Last Minute Notes on SLJ DoD and BEA

This evening I'm hopping a bus to New York City for four book-filled days at School Library Journal's Day of Dialog and Book Expo America. Before I left I thought I'd highlight some of the things I'll be prioritizing during my time there and also give a few quick tips and tricks that have served me well in past years.  Both SLJ and Kirkus have created their own BEA guides, so if you want more info. on all that there is, check there. Oh, and PW has an article Galleys to Grab.

Where I'll Be:

Day                 Time         Session                                          Location
Wednesday 8:30-6         SLJ Day of Dialog                          Faculty House, Columbia University
Thursday         9:30-10:20 Getting Kids Reading                 1E12/1E13
Thursday         10-10:50         Young Adult Editor's Buzz          1E14/1E15
Thursday         11:00-11:50 Journey of a Young Adult Book  1E16
Thursday         3:30-4:20         eBooks From Libraries                1E10
Friday         10-10:30         Meet Young Adult Authors Buzz  Uptown Stage
Friday         12-12:30         Writing Genre for Boys                  Uptown Stage
Friday         1-1:50         Libraries + Tumblr                    1E09
Friday         3-3:30         Realistic Fiction                          Uptown Stage
Friday         3:30-4:45         ABC/CBC Tea                          1E12/1E13
Friday         4-5                 The New Graphic Novel                  Uptown Stage
Saturday         11-11:50         New Adult Crossover                  Midtown Stage

What I'm Wearing:

• Dark Wash Skinny Jeans (casual, but classy...ish)
• Flats or Sandals (gotta be kind to my feet what with all the walking)
• Short Sleeve or Half-Sleeve Top (casual, but classy...ish)
• Sweater (which I'll take off and put on as temperature necessitates)
• Scarf (which I'll take off and put on as temperature necessitates)

What I'm Bringing:

• Backpack (for comfortably stashing ARCs and personal items)
• iPhone (with BEA mobile app already downloaded)
• Wallet (duh!)
• Snacks (food in the convention center is expensive, so I'm packing granola bars, fruit and yogurt and will probably buy a bagel with cream cheese en route to the Javitz Center)
• Paperback book (to read when I arrive at BEA early and must sit on the floor until doors open)
• Collapsible tote (just one, just to get me started)

Priorities on the Exhibit Floor:

• Avoid the stampede of crazies when the doors first open by heading to smaller publishers first
• Head to the HMH booth (1657) ASAP to get their awesome tote bag, which is large and zips
• Pop over to Scholastic (1639) to say hello and secure goodies for Hunger Games Camp and perhaps snag one of the Harry Potter lithographs at 10am on Thursday (unless it's too crazy)
• Take only the ARCs I really want and plan to read.  My "must haves" are below. Other than those ones, I'll take only what I can carry to the post office and ship in one of those $14.95 "if it fits, it ships" boxes.

My Must-Have ARCs:

• Elizabeth Wein's Rose Under Fire (Disney/Hyperion, 1721 on Thursday)
• Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl (St. Martin's Griffin, 1557)
• Robison Wells' Blackout (HarperCollins, 2309)
• A.S. King's Reality Boy (Little, Brown 1829)
• David Levithan's Two Boys Kissing (Random House, 2739 on Thursday @ 12:30)

I'm really looking forward to some good sessions at SLJ DoD and BEA and seeing some library peeps.  Plus, I'm staying with a good friend, and on Friday night, we're going to see/experience Sleep No More, so that should be fun.

Oh, and if I run into you, and you know me from my blog (even if you've never commented), say hi!  It's always cool to meet folks in real life and know that someone is reading, even if quietly.

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