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Tag Archives: book expo

What is the Book Expo/Book Con?

6 June 20196 June 2019

I received a lot of questions regarding the Book Expo last week and I am going to try to explain this as best as I can. Simply put, the Book Expo is for people in the industry (Hollywood, authors, agents, librarians, booksellers, educators, media/bloggers and book clubs). The Book Con is for everyone else that is a fan of books.

Book Expo of America

The Book Expo usually takes place every year in New York City (one year they were in Chicago) at the end of May. At the Expo, publishers showcase their upcoming titles for the year. This gives people that deal with books an opportunity to discuss business with publishers during this three day event.

The books available are generally ARCs. ARCs are Advance Reader Copies. These books are not the final copy. The editing is not complete. The cover and title may even change. This incomplete book is made available to readers that will either purchase the book in bulk, option the book (to be made into a film), or review the book and publish their review.

ARCs are not for sale. They are free copies.

At the Expo, they invite authors to attend for signings and to speak. Hollywood superstars like Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, John Cena, George Takei and Alyssa Milano have attended the Expo in the past.

The more popular the book or the author, the more likely you will have to stand in a very long line to get your copy.

For more info on the Book Expo, click here. But before you do that, keep reading…

Book Expo for Bloggers

Now, for those thinking you have a blog or a Youtube channel, you can attend as a blogger…I’m going to put a stopper on this hope right now. The only group that is looked upon with much scrutiny is the blogger. There are several factors involved that will determine if you’ll get in. There are not many that are allowed in. I can count on two hands how many bloggers I saw at the Expo over these last few years.

First, the blogger is charged the most to get into the Expo. The registration fee depends on your business (as far as how you are affiliated with books). The reason why the blogger registration fee is so high is because it eliminates 99.999% of bloggers out there. Most bloggers can’t afford to go. Only the successful bloggers making money (or those with money) can get in.

You’re probably thinking WTF?!?!?!

A friend of mine at HarperCollins explained this to me. Luckily, he was one of the people that decided which bloggers were allowed to go. Back in 2015, the Expo welcomed the blogging community. They had panels that helped bloggers determine the next big reads and how to blog about books.

Well…for the serious bloggers, this was an incredible event. BUT there were problems. The attendees wiped out the publishers reserves, wrote BLURBS about the book (a couple of sentences, not a full review), and some even tried to sell the ARCs on Ebay prior to the book’s release date.

This really pissed off the publishers. So in 2017, they decided to be more selective with the blogger process. If I remember this correctly (I could be wrong), a group of individuals from the different publishing houses decided together who would be allowed to go to the Expo. So the hundreds of bloggers went down to about FIVE in 2017.

Oh, and the bloggers trying to sell on Ebay ended up in some legal trouble with each of the books’ respective publishing houses.

Which leads to…how in the world was Perfectionist Wannabe one of the ones allowed to go? 1) I actually blog full reviews about books, 2) I have a history of being a professional writer, 3) I have over 2,000 Twitter followers, and 4) one of the people deciding was a friend of mine I’ve known for over 10 years. I only learned what happened a year later. I didn’t even know he worked at HarperCollins.

How to Be Seriously Considered a Book Blogger

Like I mentioned above, you have to have full book reviews on your blog or vlog. A little blurb does not count. The only ones that can get away with this is Popsugar and other major media platforms. They have the numbers and can get away with doing lists with two sentences. Why? Because those lists generate major sales.

One requirement of bloggers is that you must submit your website’s numbers with your registration. One thing they are looking for is GROWTH. Your numbers must be constantly growing.

They do check your social media accounts. The number one thing they want to see on Twitter is that you have over 1,000 followers. That is their magic number. Only 3% of book bloggers have more than 1,000 followers on Twitter. [You also can’t cheat this number, they will check to see if your numbers are legit and not bought.]

Where are you posting your reviews? In this day and age, it is required to post your reviews not just to your blog, but to Goodreads and Amazon. Bonus points if you also post on Barnes & Noble. You also need to post something about the books on every single social media platform you have: Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Are you tired yet?

When you post reviews, you need to tag the author and the publisher in your tweet or Instagram post. This gets the attention of the publisher that you are actually serious about reviewing books.

Have you figured out this is all about how you are marketing that free book you received? How many hits can the publisher get out of you to promote their title?

So what do I discuss with publishers when I attend the Expo? This blog and marketing their titles. I want to know which titles they will be pushing aggressively. I want to know what they want from me as a blogger. I tell them what I would like to see from them as a publisher (because we are constantly growing and for true book lovers who want to see more books in people’s hands, we study how this is done and share intel on what is working).

What is also great is that publishers are well versed in what they would like to see from bloggers. They are more than happy to let you know what that is. This year, I learned that they want to see: 1) growth – are your numbers generating more hits and more followers?; 2) are you posting your reviews on Goodreads & Amazon?; 3) community – are you following other book bloggers/lovers? Are they following you? Are you talking to each other?; 4) are you consistent with your posts? [Publishers cite this as their #1 requirement.]

So for those thinking they can just start up a blog under the guise of going to next year’s Expo to get free ARCs, it’s not as easy as you think it is. There’s a lot of work involved to prove yourself worthy. But guess what? There is still a way you can do some of this stuff and not even be in the industry. All that is required is just a love for books.

The Book Con

The weekend following the Book Expo is the Book Con. It is a little bit like Comic Con, but scaled back. You will still be able to pick up free ARCs, get your books signed, sit in on panels, and even buy books. The lines are longer, people are a little crazier and there is way more excitement from the fandom.

The Book Con is generally cheaper than the Expo. You don’t have to be pre-approved by a group of people to get in. You don’t have to prove yourself worthy. You don’t have to put a lot of work into being accepted. You just have to love books!

The titles offered are sometimes different than the books offered at the Expo. There are also more books that are available for purchase.

Simply put, the Book Con is just crazier. The Expo is more the business side of books. The Con is just for the love of books for everyone else out there.

You can find info on the Book Con here. Their info will be updated early 2020. The event is in May. Early registration is a must.

Tips for Attending

The number one thing you need to do is bring a rolling suitcase. This suitcase is left at coat check (this year it was $4 to check your bag in; $2 each time to drop off your books into your suitcase and then re-check the bag in).

They give out free tote bags all around the event, so if you forget to bring one, they have you covered. But do bring the biggest, most durable tote bag you own. I highly recommend something that is lightweight and can take a beating.

When you fill up your tote bags (or they become too heavy), just drop the books off in your suitcase and go back for more books.

For those going to the Expo, bring your business cards.

Food at Javits Center can range between $10-$25 for food and drink. You can bring your own food/drink, but it’s not recommended. The Starbucks lines are insane, so bring your own coffee from outside.

When you need a break, make a point to sit in on a panel or five.

Make sure to pick up the Book Expo/Con guide (free), as well as the PW (Publisher’s Weekly). You can usually find them either when you pick up your badge or right before you enter the exhibit hall. There are usually people handing out PWs when you walk in. The guide is vital in finding out who, when and where authors are signing their books. It will help you plan out your day to make sure you get to the books/authors you really want.

When you stop at each publisher, stop by their information desk. They generally will have a flyer of events going on related to their titles, including galley drops (galley is another name for ARC, galley drops are when they are making the book available for pick up), author signings and their locations.

Do not show up to a galley drop or author signing right at the start time. Show up 15-30 minutes before the signing/drop. The line starts forming early. If you show up on time or too late, you may miss out.

Speaking of arriving early, arrive early to the Expo/Con. You’ll need to get to the coat check as early as possible. They fill up quickly and you can’t bring your suitcase onto the show floor.

Also, in order to check into the Book Con, that line can stretch a few city blocks. Get there super early on the first day when you pick up your badge. The Expo is different. You don’t have to show up super early to pick up your badge, but you will need to show up early to drop off your suitcase.

For those shipping their books home, do not use FedEx at the Javits Center. I recommend taking them either to a FedEx or UPS outside of the Javits Center. Take that as a warning.

For author signings that require tickets, I strongly urge you to purchase the Avid Readers Pass (this may only be available for the Expo, not sure about Con). Or you can wake up super early to get in line for the author signing tickets the day of (all free). They may limit you to the number of different tickets you can get. With the Avid Readers Pass, you pay to not have to wait in line to get the tickets, you get first pick, plus you get one Front of the Line pass. You’ll get the author signing tickets when you pick up your badge.

Not all author signings are ticketed events. Usually, the ticketed events are for the big names. For some in booth signings, if the author/book is very popular, they may require a ticket or bracelet. Check with the booth’s information desk to find out if the events you want to get in line for require a ticket. For instance, Disney/Hyperion requires bracelets for their big name signings (like Rick Riordan). Find out which events require this and when you can pick up your ticket/bracelet.

I hope that answers most of the questions people had. If you have more, ask them below and I’ll do my best to answer them all. It is a guarantee that if you have a question, someone else may have the same question too.

If you plan on going to the Expo in 2020, make sure you ping me after your registration is accepted. I’m considering doing a meetup. I do not attend the Book Con, because it’s a little too intense for me and 150 books over 3 days is plenty. ; ) Two more days would be overkill.

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How to be a Book Reviewer and Other Things to Consider

5 June 201829 October 2018

I love books.  As a writer, reading books is a livelihood.  It is a way to become inspired by other authors who are honing or have already honed their crafts.  I want to know what people think, create and escape to when they put a book together.  It is not just the stories they are telling.  The words.  The words are the most important part.

Without words, we would have no story, no way to express the tales that linger within our souls.  Words may be elegant.  They can be sharp.  Each word tied together can create something beautiful that may inspire or enlighten us.  Done right, it can even warm our hearts to love even greater.

As we move further into this age of technology, people are spending more time connecting with the internet than connecting with life.  Their eyes are constantly on their devices instead of absorbing the pages of books.  More and more people claim they are too busy to read books.  They read Facebook, Twitter and headlines, never clicking on the story to get further information.  The headlines, tweet or meme tell them whatever they need to know in a few words or less.  To them, that’s all they need to know everything.

In reality, this method is dumbing people down.  For instance, yesterday, when the Supreme Court of the United States released their opinion in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd., et al. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission et al. the only thing people read was that the court sided with Masterpiece Cakeshop in their right to deny service due to their religious beliefs.  But that is not what the Court said.

If people took time to read the opinion, they would have found that SCOTUS believed that the baker’s rights were violated by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission.  The baker was accused of heinous things by the Commission.  They were hostile towards him and persecuted him because of his religious beliefs.  Instead of listening to both sides of the argument in a neutral manner to decide if it legal or illegal for a business to deny service to someone due to religious beliefs (a question that SCOTUS would have answered), the Commission chose to be hostile and punished the baker for his religious beliefs.

That, right there, is illegal under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.  The decision on Monday addressed only what the Commission said and did to the baker.  They did not address whether it was legal or illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ persons.  That question became irrelevant when the Commission (the government entity) decided to persecute the baker for his religious beliefs.  No government can persecute or act hostile to anyone because of their religious beliefs.  In this case, that is what the Colorado Civil Rights Commission did.  If they had been neutral in their decision, SCOTUS would have discussed the question of whether businesses can discriminate against LGBTQ persons due to religious differences.  But because the Commission persecuted the baker, that violation of the First Amendment took precedence.

To sum it up: The Supreme Court did not say it was ok to discriminate against LGBTQ persons.  It was not part of the decision.

But the only way you would know that is if you read the opinion or got your news from someone who actually read the opinion.  It’s like flag burning.  Most Americans have no idea that burning the flag is perfectly LEGAL because it is protected as free speech…just like taking the knee during the national anthem is free speech, whether you like it or not.  They would know this if they did a quick Google search.

It disappoints me that people choose ignorance over truth.  They choose a meme over the real story, even if the meme is completely wrong.  They believe the meme!

But what disappoints me even more is that people don’t read books anymore, at least not like they used to.  There are so many people out there with so many stories to tell.  From the good to the bad to the ugly…stories connect us.  As we grow as human beings, reading books allows us to learn from others who are different from us (or just like us) so that we can better understand who they (or we) are.

The narrative does not belong to just one race anymore.  It belongs to all of us, including that dreamer crossing the border from Mexico into the United States.  That kid you bullied because they were transgender?  Even they have a tale to tell to you about themselves.  But you will never know if you don’t take the time to enlighten yourself.  You may find that you have more in common with them than you thought you did.

Pick up a book.  Learn.  Become enlightened.  Whatever answers you are looking for in life don’t always just happen to you.  Sometimes the answer can be found in someone else’s story…in their own words.

Are Book Reviews Dying?



Not only are we moving towards an age where people are not reading books, but we are also moving into a time where promoting books is a dying business.  While Amazon is taking over the market (books are actually their biggest seller), many booksellers are struggling.  But it’s not just the booksellers that are struggling.  The book reviewer is finding a shrinking marketplace to tell you about the book they read that you really should read too.

Very few newspapers give space for book reviews these days.  Even magazines give a short blurb about the book they probably got directly from the publisher.  But the funny thing is, depending on the paper, the more intelligent the publication, the more likely they have space for book reviews.

Now, ask yourself…how many intelligent publications are left?  Look to see if that media material you are reading has book reviews with 500 words or more.  If not, it’s not an intelligent publication.

During Book Expo America 2018, a panel of book reviewers discussed the industry as a whole.  Are book reviews dead?  Even moreso, is the livelihood of the book reviewer becoming non-existent?

First, when I went to this panel, I had no idea people were paid to write book reviews.  I generate income in a different way when I write book reviews.  Sure, I could see being a book reviewer was a realistic job back before the turn of the century.  But today?  We are lucky to find people that actually read books!  Getting kids, let alone adults, to read a book is a struggle for every parent and educator.  Even adults are finding it more difficult to find time to read books.  Where is Oprah’s Book Club when you need it?

At the panel, Christopher Carduff, the Books Editor from The Wall Street Journal spoke about how he was considered the White Rhino at WSJ.  When he leaves, book reviews in WSJ will disappear with him.  The people that read the book reviews and the weekend book section are the most intelligent readers of the WSJ.  They are also the ones that stay on the site the longest to read more articles.

When the WSJ writes a book review, they are looking for the jewels to share with their readers.  Believe it or not, finding those jewels are becoming harder to find as the book industry becomes watered down with so many stories from everyone wanting to be a writer (even if they can’t write).  Trust me, I’ve read my share of crap books and I had to ask myself just what in the world publishers were thinking asking me to read this crap.

When you read a review in the WSJ, they have sifted through a lot of shit just to find something that wasn’t a piece of shit to share with you.  Their reviews are thought provoking and written by a good writer.  Believe it or not, book reviewers are all writers.  Every good writer reads a lot of books.  Just look at Stephen King.  He writes and then he reads every single day…and he reads a lot of books.

The Book Reviewer aka The Writer

So if you are going to be an author who writes well, you need to read well.  You need to read a lot of books.  You need to learn from the masters, as well as the ones who are just horrible (in order to learn what not to do).  I also believe that you should share what you read.

They say blogging is becoming a dying art, but there are bloggers that miss it.  At least once a week, I see a blogger I love go on a rant about how they miss writing stories for their blog.  If you are a writer, don’t ever stop blogging.  Do not sacrifice to the whims of the world for a watered down version of yourself or your brand.  Keep writing.

There are people that still read book reviews.  It still remains to be one of the more popular sections of the Wall Street Journal both in print and online.  There are educators and bibliophiles that read book reviews.  There are highly intelligent people that read book reviews so that they can find their next great read.

As a book reviewer, it is our responsibility to find those gems out there to share with the world.  After all, it is the publisher/author looking for that opportunity to have their book reviewed and shared with the world.  They are looking for that sales push (aka free marketing).

Book reviews in the marketplace may be dying, but for those who have blogs and websites…keep reviewing.  It will make you into a better writer.  Read the classics and bestsellers, but also discover new voices.  They will all teach you how to be a better writer.

How to be a Book Reviewer

For those who want to start reviewing books, start by having 1) a blog or website where you can post reviews regularly, 2) an Instagram account and 3) a Twitter account.  Optional: Tumblr & Facebook.

The first one is self-explanatory, but keep in mind that if you want to be taken seriously as a book reviewer, you absolutely cannot write a short blurb about every book you read, unless you are doing a short summary promoting books like you will find on my PW Book Club page.  You can create a similar page, but make sure your actual site has complete reviews.

When you post a review, make sure to let the author and the publisher know about the review.  The easiest way to do that is to tweet it on Twitter.  Most authors and all publishers have Twitter accounts.  Add them to your tweet when you publicize the review.

On Instagram, take creative pictures of books you are reading, book hauls, bookstores, etc.  In other words, anything that promotes books.  Some book reviewers post a short review of the book they are reading on Instagram, encouraging people to click on the link in their bio for more.  [NOTE: Don’t do socks with books.  It was cute in the beginning, but now it is overdone and boring to publishers.]

For other social media accounts, I find that sharing books with friends on Facebook gets the most traction, because many of my friends read my blog and want book suggestions.  Tumblr is also very popular among the younger generation.

I also recommend posting a portion of your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads (save time by linking your Amazon and Goodreads accounts).

How to Get Advanced Copies of Books

When you’ve built up a rather large amount of writing on your site, there are different ways to get review copies.  For newbies, I highly encourage you to post reviews on Amazon, but also make sure you create a public profile on Amazon [example] that allows authors and publishers the ability to contact you.

I’ve met many new authors this way and discovered some great books this way.

Also, for those starting out, get yourself to a Book Con.  Book Cons are designed for fans of books.  You can get advanced copies of books from many publishers for free.  If your blog has been around for a little longer and you’ve established yourself as a legitimate book reviewer, you can sign up for the Book Expo (which is strictly for those in the industry).  The Book Expo is generally more expensive, but they also include panels and MORE FREE advanced reader copies (aka galleys or ARCs).  You’ll have more access to what is expected to be the IT books of the year at the Expo.  It is also not as crazy as the Cons.

If you are at Book Expo level, you can also sign up for NetGalley.  You’ll get your ARCs delivered electronically through Kindle documents.  You will need to post your blog review to NetGalley, as well as on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as a requirement to read ARCs from NetGalley.

If you are at Book Expo level, it is important that you develop relationships with the publishers.  Make sure you come equipped with business cards and a willingness to market your site verbally to the publishers.  I’ve developed great relationships with publishers over the years by marketing my site when I talk to them about my business plan in relation to promoting their books.

It is also very important to tag the publisher in your book review tweets.  They remember the review, especially if it is a very good one.  For instance, my most recent review was on Siri Daly’s cookbook. I tweeted the review to both Siri and her publisher.  At the Book Expo last Thursday, Siri was there signing her new cookbook.  I introduced myself and told her I reviewed her cookbook at Perfectionist Wannabe.  Both she and her publisher lit up, knowing exactly which review and which site I was referencing.  They both exclaimed how much they liked the review.

When you write reviews that are well received by both the author and the publisher, it helps in their decision making process on whether they will work with you in the future for future book reviews.  Those coveted titles you want to get your hands on before anyone else does…it helps if you have a good relationship with the publisher.

One publisher I love working with is Simon & Schuster.  They have created incredible opportunities for me as a writer to learn from their bestselling authors on how to write better and to just plain finish the damn novel!  They are usually the first to open up the door for me in both the writing and reviewing realm.

That is another reason why it is important to develop relationships with publishers, especially if you are writing a book.  They will help you develop as a writer by giving you the tools you need to learn how to become a better writer by learning from their best-selling authors on how to troubleshoot the writing process, develop techniques and inspire you to complete your novel.  For me, it also helps me in the decision making process on which publisher I want to work with to publish my book.  I look at each book they hand to me to review as a calling card of what their company can do in the editing, marketing, and talent handling processes.  To me, it’s not just a book to be reviewed, it’s an extension of who they are as a publishing company and whether I want to work with them in the future.

So if they hand me a lot of crap books to review, what does that say about the company?  Something to think about if you are looking to publish your novel.  I would prefer to work with a qualitative editor and publisher than just a company that will publish anything and everything.

There are other ways that book reviewers receive their advanced copies, but these are my ways that work very well for me.

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