Tradeshows and Expos: How to Make the Most of Your Efforts

 

With so many publishers closing their doors and withdrawing from tradeshow events, it’s easy to wonder if your time and money spent as an author are worth it. Why should you travel to an expo far from your workplace or home if you aren’t entirely sure the benefits outweigh the cost? If you do choose to go, how can you make the most of your time there?

 

The first question to ask is obviously what tradeshow would be most beneficial. Unfortunately if you’ve done any sort of research or thought about this topic during the past year, you’ll have noticed the expo pool is getting quite limited. Book Expo Canada cancelled months before it was due to open, and then Book Expo Toronto followed suit. But even before these executives tossed their hands in the air, of the “Big Four” publishers, only one said it would attend Book Expo Canada: Simon and Schuster. Random House, Harper Collins and Penguin all said they would not be attending.

 

The week of April 20-22 held the London Book Fair at Earl’s Court in London. Publisher’s Weekly noted a smaller turnout than usual, although England’s economy is slightly more well off than our own. In a separate article, the magazine also noted that attendees are citing an “it could be worse” attitude.

 

But who can forget the biggest and most public example of poor expo turnout? The Christian Book Expo of 2008 expected 15,000 - 20,000 people to show up. Almost 1,500 ended up coming. The directors of the program have given various public statements attributing the disparity to their mishandled advertising campaign. They should have relied less on publishers and more on their own build-up of the show itself, they said. After all, if you can’t sell Christian books in the heart of the Bible Belt and in one of the more flourishing economies of the US right now, where can you?

 

So why the downturn in attendance? Is it the economy that has people reluctant to spend money on new talent? Or on travel, lodging and dining costs? Or is it that tradeshows and expos have lost their space in our industry?

 

Some have claimed that the need for tradeshows is lost between the Internet and its instant-gratification research. Whenever a customer is interested in buying or finding a book, all they have to do is Google it or log onto Amazon. There is no need to hold large and expensive expos that take more time and effort than sitting at home in your pajamas with a cup of coffee. There is a big difference between holding a heavy bag of books and a small flash drive with all the same titles on it. Some are even proponents of online expos or book tradeshows. All held through chat rooms or online transference, these book expos are coming into their own as a way of connecting that doesn’t involve travel expenses.

 

On the other hand, it is a widely known fact among publishing agents and affiliates that tradeshows and expos aren’t just about the sale or the profit. They are primarily about networking and meeting others in your field that have the ability to help you down the road in your work.

 

In order to close the gap in opinion, we asked book tradeshow regulars to tell us their opinions of the expo experience, and whether or not they believe it to be beneficial:

 

 

Name: Martyn Beeny

Profession: Marketing director/Associate editor, South Dakota State Historical Society Press

Expos Attended: Book Expo America

“We are a small press, just seven titles a year or so, but we have found that these shows (whether exhibiting or attending) have proven to beneficial.  When staff attends a large show such as the BookExpo America, they gain knowledge and experience of the industry that is hard to come by elsewhere.  When the Press exhibits, we are using the show as a "flag-waving" exercise to let people know what we are doing and to showcase some of our books and authors.  In general, these shows are of great use to us and we intend to continue attending and exhibiting for at least the next few years.”

 

 

Name: Kristian Strom

Profession: Boookseller, Lowestcostbooks.com

Expos Attended: Kansas River City Reading Festival

“My experience with book fairs is from the point of view of a bookseller.  I sell rare and out-of-print books, and have attended the Kansas River City Reading Festival for the past several years as a bookseller and evaluator of rare books (Antiques Roadshow style).  The amount of money I have made at my booth in the past several years is almost negligible, but the relationships I have made with booklovers, authors and publishers makes it well worth my time.  I suppose the best way to approach a fair for me is not "What Can I Get?" from the fair, but "What Do I Have to Give Each Individual Who Takes The Time to Approach My Booth?"  Whether it is an honest and fair appraisal of a family heirloom, or simply sharing stories and anecdotes about books, I believe my continued presence at the sale fosters a sense of trust and goodwill with customers.  Also, I have already been asked to buy and sell several private collections as a result of my attendance of the fair, which will be much more beneficial in the long run than making a few quick bucks at the sale.”

 

 

Name: Jeremy Townsend

Profession: President, PublishingWorks, Inc.

Expos Attended: Book Expo, New England Booksellers Association Meetings

“I hate to sound like an old fogey, but here goes: In my day, when I attended what was then called NEBA (now is NEIBA), the tables cost about $200, the parking was minimal, and the venue at the World Trade Center in Boston was convenient. I easily wrote enough sales to pay for expenses and come back with a small profit, and I was a micro-publisher at the time.
The last NEIBA we attended, as a much larger publisher, cost about $2500 for the table, travel, and hotel, and was inconvenient. Worse, we wrote very few orders and found the whole weekend to be sparsely attended and not worthwhile.
Book Expo, in New York, was twice as expensive, with the added annoyance of lost tables and boxes due to inept events organizers. We were not excited about going again, and in fact, have decided to sit this BEA out. We will continue to go to NEIBA because we’re a New England publisher and our support of the association is important. But we do not count on much happening.
We’ve had much better results from library shows, and plan to increase our presence at those.”

 

 

Name: Cynthia Frank

Profession: President, Cypress House

Expos Attended: Book Expo America, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Northern California Independent Booksellers Association

“Some suggestions for getting the most out of a Book Expo:

• Plan ahead (It's best to start no later than January so you have a chance at author signings, company listings, and media attention.)
• Set your goals early (for example, increase or change distribution networks, problem solve with vendors or suppliers, negotiate subsidiary/translation rights, keep up to date with production values, cover design, interior design, ebooks, social networking, cooperative possibilities, meet with agents or editors regarding book proposals, meet with new authors, introduce authors to media, author autographing, get a glimpse of new media/publications).
• Make appointments prior to the show.
• Consider classes (offered, for instance, by Independent Book Publishers Association at Publishing University prior to the show: http://thepublishinguniversity.com/)
• Plan your trips through the show floor in advance for maximum effectiveness. Map your route.
• Plan your follow-up in advance. If you're not going to follow up soon after the show, you won't be as effective as you'd like.

Book Expos aren't going to be productive for everyone. If you're not prepared you can spend a lot of money and time and get no results. Exhibit space is some of the most expensive real estate around. BEA demands physical effort and stamina to walk all the halls and get things done. If you're not able-bodied it can be a grueling experience. If you don't like throngs of people, can't stand tradeshow food, hate lines, and aren't ready to "power schmooze," you'll be better off updating your blog, writing chapter three of the next book, or planning your sidelines and ebooks.

…

Each year we revise how we approach the show. We haven't had our own exhibitor's booth in years. I don't like to be pinned down in one location; I don't like making the same presentation over and over; and I hate missing significant portions of the show. I'd rather hire out quality displays (for instance, the New Title Showcase), book myself solid for meetings, and have lots of mobility. I'm a firm believer in honoring one's strengths and outsourcing one's weaknesses.”

 

 

Name: Aaron Morris

Profession: Marketing Manager at Self-Counsel Press

Expos Attended: Book Expo America, Frankfurt Book Fair, American Library Association, and PLA, Book Expo Canada (before it was cancelled)

“Many publishers feel that there aren't enough booksellers who attend shows like BEA anymore. But the shows are still a good opportunity to meet with distributors, sales teams, and check out what other publishers are focusing on. It's also beneficial to meet people face-to-face. I know of some publishers who complain that too many of the attendees are unpublished or self-published authors looking for a publisher. While it could be that some great connections are made between publishers and new authors at BEA, many publishers already have more manuscripts than they can read, so if you're an unpublished author flying across the country to attend BEA, if might not be worth the expense.

If you are an author looking for a publisher and you do go to BEA, please, please research the publishing firms that make sense for your subject matter, and only approach those firms. My company, Self-Counsel Press, publishes small business books. But I've had authors pitch romance novels and poetry to me at BEA. By doing that you're only likely to annoy people. Your poetry may be terrific but you're wasting your time if you don't approach the right people for your genre.”

 

 

 

Successfully attending a book tradeshow really depends on you and your work. What are your goals and what would you like to get out of it? If selling books for a profit is your primary focus, then possibly these shows aren’t the best use of your time and money. However, if you are looking to meet industry insiders who can go a long way in furthering your career, then expos may be the perfect investment for you. Do your research and be prepared.