20 Tips to Survive BookExpo America & the Book Blogger Convention

Attending any convention can be tough–but attending 2 book conventions in a single week in a city as fabulous as New York can totally kick your ass! Last year I had so much fun attending BookExpo America and the Book Blogger Convention that I had to write 4 separate blog posts just to recap everything significant that I experienced, so if this is your first year attending, you can plan on the same. There was so much to see, I had no idea what to expect, and since I decided to attend both conferences at the last-minute, I didn’t have a battle plan in place. Even though I had a fabulous time, I wished I had read a tip post like the one I’m going to share with you here.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. Please trust me on this. Please! Even if you weigh 80 pounds, this tip applies to you. Wearing comfy shoes is vital for your survival. Javits Convention Center is huge. You will either be walking, climbing stairs, or standing in line for hours on concrete all day, for multiple days, while lugging around an average of 25-50 pounds of books. I foolishly decided to wear semi-comfy dress shoes last year, and after a day and a half of misery, I had to limp into the first shoe store I saw and yell that I needed flat sandals a.s.a.p., since my feet were hurting that badly. I actually had 2 of my toes stay numb for 2 months. Don’t make my mistake. I’m going to be strutting around in either my Merrell’s or my Nike’s, and if you wear bad shoes, you are going to hate people like me who went with comfort over style.

2. B.Y.O.W.P.T. As in, bring your own water, pop (soda for you non-Michiganders) and treats. Just as important–keep an eye out for free food. I hate spending money on food and drinks that are over-priced, especially when I’m not working. Last year, I ate snacks that I brought from home, bought at a grocery store in the city, or found treats at booths in the convention center. Not only will you save money this way, but you will save time. I was even offered a free beer at one of the booths–so don’t be afraid to just wander aimlessly near booths you’ve never heard of. There are plenty of kind souls out there who are willing to feed you, or at least get you slightly buzzed!

3. Check in early. Why not come to BEA on Monday, May 23? Not only will you find short lines (I had 1 person ahead of me), you can pick up your badge, booklets, maps, badge holder, and even grab your first tote bag. I got to sneak into the exhibit floor and take a look around, as well as check out the New Title Showcase in peace and quiet. This was also the only time I didn’t have to wait to use a computer in the press room, as I am one of the 10 attendees who doesn’t own an e-reader, tablet or smart phone.

4. Dress comfortably, but don’t dress like a hobo. I have to admit, I was extremely jealous of all the people I saw last year wearing Capri pants and cotton tops. I love to dress up, but after spending an average of 2-3 hours a day sitting on a floor in a skirt or a jacket and lined suit pants last year, I vow to only wear comfy pants and Capris this year. Between my Dysautonomia attacks, Fibromyalgia fabric woes, bone spurs in my neck and feet, 2 impinged shoulders, 7 herniated disks in my spine, Neuropathy, Venus Insufficiency and recent weight gain (sigh), it is a miracle that I will find anything comfortable to wear in my closet, because my body just sucks right now. At least I won’t show up like a hobo–and you’d be amazed at the number of people who will show up in jeans, shorts, sweats, or even (the horror!) unwashed.

5. Plan ahead. If you walk into Javits without a clue, you will miss out on a lot of things they have to offer, such as the use of computers in the press room, free educational sessions, suitcase parking (oh yeah, if you aren’t shipping home your books every day, you’ll want to bring one there), and free shuttles to and from 35 hotels in NY. Javits transports attendees all over the city, so take a different shuttle to a location nearest that restaurant, bar or publishing event you’ll be visiting after you leave the convention center.

6. Know where your favorite authors are signing books. Checking out the Search It, Find It! page on the BEA website to see who is signing their books in-booths vs. the area I like to refer to as the pit.

7. Know when the ticketed authors are signing books. This way, you can plan ahead for your hangovers and arrive at Javits on time those mornings you absolutely need to. Check out the full list here.

8. Grab the fancy swag. You would be amazed at the swag that is available. Skip the bookmarks, post cards, pins, mints and lanyards, and focus on grabbing the good tote bags, t-shirts, water bottles, umbrellas, and ARCs. Some of the giveaways are even listed in the free conference magazines, so make sure to check those out every day, too. Just make sure you don’t get all crazy and start grabbing everything in sight, demanding 2-3 ARC’s, or even worse, actually stealing booth samples and multiple ARC’s. I saw things more ghetto at BEA than I have ever seen in the suburban malls of Detroit.

9. Don’t make an ass of yourself. Last year, BEA was under some sort of crazy mode, as they had shortened it by a day. By the end of the first day, people were getting really pushy, grown men thought it was ok to stand in large groups of 10 in the middle of the busiest book aisles and refuse to move, and attendees repeatedly walked over me while carrying hot coffee, or they bumped into my back, head or neck with one of their 4 overloaded swag bags. I can’t tell you how many times I saw security escort people with suitcases off the floor, or the number of people try to cut in lines or leave lines repeatedly to go collect more books. I am British by heart and appreciate the calmness of orderly queues, so by the time I swung my 2 full swag bags and body checked a grown man with all of my American body weight, you know the dude had it coming. Be forwarned: I will cut a bitch if needed.

10. Take notes, or at least take photographs. There is no way you will remember everything you experiences at BEA without documentation. They had everything from singing Scientology Pirates to Burlesque Dancers. BEA is over-stimulation city and it must all be captured on film.

11. Bring enough business cards. I brought 250 last year and that wasn’t nearly enough, but then again, I am chatty and passed out cards to all sorts of folks. Not only is it important to bring enough business cards, it is important to bring the right cards. I saw so many business cards that had way too much info on them last year. If I am trying to find your website in a hurry, I don’t want to have to weed through 14 lines of text just to find it. Don’t have your cards yet? You can get 500 single sided glossy business cards for $16.99. Use code BBCONV at Prinly.com. Cards will be delivered in 5-7 business days w/this code automatically. Or, you can come back to this blog after 5/13 and you can try to win 1 of 2 sets of free business cards!

12. Skip the catalogs. I am old-fashioned, and will not touch e-books. I hate looking for books online. I love nothing more than browsing through hand-held catalogs for upcoming releases. They are great to share with friends and co-workers. But, they are heavy, and after lugging them around all day, then paying $75 to ship home all my books, swag and catalogs, gathering catalogs from 18 publishing houses doesn’t seem very practical.

13. Take off those badges! Once you get on your shuttle bus, tuck your BEA badge away. Do you really want to get robbed?

14. Make new friends. I am shocked by people who stand in line quietly for over an hour. You are wasting the opportunity to meet new people–people who may want to read your blog, suggest ARC’s to you, swap swag with, tell you where the best of anything is located, watch your bags when you have to run to the bathroom, take pictures of you, or at the very least, entertain you. I come from a long line of chatty Italians, so making BFF’s with strangers is second nature to me, but if you want to find out the coolest stuff at BEA, just ask the people you are standing next to. They could be book sellers, librarians, agents, writers, and other bloggers.

15. Cut the cord. Sure, you may love hanging out with other book bloggers, but limit your time with them. If you are always in a pack hanging out, are you approachable? Will you get one-on-one time with authors, publicists, or publishers that way? Nope. If you want to sell yourself to these people, you’ll do it best while standing alone, rather than trying to compete with others at the same time.

16. Spend time away from book-related events. Don’t let your brain go to mush, so go to a show, visit Central Park, or check out a band. Don’t come to New York and spent all your free time thinking about books. You need down time to process everything.

17. Blog and Tweet during BEA. You’ll remember more and your readers will love checking in with you daily.

18. Pack lightly. You never know when a flight will arrive late and you’ll be forced to show up at an event with your luggage. Last year, I had to bring my bag to several places (including a publishing house) before I could drop it off in my friend’s car. Thankfully, as a former flight attendant, I was prepared for this and had the one bag. Can you imagine what a bozo I would have looked like if I showed up with a full set of luggage?

19. Keep track of important contact info. Don’t take business cards and forget to jot down who that person is and why you are taking their card. I may have done that from time to time last year, and spent a long time getting my 300+ cards in order. Save yourself the trouble and do it as you go.

20. Get enough rest. Sure, this sounds simple enough, but if you are like me, you try to make the most of your time there by skipping sleep. By Friday, I was exhausted and had to cancel going out to dinner and seeing a show. Don’t ruin your last night by being a tired wreck like I did.

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