This year at BEA, in addition to presenting forthcoming books thetraditional way, Perseus Books Group will give over a prime slice oftheir booth to an ambitious project that makes transparent the entireprocess of creating and publishing book–and aspires to make it allhappen in less than two days. The book is called BOOK: The Sequel, and on an hour-by-hour schedulestill being finalized, they intend to edit, design, produce, sell,publicize/promote and publish live before fairgoers’ eyes (and with theirparticipation)–one at a time via an Espresso Book Machine they expectto have in their booth but also in all major formats and platforms(audio; digital […]
Book Fairs
BEA Editors Buzz Forum Choices, Plus New YA Session
BEA’s Editors Buzz Forum will return to its traditional Thursday time slot, and adds a Young Adult Buzz Forum on Friday, May 29 “to address the growing interest in young adult books.” Along with announcing this year’s selection, convention officials note that criteria for buzz book consideration has now been formalized for future years: All nominated books must have a fall release timeline (September – January). All submissions must have a digital packet which includes jacket art, first chapter, imprint logo, author photo and SMPR (social media press release). BEA will create a “Books with Buzz” tab on its web […]
Dubai Festival Responds to Censorship Allegations
The inaugural Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature in Dubai got off to a rocky start yesterday with reports that Geraldine Bedell, originally under consideration but not on the festival’s final schedule, had been disinvited because her novel, The Gulf Between Us, contains references to homosexuality. “I do not want our festival remembered for the launch of a controversial book,” the Times of London reports festival director Isobel Abulhoul wrote to Bedell. “If we launched the book and a journalist happened to read it, then you could imagine the political fallout that would follow.” Bedell also told the Times of […]
What Should BEA Do?
BEA show director responds to some of the chatter (and complaints) about the recently-announced decision to keep BEA in New York and change to a mid-week rather than a weekend show. “This fall we went through a process of recreating the event as if there never had been a BEA before… The location seemed like an easy choice, you’d base it in the capital of the publishing world, just like the biggest gaming show is in Vegas and the auto show is in Detroit.” As for dates, “after booksellers, the majority of attendees are professionals and they are not typically […]
Book Expo Canada Cancelled
Recent assurances from Reed’s Publishers Weekly notwithstanding, Reed Exhibitions announced yesterday that June’s Book Expo Canada is being closed “effective immediately.” Reed executive Greg Topalian says “it has become clear that the dynamics of the publishing industry in Canada is no longer best served by a traditional trade event.”Canadian customers are welcome at BEA in New York: “Our focus on the publishing industry now centers on our event in New York and we look forward to serving the needs of our customers in North America most effectively with a singular event.” BEC will provide full refunds to the small number […]
Smaller Publishers to Skip BEC, Too
Following the withdrawal of Canadian units of Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins from the Book Expo Canada trade show, other publishers are announcing that they too will skip the show this year. Scholastic Canada, H.B. Fenn and Company, and DK/Tourmaline tell Quill & Quire they will not exhibit. Executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers Carolyn Wood says, “I won’t write it off yet, but I won’t bet any big money on seeing a trade show this year.”Q&Q