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5 Tips to Surviving BEA | May 29, 2014

By Catherine Laudone (Editorial Assistant, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Whether you are a first-timer or a veteran who just needs a refresher, we’ve got you covered. Here are 5 helpful tips for surviving BEA:

Dress to impress, but wear your walking shoes!
The Javits Center is a HUGE venue with multiple floors; the main exhibition hall is especially large and hot from all the body heat. So it’s important that you wear good walking shoes and a comfortable outfit. However, don’t forget that there will be a lot of meetings taking place in the exhibit booths, so you’ll still want to dress professionally. And even if you don’t have any meetings scheduled, BEA is a great opportunity to network and meet new contacts — so dress your best and don’t forget to bring business cards!

Fact vs. Myth: Bring your own bag(s)!
If this is your first time attending BEA, you’ve no doubt heard amazing stories from your co-workers about all the ARC giveaways and signings. These stories are all true — you will most likely make out like a literary bandit! But if you’ve heard that you can get bags at BEA for carrying all your loot, I’m afraid that is a myth. Some publishers do give out promotional canvas bags, but these are usually snatched up on the first day or even within the first hour. So take it from someone who has experienced BEA with sore arms and shoulders before: bring your own bag!

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Read: ARC Giveaways
As stated above, there will be tons of ARCs and promotional giveaways at BEA. It’s tempting to grab everything in-sight, but I suggest asking yourself this question: Will I have read this ARC in a few months, or will it still be gathering dust in my “to read” pile?

By asking this question, you’ll be able to determine the winners from the duds. Another strategy for ARC giveaways is the buddy system, where you take half the ARCs and a co-worker takes the rest. Then, you swap ARCs in the office when you have finished reading them.

Plan Ahead: Make the Most of Your Time
Before you arrive at BEA, take some time to plan out your day. Online, the BEA website has a schedule of all the author signings and panels, as well as a map of the exhibition hall. If you are working in your publishing house’s booth and have limited time to explore, I strongly recommend going through the website and creating a list of the panels or booths that you want to attend. This way, when your break comes, you won’t waste any time trying to decide what to do and where to go. Also, Publishers Weekly always posts their “Galleys to Grab” article, which will help you figure out which booths to prioritize each day.

The Early Bird Gets the Book: Author Signings & Panels
There are boards outside of every exhibit booth, announcing what author signings are taking place that day. If there is a popular author who you know is going to be signing, make sure to get in line early — anywhere from 30 min.-1hr. (sometimes even earlier). The last thing you want is to wait in line forever, only to be told that the publisher has run out of copies to be signed. As for panels, I highly recommend attending one of the “buzz” panels. Whether a panel is made up of editors, authors or a mix of both, I always find it informative to learn about new trends and what the competition is publishing.