We made it through the first full day of BEA in one piece. Here are our notes.
- Were there, as we reported last month, cost-cutting strategies in effect? Looks like it, yup. Random House‘s booth is tiny, with no galleys, no tote bags, and hardly any catalogs. Most of the other large publishers’ spaces are intact, with plush carpets, elaborate displays, and bowls of candy (and book-customized snackpacks at Penguin’s booth). Instead of handing out physical galleys, HarperCollins passed out stacks of postcards with directions to access e-galleys. Still, we are leaving today with a full bag of galleys we can’t wait to read—including Michael Connelly‘s The Scarecrow (Little, Brown, October 2009), the line for which extended far beyond Hachette’s booth, and Chris Brogan and Julien Smith‘s Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (Wiley, August 2009).
- BEA is working on improving its programming, to supplement its sagging exhibitor attendance, and so far there have been some strong efforts, including a panel on giving away content for free (and how to create stickiness), and Thursday’s CEO panel, moderated by Tina Brown and Harry Evans (though he admitted that, if publishers could kill a book’s chances, when at Random House “I was a serial killer.”)
- Chris Brogan’s panel this morning, “Becoming an Agent of Trust: Harnessing New Social Media Tools to Grow Communities,” was packed, and though much of the content was the same as his TOC presentation, he talked more this time about publishers’ opportunities beyond the book sale. And as usual, he suggests that publishers listen rather than talk: “You get more credit if you are part of a group,” he said. “Be part of a community before you need it.” He recommends checking out iPhone app Snaptell and the site Upcoming.
- In another panel on the Australian scene, with its $2 billion book market ($1.3 of it consumer), Judith Curr moderated a group of publishers and an author, Kate Morton. The audience was knowledgeable about the issues of export versus licensing and the intractable 30-day on-sale rule. Amazon US and Amazon UK are the major online booksellers, with few indigenous e-tailers. Interesting stat: In the US there are 36 stores per 1 million people; in Australia there are 84 stores per 1 million. In New Zealand, there are 140 stores per 1 million.
How was your first day at BEA? Let us know in the comments!
