Although I’ve been writing for years and can modestly boast having short stories and film credits to my name, being part of Book Expo America (BEA) in New York last week was a particularly exciting event for me to experience. Nothing drives home the fact that you’ve written and published a book like being invited by your publisher to sign them at a New York book event! And not just any book fair, this was the annual event within the industry, the place where buyers, librarians, the public, publishers and the media, mingle.
I arrived in New York late Wednesday evening in an ambivalent state of dread and euphoria. Dread, because I could not predict the ins and outs of how the signing would go, (what if nobody shows up??) euphoria because only in my wildest dreams would I ever have seen myself coming to New York as a published author. Which goes to show that one should never give up on dreams and one should always put one foot in front of the other, even if that sometimes takes you out of your immediate comfort zone.
Speaking of comfort…the Jacob Javits conference centre where BEA took place is so vast, the square footage to be covered so extensive, that a good and comfortable pair of shoes would probably have been a better idea than the heels I wore to walk up and down the miles of red carpeting before I found my publisher’s booth. Having further discovered that I prefer to sign my books standing up than sitting down, because it gave me eye level contact with the people who wanted to know a little about Silent Women, I have made a mental note that I will forfeit the heels if I ever get invited back. Maybe.
When I first arrived I was so overwhelmed by the sheer size of the venue, the waves upon waves of people arriving and alighting from yellow cabs that I actually had heart palpitations. Eventually I calmed down enough to begin the process of getting myself registered and onto the actual floor with the help of Nancie, part of the AEG Publishing team who welcomed me along with their other published authors.
What I quickly discovered is that you can’t be both a participant and spectator at the same time. This sounds fairly obvious but when you find yourself in the thick of this annual event, it’s hard not to want to see your favourite writer, even if YOU are meant to be the main attraction at your booth! Which is a shame because there was so much to see and do, starting with all the known authors who would be signing (Julie Andrews and Diana Gabaldon both had lineups that snaked around other booths with a guaranteed two hour wait) but also trying to get acquainted with new and lesser known talent as well as hearing innovative ideas about the publishing industry. But it was clear from the get-go that as a participant I had to first focus on the job at hand which was to greet people who stopped at my table, tell them a bit about my book and hope that as either book buyers or librarians they would be interested in ordering further copies. With hindsight I can see that an extra day for browsing would have been a nice thing to have. Next time.
At the appointed time I sat down at my little table, black Sharpie firmly in hand, next to the poster advertising my novel. To my utter amazement, the box of books at my feet emptied at an alarmingly fast rate and I was soon down to three books. It was the same with the bookmarks my publisher had thoughtfully provided. As for the actual signing, that part was the most satisfying…to Susan, to Seraphina, to Mariel, to Donna…all these people, reading my book. The point is that they are going to be reading my story and they are going to encounter the characters I have created. Whether they love Silent Women or hate it,they will read it and tell others about it and hopefully, over time, they will all understand my message; that women have to always help other women.