Book Expo America (BEA) - Heaven for Book Lovers

My name is Sheila and I blog at Book Journey since June of 2009. When I started my blog, I barely knew it was a blog (I thought I was just putting my reviews on line like a journal) so as you can imagine, I certainly did not have a clue about the Book Expo.

It was not until the following February of 2010 that I first heard of BEA. It was someone on Twitter, mentioning they would be attending and I quickly Googled the Expo to see what it was all about. Good Lord….. How had I never heard of this before? At this point in my life I had never traveled alone on a plane or traveled out of state on my own, but I knew one thing for sure… I was going to go to this thing called Book Expo of America and I would do whatever it took to make it happen. June 2010 was my first year attending the Expo and I have attended every year since.

If you are attending I am giving you this link (a key really… a shiny shiny key) to this post I wrote last year called The Unauthorized Guide to BEA.  This is what I have learned in my years of attending and I am more than happy to help out those who are new. If I had only known then what I know now….

Here are a few highlights of that post that may assist you in your AMAZING BEA ADVENTURE (insert echo here) J

Dress – you are representing your blog, your little online corner of the world. Look the part. I suggest business casual – girl’s nice Capri’s and shirt, skirts, or pants. Guys, nice jeans or Dockers style pants and a nice shirt. Comfy shoes are a must. You will walk a zillion miles a day. Well…. It will feel like a zillion.

Food – while at the expo, a few food items are offered there but choices are limited and expensive. Do yourself a favor and walk outside to one of the nearby café’s or restaurants. The fresh air will do you good. 

Channel the greed – first timers…. Oh wow…. Even for me it is still crazy that you are at this amazing place where the books are free and it is easy to get carried away and grab and grab and grab…. STOP! Follow a few rules of thumb for your own reputation, your own sanity, and your pocket book as you do need to ship your books home.

1. Is this a book that you plan to review? 
2. Are you excited or curious to read this book? 
3. Do you have the ability to read this book in a reasonable time frame? 

If the answer to any of these questions is a toe shuffling and a mumbled “no,” then maybe you should pass on the book. Book Bloggers (and I have seen some live up to this) can easily have a reputation of being “book grabbers and rude” and I cringe at the thought. Help give us a good name. Be selective and say “thank you.”

Please read my post for information on shipping (I have great tips on this), saving money on food, and other extras of the expo. Oh and if you are going, be sure and say hi…. One awesome thing I have discovered about Book Bloggers, we are just as we are on line….. real and fun!

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Be sure to check out the official website for Book Expo America here!  And, for those unable to attend, you can always try out the Armchair BEA version, which parallels the NYC event.