BEA in memory. If you miss it, I don't think you are
going to miss all that much.

So come if you can afford it.

But if you can't, stay home and use your funds for something a lot more
productive. Perhaps hiring a really good cover
designer (like Barry, or Pete, or Mayapriya), or perhaps spending a few bucks on
a media expert like Fern R, or better yet on a new/better web site from V3
Maybe attending a seminar by Dan Poynter or some other publishing luminary.

BEA is going to be a party for the large New York houses. There is nothing there
for the small press this year, I don't care who tells you what. If you are not
up for a party (or can't afford it) than stay home. I know it's harsh advice and
I know all my fellow vendors will hate me for saying it, but it's the honest
truth. If you are not interested in having a few drinks, meeting friends, (maybe
getting laid) and having a good time, then this is not the BEA you want to
attend.

I'm a vendor. And I'm telling you the truth.

Alan N. Canton
Adams-Blake Company