An estimated 25,000 people, undeterred by temperatures in Los Angeles well over 100 degrees, attended the 9th annual West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday,at West Hollywood Park to participate in literary panels, writing workshops, book signings, and author readings at an event that has grown markedly since its inception in 2001.
Corey Roskin, the fair’s author coordinator, was pleased by the number of attendees and said that in addition to having more stages this year, a record-breaking 350 authors were on hand to meet the reading public. When asked to describe the cultural differences between the WEHO event and the much larger L.A. Times Festival of Books, Roskin said, “West Hollywood is a folksy place, easily accessible to the community, and although the fair is organized by the city it retains an organic, natural feel to it.” Unlike the national author outreach that the Times event engages in, an unusually large creative community in and around West Hollywood allows the fair’s organizers to feature primarily local writers.
There were nearly 140 exhibitors on hand on Sunday that ranged from Diesel Books and Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book to Red Hen Press and the American-Bulgarian Literary Club. There were several comic book publishers as well, including Archaia Comics and Prism, which seemed to bookend the presence of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. At the Book Soup booth, where James Ellroy signed copies of The Hilliker Curse, Vroman’s president Alison Hill expressed what many were thinking. “It’s too hot!” she said laughing. “There are definitely fewer people here this year, and I’m sure that’s why. But it’s still inspiring to participate in such a great community event. It renews my hope in the future of books and reading.” Book Soup has been exhibiting at the WEHO fair since its start.
Diesel Books had a booth at the fair for the first time. Co-owner John Evans said, “Even though it’s so hot I’m glad we’re here,” he said. “We’re having fun. It’s good to have any public gathering places about books. Every city should have one.” Sales were brisk at many of the booths. Once Upon a Time, located in the children’s area, hosted several book signings. “This is our second year at the fair,” said owner Maureen Palacios. “We’re definitely doing more business here than we did in 2009, and lots of people seem excited about reading.”
At a packed panel called “The Help,” which featured agent Elise Capron of the Dijkstra Literary Agency, book publicists Tyson Cornell of Rare Bird and Kim Dower of Kim From L.A., and freelance editor Nancy Hardin, a discussion of the increasingly important concept of the writer’s marketing platform ensued, which some in the audience met with dismay. “What about the quality of the writing itself?” one author asked. Dower insisted that writing excellence is still the motivating force behind any publishing deal. “But having a platform makes it easier for your readers to find you, and that’s essential to a publisher as well. We’ve awakened to a new world in this industry.”
West Hollywood mayor John Heilman walked among the throngs of people with a smile on his face. “Except for the heat, this is a perfect event,” said Heilman. “What could be better than having such a diverse group of people celebrating literacy?”
