BookExpo America Cometh

Tomorrow I head to Washington D.C. to attend Bookexpo America, the largest event for authors, publishers, distributors, retailers and the Pillsbury Doughboy (a guest-speaker at last year's event). I've asked pretty much everyone who's in the business what they can tell me about the expo, and everyone's got a different answer. Some people's eyes glaze over at the sheer mention of it--so expansive and overwhelming--as they are reminded of lost hours roaming the convention floor. I think the closest comparison might be Comicon in San Diego, but with fewer stormtroopers.

Since I don't have deep pockets--to define Lexpress as "small press" would be misleading (unless you're on the scale of petri dishes)--I'll be attending this sucker like another lemming, left to wander the halls doing my best to get the big wigs interested in Kid B. I did get a great deal on an exhibitor badge (thanks to fine folks at Manic D. Press of San Francisco) so I'm going to take advantage of it and twist as many ears as I can.

I may be entertaining delusions of grandeur, but the hope is to secure some kind of publishing deal for Kid Beowulf or some other projects I've got in the works. Barring that, my aim is to get as many distributors and retailers interested in the book. I've heard it's damn near impossible to actually get a gig at these things but I figure it's worth a shot. Kid Beowulf deserves a bigger audience and I'm going to get it for him one way or the other.

If you don't see me on the floor, check the hotel bar--commiserating with the Doughboy.