A 'smaller, more compact' Book Expo America

Oddly, Book Expo America is going to feel more crowded when it fires up Friday, even though attendance is expected to be off by about 14% from the last time it was held here in New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in 2007.

Lance Fensterman, a vice president at show producer Reed Exhibitions, just told early-bird reporters that when it became clear attendance was going to be lower this year because of the economic troubles battering the publishing industry, the organizers “made a concerted choice to pare it down a little more. Perhaps we’re crazy, but I don’t think so. We see BEA as needing to be a highly focused, high-level event. And that probably means a smaller, more compact event.”

So, Fensterman said, they rejected about 1,500 credential requests from “industry professionals,” which he described as the “other” category -- in essence, publishing hangers-on and people who slip in because they have a friend with a bookstore. “Our exhibitors told us this was the group that had the least amount of value to them,” he said. Fensterman has been trying to spin the decline as a distillation process for a couple of weeks now.

But the publishing houses are sending fewer people too. Exhibitor registrations, including the number of credentialed staffers, are down by as much as 15%. Fensterman said, however, that the number of attendees who are members of the American Booksellers Assn. is about even with 2007. Press and media credentials are up by about 20%. And the amount of space BEA takes up will be down 21%.

So, what does all that mean? A leaner, busier show. So get your elbows ready.

-- Scott Martelle

Publicist Julie Burton on BEA

Julie Burton, publicist at independent publisher MacAdam/Cage, spent most of her time at Book Expo America working at her own booth, talking about its upcoming fiction and nonfiction offerings. One morning, she snuck away to the signing area to get the new autobiography by actor Kirk Cameron.

I went thinking it would be cool to meet a childhood crush, but I was surprised at how giddy I was.

How giddy? Just like in the picture.

Carolyn Kellogg

Jason Miles of Fantagraphics on BEA

Fantagraphics Books is a top publisher of graphic novels. Founded 35 years ago, it has brought the work of R. Crumb, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Peter Bagge, Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, Jessica Abel, Joe Sacco and many others to shelves. Jason Miles does Fatagraphics' sales and distribution.

I'm used to comic book conventions [which focusing on selling directly to consumers]. For me, BEA is exciting. I get to talk about what I love -- cartooning, comic books -- with bookstores, schools, libraries, movie producers! They're all interested in graphic novels.

Carolyn Kellogg

Literary agent Simon Lipskar on BEA

Simon Lipskar is a senior agent at Writers House, where he represents a wide range of authors in literary and commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction and young adult fiction.

This is not a rights fair, so [instead of working on deals] my role is to be with my clients. It's my most Ari Gold moment -- but I'm not like Ari Gold.

Carolyn Kellogg

Publisher Judith Gurewich on BEA

New York-based Other Press publishes novels and nonfiction, and their BEA booth featured upcoming work in both genres. Above, Other Press publisher Judith Gurewich poses with author Michael Greenberg; his book "Hurry Down Sunshine" -- a memoir of his daughter's struggle with mental illness -- is due in September. Gurewich says:

What has been really wonderful is that so many booksellers and revewiers have heard of "Hurry Down Sunshine" already -- and the galley just came out.

Carolyn Kellogg

Bookseller Stesha Brandon on BEA

Stesha Brandon handles events and publicity for Seattle's University Bookstore, the oldest and largest independent bookstore in Washington state. This was her fifth year attending Book Expo America. She says:

I've been seeing a lot of high-quality mid-list and also debut books this season. I tend to meet with the fantastic literary fiction publishers -- Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, MacAdam/Cage, Random House, Harcourt, Norton -- they're really giving people a shot. Across the booths, I have seen a lot of really fantastic, strong debuts and growing mid-lists.

Carolyn Kellogg

Publisher Richard Nash on BEA

About a year ago, it would have been easy to explain what Richard Nash does: He was the head of independent publisher Soft Skull Press. But after Soft Skull was acquired by Winton, Shoemaker and Co. (which is part of Perseus), Nash became editorial director there, turning three imprints into two. Soft Skull publishes books on politics and current events, poetry, and literary fiction.

The thing that taught me I should be in publishing is that I like book fairs; I got that DNA. [when I explain that means days of standing under flourescent convention center lights, chatting with strangers] People say, 'That sounds like my worst nightmare.'  But I love the energy of it, I love the hustle of it. I don't think it is bad to try to hustle to sell books. I not so secretly like that -- clearly, not so secretly.

Carolyn Kellogg

"Yes, there are Orcs in it"

I thought "The Children of Hurin" was it. With its 2007 publication, the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien's excess materials had been thoroughly plumbed. Who was I kidding? At their booth, the Houghton Mifflin team proudly announced the publication this fall of "Tales from the Perilous Realm." Then, I realized that this was not a new work, but new packaging for old stories that have been around for many years, some dating to the 1940s. The book gathers several of the master's shorter works--"Farmer Giles of Ham," "Leaf by Niggle," "Smith of Wootton Major" and "Roverandom"--as well as a book of poems, "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil." On the one hand, it seems like just another publishing tactic to keep the Tolkien industry's momentum going long after fresh discoveries have dried up. On the other hand, here will be a good opportunity to reconsider some of his more obscure works.

Does Tolkien even need to have the final word on the universe he created? At the booth for Orbit Books, the publicists displayed galleys of "Orcs," which gathers a trilogy by Stan Nicholls that has sold well around the world. This will be its first U.S. publication. The striking image on the cover (right) drew a steady stream of visitors. When I approached sales director Gina Wynn, before I could even say a word, she smiled and said, "Yes, there are Orcs in it. Want a copy? I haven't been able to keep them on the shelves." If the convention response was any indication of future success, "Orcs" should do just fine this fall.

Nick Owchar

When baseball and books collide

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have been on the road yesterday in New York, but there was still an all-star lineup on the field of Dodger Stadium. Noted children’s authors Judy Blume, Louis Sachar, Polly Horvath, Christopher Paolini, Kate Klimo, Marjorie Priceman, Marc Brown, and Judy Sierra participated in Random House Children’s Books Saturday night cocktail reception for the BEA.

The authors camped out at tables spread along the beginning of the outfield grass: They signed autographs on specially designed Random House baseballs for various members of the book publishing industry. The signing of baseballs was a first for the authors--it was nice to see them sign something other than books for a change.

The highlight of the night was the special introductions given to the authors in front of a crowd of about 400 people. All eight authors sat in the Dodgers dugout before the PA announcer called each of them onto the field with a special introduction. Among the interesting baseball nicknames given to each writer, there were: Judy “the scooter” Blume (left), Marc “the big unit” Brown and Louis “Sluggo” Sachar. The authors gave each other high fives and lined up, waiting for the next author to be introduced.

The atmosphere was youth-spirited all the way down the line from the most senior author (Blume is 70) to the youngest (Paolini is 24). The legendary Blume, whose famous books include “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and “It’s Not the End of the World,” couldn’t resist the energetic atmosphere. Blume grabbed the mike and announced to the crowd that her husband’s birthday  was Saturday. Moments later she led more than a handful of people in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for her husband who was in attendance.

Paolini, who is best known for the novel “Eragon” (the next volume in his "Inheritance Cycle" is "Brisingr," which will be published in September) wanted to be able to say he had played baseball on the field of Dodger stadium. So, the author grabbed a baseball and, with a friend, began a game of catch on the field. The baseball-themed event was embraced by all the authors, some of whom even wore baseball caps. Brown wore a Boston Red Sox hat (his home is on Martha’s Vineyard); Sachar wore a San Francisco Giants hat, which made several people laugh. Why? He explained that he just couldn’t resist wearing his favorite team’s hat in the stadium of its worst rival.

Joshua Sandoval

(Blume photo credit: Sigrid Estrada)

BEA scoops up Shatner books

William Shatner is a multifaceted cultural icon. He's not just "Star Trek's" Captain Kirk, or the Priceline spokesman, or a recording artist (whose 2004 CD was titled "Has Been"), or that guy on "Boston Legal," or the guy who in a 1963 episode of "The Twilight Zone" spotted a monster on the wing of a plane. He's also an author -- credited on more than 20 books -- with a new autobiography, "Up Till Now."

Shatner was at the BookExpo America convention in Los Angeles on Saturday to sign the hardcover editions; fans queued up early on the convention floor. The publisher had brought along 260 copies, which were handed out to those waiting in line. It took the company's publicists 26 minutes to pass them all out, but there weren't enough books to go around.

That's quite a rate: 10 books per minute, or one Shatner autobiography every six seconds.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Photo credit: Carolyn Kellogg