Unabashedly Bookish

[#1]

Enough about the eruptions going on in the book industry. I’ve got my own volcanic activity here with lava bubbling and flowing everywhere I look. I’m talking about books, books and more books.

The latest chain reaction began when my husband inherited his father’s set of Oxford English Dictionaries and other reference books. His dad was the kind of dad who would launch into a lecture about usage if anyone dared say “very unique” at the dinner table. It was annoying at the time but these tutorials served my husband well in his career writing and talking about music. 

So we had to find room for the gargantuan OEDs and the other books. This lead to what has become a monthly (at least) reshuffling of the book-shelf decks (not to mention the CD and vinyl decks, which aforementioned husband’s career has oversupplied). Once again we have more books than we have room for so the pruning begins. The recipient of the books is the Womens Lunch Place shelter in Boston. Shelters are where you should consider taking your books as the guests there love to have something that is portable and something they can own. 

Anyway, due to a scheduling conflict this is the first year in a while that I haven’t gone to BEA –- Book Expo America – the gigantic Bookapolooza at the gigantic Javitz Center in New York. It figures that I’m not there when it’s not 95 degrees inside and out (its a/c system is challenged). But the good news is that I’m not schlepping around 100 pounds of galleys, books and other promo materials. True, publishers will send me things I request. And then they arrive and we start the book shelf shuffle all over again. 

Some quick info from this year’s BEA: The number of exhibitors is down about 10 percent from the last time the show was in New York, in 2007. More than 600 booksellers attended ABA's all-day educational programming and the indie presence this year compared to 2007 represents a greater percentage of membership. All in all it is a smaller show. But here's a fun fact: 20 percent more press and media are attending than in 2007. Let’s hope everyone is learning a few new tricks on how to survive all the changes in the industry and the press has reason to report good news.  

Message Edited by ande on 05-29-2009 04:58 PM