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A BEA Diary - 2004
Friday
I love the first day of BEA, especially in the small press area. Friday is always "spring training" in the book biz. There is an optimism and energy that is infectious. All of the exhibitors are excited as they all believe that they are going to pitch a perfect game, win a batting title, and go to the World Series! And that's why I always visit the small press area first.
The first thing I noted was that there was traffic in the section. What a surprise... because this area is usually dead during the first day. I quickly realized why. The BEA was some 20% smaller this year. Where in past years the small press area would be way off in the corner of the hall, this year they were closer to the middle.... because huge amounts of space was not sold (what does that tell you about this industry?)
As usual there was the array of diet books, personal history books, and self-help titles. Most will go nowhere and are a complete waste of good trees. But at the same time there were a number of very interesting tomes. In fact I think that this year's collection of small press books was the most interesting in years... and the number of small press people exhibiting was much larger than in the past. While the book biz is in trouble, it looks like the small press with it's abilty to move fast and publish to specific niches just might be the real "wave of the future" in this industry. I saw a lot more imagination and creativity in this section of the show than in any other.
Off all the books in the small press section one of them was absolutely top-drawer. This was probably the best book I saw in the entire show. It's a picture book done by a professional photographer named Kevin Fleming and titled
The Heart of America. I was just blown away by the quality of this work and it's about the only thing at the show I would have bought right then and there....if it was available. You really want to get this as a gift for someone... or just for yourself. This work, by an ex National Geographic photographer, is so terrific you will look at it again and again. I've ordered my copy (available in Sept 2004.)
 The authors of Heart of America My next stop in the small press area was to one of my favorite vendors, Ron Pramschufer of Books Just Books. These folks provide a lot of good services to the small press community as well as a great newsletter (which I have contributed to (for no pay)). These are good folks to do biz with... and they offer a lot of free advice and guidance. I had a nice chat with Carolyn Long of Pratt Publishing who has a book called A Dog's Guide to Training Owners which is due out in January of 2005. Their website is under construction.... which makes no sense.... why go to BEA if you don't have a website? Anyway, I think this book will sell well to it's niche of dog owners (of which I am one... and I have a bumper sticker on my car that reads "My Aussie Shepherd is Smarter Than Your Honor Student." An interesting concept was a huge and expensive coffee table tome called Photographic Portraiture. The late David LaClaire's work is bound in this volume and in its own way it is a social history of America during the past forty years... by viewing family portraits taken by the photographer. This is an interesting concept and I think it will sell to those who like this kind of thing... and there are many who do. It's different and it's the kind of thing the small press has to do to survive.  A glimpse of Photographic Portraiture This year there was not much in the way of kid books in the small press area. One I liked is My Nani says... by Donna Ullner of Nani Brown Publishing. It's not the best I've seen from our sector, but it might have some potential... if they ever put up a half-way credible website. A self-help book with a great title and the world's worst cover is Crappy to Happy. I can only guess what a professional designer would do with this. I looked through it and the content has potential, but no one is ever going to take if off the shelf with the current cover. It's that terrible. As I walked through the small press section I handed out my small business card with JAYA123 information on it and was happy to see that lots of these small presses were interested. While JAYA was created for ALL small businesses, it is "loved" by publishers becasue of its great royalty system. When I mentioned this module to some of these exhibitors they were blown away that it only cost $14.95 a month to use JAYA123 and that since it's all on the web, there is nothing to install. Remember that while JAYA has been around for a few months, BEA was the official "rollout" and the reaction to it pleased me greatly. It was time for lunch so I met Mayapriya at the PMA section and we went for way over-priced pizza on my dime. It was good to get off of my feet. She told me that she was getting great response from publishers she was showing her portfolio (on a postcard) to. It didn't surprise me as I've been after her for years to raise her rates (except to me!) and "pitch" the larger publishers who are used to paying for quality work. Maybe she will listen to me this time! After lunch I hit the PMA booths. PMA sells booth space to members and it's a good deal in a prime location. And this year there were a number of interesting participants. Notably absent was Bookzone. Mary W. had sold it last year and from what I heard, it was a total disaster for those who had websites with BZ. I was sorry that Mary was no longer part of the publishing community. The most interesting people I met in the PMA section were not publishers, but a two-woman publicity house called Rocks-DeHart Public Relations. I had a long talk with them and was very impressed such that we might hire them to do some work for JAYA123. My choice for the best cover of any book at the BEA goes to Mon Docteur le Vin. I don't know what it is about this cover, but it just grabbed me and made me want to buy the book. There were lots of great covers at BEA, but this was my favorite.... becasue it was just so unique compared to everything else that is out there. YMMV. The best sales people I found at the show were also in the PMA area... Theory of Reality by Larry and Diana Bogatz. I don't know if the book is any good, but this couple were full of energy about their book and simply drew people to their booth. The funny hats they wore helped, but you could feel the energy. Of course, they are professional motivational speakers so you would expect it, but lots of exhibitors could learn a few things from these guys. Just outside the PMA booth was Midpoint Trade Books, my favorite distributor. I always enjoy seeing Julie Hardison (a former official Book Babe.) Julie is expecting her first child in December. It seems to happen to a lot of my Book Babe winners. Anyway, while in the Midpoint booth, Julie told me to talk to Erin Evans and I immediately knew I had found this year's new BOOK BABE!! Erin works as a marketing assistant for Midpoint and she personifies all of the qualifications of a real Book Babe: 1. young. 2. good looking. 3. I'd have no chance with her. I had a nice chat with Barry Kerrigan. Barry is a designer who is doing a book on the subject and who has a series of lectures he gives at seminars around the country.  Barry Kerrigan with Maya It was getting late so I went back to the hotel to change for a dinner appointment followed by the anticipated IPPY party. Every year for the past five or so, I have dinner with Alistair Taylor of Torchlight Publishing. He's another small publisher who "does it right" and I've always admired his business knowledge. He's a strict vege-head so it was back to pasta. It's a good thing they do pizza well in Chicago or most people would starve there! After dinner we walked across the bridge to The Tavern Club where Jerry Jenkins and friends were holding the IPPY party. By the time we got there the place was jumpin'.  View from upstairs I immediately looked for Jerry to thank him for inviting me every year. I found him clutching one of the the industry's best known Book Babes, Sadie Allison, who's Tickle Kitty book sold over 200,000 copies.  Jerry Jenkins and Sadie. Is she a babe or what? I ran into Mayapriya and another publisher who does it right, Deborah Robson of Nomad Press. She sells tons of books on.... knitting. She is a lovely and intelligent woman and I enjoyed talking to her as we watched the sunset from one of the rooms that had a great view.  Deborah Robson (left), Grant Trevithick and Mayapriya Long I went upstairs to see the band and to see who was "zoomin' whom" when I ran into Eric Kaampman with an attractive lady whom he did not introduce me to. Don't ask, don't tell is my motto!!  Eric Kampmann (owner of Midpoint Trade) and mystery woman. The party was held in a private (mens) club and off to a corner was a somewhat secluded bar area. I had no doubt that I'd find Dan Poynter there. And not far away was Florie Kichler of Patria Press . Florie is a JAYA123 client and she is always fun to be with. She was also appointed to the PMA Board. I only hang out with the "top" babes!  Florie Kichler with Dan I had a few drinks and ran into an old friend, Susan Goland of EquiLibrium Press . While I did help Susan find a distributor for one of her upcoming books I really didn't do a whole lot. However she was very appreciative and I'm always happy to help so long as not too many people find out about it as it tends to tarnish my "hard ass" reputation. I'm sure my secret is safe with Susan!  Susan Goland (left) with Deborah Robson Being the babe-hound that I am, I looked for Tami DePalma of Marketibility . Of course, I found her in the arms of Jerry. I hope his wife finds out! Screw that. I'm going to write her and tell her!!  Tami DePalma and Jerry Toward the end of the evening I had a real treat in meeting and talking with Jay Brown of Freedom Publishing . While he is more conservative than I am, we share many of the same political viewpoints. I was worried about him being in the same city, much less the same room as Shel Horowitz (who is just to the left of Ralph Nader) but there were no problems! We had an interesting talk about politics and current events.  Jay Brown It was a terrific party, even if I didn't get a chance to dance with the Playboy bunny (who was hawking a book). Everyone had a great time and everyone left exhausted... the mark of a terrific event. I worked the room and told everyone I could find about JAYA123 and when I left I told Jerry that if things work out for me and JAYA, next year I'll sponsor the party... at the Playboy Mansion! Ya gotta believe! I walked back to the hotel. It was a beautiful night but I was too exhausted to appreciate it. Spring training was over. I knew that tomorrow would be a different day with a different "feel." Click for Saturday |
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