Thanks to Steve Piacente, author, blogger, professor and creative director at The Communication Center in Washington, D.C., for this guest post!
Books and authors front and center at BEA. Photo by Steve Piacente
Imagine a self-published author turning 360 degrees at BookExpo America (BEA), one of the largest book trade shows in the world. This is what he sees:
- Huge banners promoting authors like Hosseini, Albom, Sylvia Day and Michael Connelly.
- Energetic crowds building an hour before the show opens in hopes of meeting authors like Hosseini, Albom, Sylvia Day and Michael Connelly.
- Young women who work for big publishers steering crowds to signings by authors such as Hosseini, Albom, Sylvia Day and Michael Connelly.
If it’s not yet clear, the point is that the disadvantages self-published authors face in the real world are magnified ten-fold at a big trade show. There’s some good news, but let’s look at the challenges first.
WWW authors on display at BEA, including Priscilla Whitaker (Mr. Blue), Bob Fiacco (Showing Up to Play) and Kathleen Varn (Ameera Unveiled). Photo by Julie Breedlove, BQB Publishing
Indies are included, but there’s some sticker shock. BEA reserves a busy corner on the conference floor for “Writer’s Row.” For a couple of grand, plus travel to New York, meals and lodging, you get a small booth and the right to give away (BEA doesn’t allow sales) your book to anyone willing to take one.
You’re thinking, Anyone willing to take one? As noted above, you have to remember that most people came to see authors such as…
Investing in such a show is part of the tricky moment all self-publishers reach about spending money. Paid advertising – be it for a booth, a magazine ad or a PR team – is as alluring to the aspiring author as Eve was to Adam. Let’s not forget how that one ended. Or that this show was in the Big Apple.
But there is another side, and a few reasons for optimism. For instance:
You will meet lots of folks from the book and film industries, plus librarians and plenty of plain old readers. The payoff from such exposure won’t be immediate, but could yield benefits down the road.
The practice you get talking up your book to strangers in a competitive environment will strengthen your game.
Meeting and working beside other authors will likely give you tactics to add to your own marketing arsenal.
Thousands of readers lined up at BEA. Photo by Steve Piacente
Last, thousands showed up at the Javits Convention Center. Their enthusiasm says literature and reading are, if not thriving, off life support, and that there is a place for writers who self-publish.
I know. Social media is free, can connect you with millions of readers, and you never have to leave home. It’s not enough. You need face-to-face time as well. Handshakes trump cyber-shakes. You should add book clubs, signings, readings, and, possibly a trade show to the mix.
I’ve now been to BEA three times, in 2011 to launch Bella, in 2012 to launch Bootlicker, and this year, as a blogger. If the conference you’re looking at has a blogging event, that could be a compromise that suits your budget. It’s a fraction of the cost, plus most of the attendees are book reviewers, not authors who blog, like myself. I secured five new reviews before leaving New York, plus sat in on free education sessions on various marketing tools and techniques.
I also saw more clearly that self-publishers can be to major houses what guerilla forces are to traditional armies. They can be more nimble and more flexible. With a solid product, strategic planning and creative marketing, they can be formidable competitors. They can capture hearts, minds and readers even when the banners flying above suggest that the battle is one-sided and un-winnable.
Let’s talk about other advantages held by Indie authors, or experiences you’ve had at a large trade show. Please share below.
Author Steve Piacente (@wordsprof) has been a professional writer since graduating from American University in 1976. In 2010, he self-published Bella, the story of a widow’s quest to uncover the truth about her husband’s death on an Afghan battlefield. Bootlicker, a prequel focused on a dark secret that imperils a historic election, came out in late 2012. Steve started as a sportswriter at the Naples Daily News, switched to news at the Lakeland Ledger, and returned to D.C. in 1985 as Correspondent for the Tampa Tribune. In 1989, the native New Yorker moved to the same position for the Charleston (SC) Post & Courier. He is now creative director at The Communication Center in Washington, D.C., and teaches journalism classes at American University. Previously he served as deputy communications director at a federal agency in Washington, D.C. Contact Steve at steve@getbella.com. His novels are available at www.stevepiacente.com
In June 2012, I attended my fourth BEA. I was about to release my debut novel, Televenge. It’s overwhelming as author to stand in the midst of the Expo madness. It’s like your first day of high school. As a freshman, you either allow the seniors to ignore, intimidate, and taunt you, or you make your mark early that you’re a force to be reckoned with. It’s pretty much that way with the Big Dogs of New York.
Published by a small, energetic, independent press, Televenge went to New York with a hopeful group of folks behind it. As a result, my novel about the dark side of televangelism was an Editor’s Pick at the 2012 Book Expo, meaning out of the thousands of new books published, the Library Journal ranked it among the top 28. It also received exceptional reviews from book bloggers all over the world, from New York Times bestselling authors Lesley Kagen and Jacquelyn Mitchard, and even Publishers Weekly gave it a boost with a stellar review.
Published in October 2012, Televenge attracted immediate national attention from Fox News on numerous occasions, CBS Atlanta, scores of national media outlets, and a major Hollywood production company.
We’ve leveled the playing field. Self-published authors and those published by small press are the Navy Seals of the publishing industry. We invade the BEA focused on our mission, and then get out of town with something to show for it. We’re no longer intimated by the Big Dogs pushing their books. It’s just that simple.
http://www.pamelakingcable.com
What a great and inspiring story, Pamela! Thanks for cheerleading the tribe – Just goes to show, winning work WILL win!
What a great story! Thanks for sharing, Pamela. I always say the good news is the same as the bad news, in that technology has made it possible for anyone to publish, and every is doing just that … The result is a very cluttered marketplace. Your story proves that the cream can rise nonetheless.
Excellent points Steve and Julie as well. Having marketed tangible products for years, I found that some times it’s difficult to gauge long term returns. A potential customer the first year at a trade show, might be a solid lock the third year at the same show. Is it possible that potential readers might fall into that category? Maybe by the third year, you can actually achieve a modicum of name recognition and exhibit stability by having more than one book published. My opinion is that building a network involves touching more than one time. And some of these folks will surface in other forums as well, including online. Great piece.
Appreciate you coming by and your kind words, Jacqueline. I think building a fan base requires three things: a solid product, creative (and strategic) marketing, and a relentless drive to make it happen.
Great piece, Steve. I was there representing BQB Publishing authors and agree with a lot of your points. It can be intimidating to try competing with books that have hundreds of thousands of marketing dollars behind them, but there is still space, readers, and interest for the indies. Authors attending may not receive a significant return on their investment for attending, but it’s incredibly enlightening to see the big/little and rusty/smooth gears involved behind the publishing industry. Also, seeing the multiple layers behind bringing a single book to the marketplace in one giant room is amazing (authors, agents, publishers, distributers, sellers, publicists, wholesalers, buyers, reviewers, readers). I made some valuable connections with librarians, booksellers, buyers, and bloggers like you. Too bad we didn’t run into each other this year… perhaps I’ll see you at BEA 2014! Also, Shari, thanks for sharing our New Title Showcase photo!
You’re quite welcome and excited to hear what BEA brought to BQB this year, especially to WWW authors. And with that, I do believe I’ve hit my three-letter abbreviations quota for the day, oh, LOL…
Sorry I missed you, too, Julie, and yes, BEA is quite a spectacle. I hope no one misinterprets what I’ve written. While Indies face uphill odds, so did David, whose entire arsenal consisted of a rock and a slingshot. Press on, everyone!