Book Expo America

Off to NYC tomorrow. The big book trade show, Book Expo America, starts Friday. It is an amazing show for those who love books. You are almost guaranteed to see someone famous, since books by famous people sell well.

Quill Driver Books doesn't have a booth. All of the action is in networking and rights sales. It used to be that independent bookstore owners and managers came to the show and placed orders, but that is a thing of the past—for the most part.

Today there are fewer bookstores and the owners use other methods to learn about new books. Still, all the big publishers will be there, and most stack at least some of their new releases out so anyone who wants can take a free copy.

Scores of authors autograph books according to a posted schedule. The books are free, so the lines to get them are often quite long.

I spend a lot of time walking the floor, running into people I know, often only from shows like this. I have scheduled meetings with different buyers, sales reps, agents, and old friends. At night there is always one party or another, hosted by a large publisher or distributor, to go to.

I met Dr. Ruth at one of those parties a number of years ago and our book, Dr. Ruth's Sex After 50: Revving up the Romance, Passion and Excitement was the eventual result. The party was hosted by Playboy (they publish books too). I went as the guest of my friend John Kremer, the book marketing guru.

Alan Greenspan is giving a talk Friday night. It's all a lot of fun. And like every business, this is a people business so networking is important. My son, Josh, owns American West Books, a successful book wholesaler. We'll fly there together and meet after the work day for the festivities, but that's about all I'll see of him.

—Steve Mettee