Beth Fish Reads: BEA: Final Thoughts

06 June 2010

BEA: Final Thoughts

For my final BEA post, I'd like to take a moment to give a public shout-out to all the wonderful people who took the time to talk to me about the upcoming and backlist books that they were reading or looking forward to. (You all know who you are!)

I was pleased to see that almost every press was quite positive about working with bloggers, and each took the time to chat. I can't tell you how big my wish list is now; I was exposed to tons of great titles. In addition, I'm thrilled to have connected with some wonderful people with whom I can help spread the word about fantastic books in a range of genres.

I stopped by booths to talk to salespeople, publicists, and authors; I visited publicists and editors at their offices; I had a lovely tea and chat with another author; and I met all kinds of bookish people on the exhibit floor, at receptions, and at the author meals.

I was stunned that several authors mentioned the Pennsylvania edition of the Literary Road Trip, and I don't think I'm going to have to scramble for authors to spotlight for that feature. Thanks to everyone for your amazing enthusiasm.

And I haven't even touched on all the wonderful bloggers I was reunited with or met for the first time.

BEA is all about the books, but book buzz is all about the people.

In the coming weeks I'll share some of the titles that caught my eye as well as the review copies that now grace my to-be-read stack. I can't wait to talk about the books that interest me, and I hope at least some will make it to your wish list.

17 comments:

Julie P., 6/6/10, 7:45 AM: I'm so glad you had such a positive experience!
bermudaonion, 6/6/10, 8:31 AM: I love the quote "BEA is all about the books, but book buzz is all about the people." That is so true!!
Molly, 6/6/10, 9:58 AM: I am just so impressed with your ability to walk into any booth and strike up a conversation. I wish I were that confident :)

Hopefully I will be able to attend BEA 2011 and see all of you again.
S. Krishna, 6/6/10, 10:25 AM: I definitely need to write about my experience as well, before it fades into my memory! I think my post will be much less in depth than your great ones have been.
Wendy, 6/6/10, 12:37 PM: You very succinctly said exactly how I feel, Candace! What an amazing experience this whole thing was...and I was so glad to finally meet you in person. Wish we'd had more time to spend together just chatting. My only regret is that the BEA was so hectic that I didn't really get to spend the time I would have liked to spend just relaxing with other bloggers.
Unknown, 6/6/10, 2:43 PM: It sounds as though you had a fantastic time! I wish I could have been there and met you all.
Beth Kephart, 6/6/10, 3:02 PM: you were a delight, a great addition to those days.
Nicole (Linus's Blanket), 6/6/10, 3:59 PM: I can't wait to see the books that you highlight. I feel like everyone was at their very own BEA from all of the different books that I see.
Shelley, 6/6/10, 7:36 PM: I am very comfortable sitting and working on my writing but woefully uncomfortable about all the things you talk about in this post: I still don't know what to do about my site, but thank you for exposing me to all this information.
Alexia561, 6/6/10, 8:49 PM: Great post! I think Nicole is right about everyone having their own personal BEA, as we all seemed to have brought home different books!

Wish I had had more time to visit with publishers, as my schedule was pretty jam packed. Next year I'll try to plan better!
Jenners, 6/6/10, 9:12 PM: It sounds like just an amazing experience ... I really hope to be a part of it next year.
Marie Cloutier, 6/7/10, 8:57 PM: Great post. There's so much to see and do, and so many people. What a great week.
Serena, 6/8/10, 9:04 AM: Sounds like you had a great experience. Wonderful news about the LT in PA! Can't wait to see what new PA authors you highlight!
Lenore Appelhans, 6/8/10, 9:06 AM: Definitely my favorite part of BEA was meeting everyone. I'm sorry I didn't manage to get you your chocolate. Next time :)
Unknown, 6/8/10, 11:52 AM: Sounds like you had a wonderful time!
Ana S., 6/8/10, 12:29 PM: BEA sounds like a fantastic experience in so many different ways. I'm glad you had such a great time!
Louise, 6/8/10, 3:59 PM: I can't believe how much I've neglected blogging (and reading) so far this year. Things just keep getting in my way and basically I am really not satisfied with myself and my blogging this year so far. Anyway, I keep hoping for things to clear (work and personal issues) and I WILL get better at visiting. Can't believe how many great things you have posted here, and this post was definitely one of the best ones of the few I have just read!