expo observations

What do I say about book expo that hasn't already been detailed by the experts? I suppose that my perspective is as legitimate as anyone's… and as a "writer" perhaps I saw things that the publishers, agents, booksellers etc didn't see. I saw people.
Some that made an impression:

~~a younger writer… very good looking, who hadn't quite gotten the hang of the autographing scene, because he took time to talk to me about his book. The themes in it were disturbing, the kind that made me turn my head and look back into his eyes. "is it autobiographical?" I asked. "Not most of it." he replied. I will read it. If it's good, I'll even pimp it a little. He had beautiful eyes.

~~an older gentlemen, with a wonderful British accent, a few years older than me, or maybe not, maybe he was just significantly taller, who didn't "get" the joke of the promo items in the erotic writers booth that said "got sex?" I tried to explain about the whole "got milk?" phenomenon, but I suspect he was also a writer and had never paid any attention to American advertising. Either that or he wanted to keep me in conversation, as I'd picked up a handful of the promo items …I wanted to take them back to a writer friend who'll think the slogan is clever. I thought they were matches and hard candy suckers. It wasn't until I returned to the hotel that I actually looked at them… and discovered they were in fact brightly colored… and flavored? Condoms. I thought the gentleman was lingering a bit long…

~~peripheral connections. As a lawyer, wannabe writer and prospective publisher, I wasn't sure I was legitimate to attend the expo. The registration materials didn't have a specific category for me, so I could only lump myself in with the ubiquitous "industry professionals." It was only when I got email from Author's Guild offering a huge discount on the registration that I decided it was okay. I didn't need to worry. Seems that if you've ever read a book you qualify, despite the warnings that it is not open to the general public and that you should be prepared to present business cards to prove that you are, in fact, an industry professional. Reminded me of the advice a multi-published author gave to a crowd at a workshop regarding publishing houses that read only "agented" material. There is no restriction on who can be an agent. If they want only agented material, you print yourself some letterhead that says Your Name Literary Agency at the top and mail your manuscript. So if you are reading this, and interested in going to Expo next year, go. It's May 19 in DC. Lots of great entertainment, we saw both Billy Crystal and Bill Maher. hearing writers talk about their books, meeting some of them, learning about issues… great fun. No comments on how easy I am to entertain either.

~~as in all conventions, it is clear that the meat and potato meals take place at the private parties after hours and the meetings set up beyond the exhibition floor. The value to someone like me is in the contacts made, and the perspective, honing still what I want to be when I grow up. There were many moments when I wished I'd had a book to peddle, as the offerings don't seem that daunting. There were times when I wished I had YOUR book to peddle… yes, you. And you. There is a market. There is.

~~between Erin and I, we managed to pick up over 50 advance copies of books, many autographed by authors. When we surveyed the loot back in the hotel, we felt like any freshman at such a show. We hadn't considered how we were going to get them all home. Adding that we took the cheap though convoluted route, there was a lot of schlepping on trains and planes, and my weightlifting muscles were taxed beyond comfort. As I'm committed to actually commenting or otherwise responding to anything I read, it's going to be an interesting and eclectic summer.

I'll have to do another entry on New York outside expo, just because there are images I want to capture and there isn't a story to do it with yet. I'm sure there will be though.