(Hey, don't miss the first, second, and third installments of my Book Expo recap!)
Just a few more thoughts about BEA 2010.
All the publisher reps I spoke with were extremely nice (and very brave to put up with the mad crowds). A couple get special mention. Bloomsbury/Walker was the first booth I got to that had a really nice selection of ARCs and very enthusiastic people there to talk them up. While all the booths were nice, Bloomsbury/Walker gets the Niceness Award.
Runner up for the Niceness Award was Disney/Hyperion. I stopped to ask about a summer galley and they didn't have a copy. I should have nicely asked if they'd send me one, but I was overwhelmed at that point and just thanked them and left the booth. Well, one of the reps chased after me down the aisle to offer to send it to me.
Also, I have to give honorable mention to both Egmont USA and Llwellyn/Flux for their extremely enthusiastic reps. I so enjoyed talking to them and hearing about the books they were excited about.
The Crazy-Ridiculousness Award goes to Little, Brown. For some reason, both mornings this was where ALL the people were. People were literally shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing against each other, trying to go both ways and grab all the books they could. On Wednesday, I couldn't take it and had to escape the crowd, but on Thursday I braved the madness and just pushed on through. Brava to the brave reps from Little, Brown who did not run screaming from the mob.
Honorable mention for the Crazy-Ridiculousness Award goes to HarperCollins and Disney/Hyperion. Their aisle was front-and-center when people walked in the main entrance and it was a mob scene, too.
Winner of the Best Thing at the Conference is the shipping area. Like I've said before, it was my oasis and helped me lighten my load and become less cranky. A VERY close runner-up for Best Thing at the Conference was Library Journal's Librarians' Lounge. Not only was their sign properly punctuated, but they had FREE FOOD. They had bagels and muffins and coffee and water... All for free! Rather than chalk up $12+ for lunch, we just grabbed free bagels on Thursday. And we didn't even have to leave the conference center.
And Candlewick gets the On The Ball Award because on I received my first requested-at-BEA book from them on Tuesday, June 1! Way to be on the ball, Candlewick (and thank you)! (Incidentally, the book in question is Stork by Wendy Delsol, a debut author. I am very excited!)
And that about wraps up my BEA experience. WHEW! Check out my travelmates' BEA recaps: Jen (BEA Highs and Lows and BEA Pictures) and Kelly (part 1, part 2, and part 3).