Every BookExpo America promises to be the biggest yet, but this year it may actually be true. BEA attendance usually soars dramatically whenever the convention is held in New York, as international exhibitors take advantage of the proximity, and otherwise thrifty local publishers are shamed into purchasing day passes for more of their staff to mingle on the trade show floor. With the increased number of visitors expected, BEA is amping up the proceedings with plenty of star power.
Six-time Emmy Award winner Billy Crystal is the speaker at Wednesday's BEA Opening Night Celebration (6 p.m.). Crystal will be promoting his forthcoming book, 700 Sundays (S&S), based on his one-man Broadway show. This year's fundraiser benefiting the Book Industry Foundation is BEA's Saturday Night in Real Time with Bill Maher (9 p.m. at Town Hall), featuring the acerbic HBO host who has a new book coming out this fall, New Rules: Polite Musings of a Timid Observer (Rodale).
The BEA package that follows is designed to help readers maximize their enjoyment of BEA in Manhattan—both inside and outside the Jacob Javits Center.
"Galleys to Grab" on page 36 points out the hottest advance copies, both adult and children's, and our "Exhibitor's Listing," beginning on page 49, will help you locate them. You can also find out what titles are being promoted at the booth, what giveaway goodies are being offered, and any special discounts available at the show.
Before venturing out onto the trade show floor with the wrong shoes or outfit, don't miss PW's first "Soapbox," on page 206. The (hilarious) inaugural column, penned by Clinton Kelly and Stacy London, hosts of TLC's What Not to Wear, issues dos and don'ts for the well-dressed BEA participant.
The fun doesn't stop when the trade show floor closes. PW has tips for enjoying the Big Apple. Want to learn more about landmark buildings around New York City, including the Javits Center and the Empire State Building? Check out "Welcome to the Wild, Wild West Side," by Thomas Kelly, author of Empire Rising (FSG). Kelly's the perfect guide—his critically acclaimed novel traces the construction of what was, at the time, the tallest building in the world. And before he was published, Kelly actually worked on the construction of the Javits Center in 1986.
Need help finding some hidden pleasures in the city? Check out page 34, where publishing locals offer quirky suggestions for favorite places that should not be missed. Welcome to New York!
