DPG, BEA, YPG, ABA, OMG!
Like many other people in the book industry, this week I am working, talking, and meeting at a frenzied pace. BookExpo America (BEA) is the main event on people’s minds—it’s our industry’s biggest powwow, and there are lots of great panels (and cocktails) to be enjoyed. And book peeps seem to really love their drinks. This is the first year I’ll be able to attend, and I’m psyched for smart people, interesting books, and good times.
In fact, I’ve enjoyed some great events already (and I didn’t even have to trudge through no-man’s-land to the Javits Center).
Yesterday I got to hear Neelan Choksi speak at the latest lunch meeting of the Digital Publishing Group (DPG), which I help organize. Neelan, besides looking somewhat like he can’t believe it’s not butter, is the CEO of Lexcycle, the company behind the intensely popular Stanza Reader app for the iPhone. The demo of the app was dazzling. It’s full featured, easy to use, and it has enough of what Neelan called “bling” to keep it pretty. What I found most interesting, though, was a slide that covered just the last 150 days in ebook publishing. This industry is seriously fast paced. You don’t even have to snooze to lose: you’ll lose if you blink a little too slowly.
I also attended a panel organized by the Young to Publishing Group (YPG) and the American Bookseller’s Association (ABA)’s Emerging Leaders program. Geoff Kloske and Geoff Shandler, editors at Penguin and Little, Brown, respectively, shared their thoughts on how one moves from poorly paid editorial assistant to the considerably sexier position of Editor. The short answer I derived from the talk? Hard work, talent, and little bit of luck (as in, you’re in the right place at the right time when David Sedaris decides to enter publishing). The tone of that event was a little grim, though as one friend mentioned, it’s good to get a reality check sometimes. All the same, there’s a glut of assistants and very few positions at the top—with fewer to come in the future. The editors also didn’t discuss digital issues much at all, and in fact Geoff Shandler asserted that the invention of the book revolutionized the world more than our current digital revolution will. I’m not sure if he was referring to ebooks or the internet in general; if it was the latter, I’m not sure I’m on board.
The talk’s conclusion meant it was time to shuffle off for cocktails. I was surprised (but happy!) to learn that it was an open bar. Times may be tough, but I’m learning that when BEA comes calling, the booze starts flowing. For how much longer, though, is anyone’s guess.
Notes
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