The fall Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association trade show was held
September 19-21 in Bellevue, Wash., which caused a bit of grumbling
from Seattleites about driving to Bellevue (a city a few literal miles
away, but much farther in attitude). Still everyone seemed happy about
the posh digs, especially the carpeted floor--a boon in the afternoon.
The three-day show began on Wednesday with educational sessions and
reps' seasonal picks, then an evening dessert and autograph party,
which competed with an Emerging Leaders get-together and rock 'n' roll
with the Hermans at Third Place Books in Seattle. Authors were in
abundance at the show; as Carl Lennertz said a few weeks ago, that's
the big kahuna: "Booksellers meeting authors and authors meeting
booksellers is THE most important aspect of the fall meetings. The
seller and the writer coming together. [Publishers] help plan the party
and watch the partygoers mingle, talk, rant about the written word and
more."
While authors, reps and publishers were in abundance, bookseller attendance was at the same level as the 1997 spring show. Executive director Thom Chambliss said he thinks PNBA is not capable of supporting a convention-center show any longer; over the last six years, many stores have gotten smaller and the big stores have been bringing fewer people. He feels the PNBA needs to adapt by working with other Northwest industry groups, changing from a booksellers' trade show to a book industry convention. When he spoke to others about this, he said, "many responded positively, including some reps. I intend to look closely at that concept and begin efforts to produce such an event at our fall 2008 show. At this point we're considering offering bookseller education the first day (while exhibits are setting up), then library education the second day (during the exhibits), then author education the third day, which will be dedicated to author promotion for the booksellers, with signings, panels and presentations, and meal events." Chambliss plans to be in touch with regional library groups, publisher groups and some author groups that have not yet worked with PNBA.
George Carroll, Redsides Publishing Services, appeared to agree with Chambliss, saying, "The PNBA membership needs to become more active and involved, to guide the board of directors to adapt and evolve the format of the show. This is the one annual opportunity for the Northwest bookselling community to connect, network and celebrate our survival. It's just not happening. Maybe if it was more fun?"
By the way, the Mountaineers Books did a fine job in the fun department while promoting its new outdoors lifestyle imprint, Skipstone: the company served coffee in the morning, in red plastic cups made from corn; beer, wine and cake in the afternoon; and a Backcountry Betty: Roughing It in Style water bottle with handy hints printed on the side, like how many ounces of wine it will hold.
Other reps saw the glass a bit more half full, or maybe they'd been at the Mountaineers booth and had a full cup. John Dally of Houghton Mifflin said he thinks the show continues to evolve in interesting and positive ways. "We feel it is important to attend the shows not only to support independent booksellers but to promote the books we know independent booksellers sell, and we publish a lot of those. The show provides us with a great opportunity to talk up our current and future lists, explain our backlist promotions, talk with booksellers about trends and marketing that works for them, and to give them an opportunity to tell us in person what we can do better." And Ted Lucia of Thomas McFadden and Associates thought it was the best show in years: "I did not experience the long lulls between visits by accounts that were the norm last year. A lot of people spend a great deal of time, effort and money on the show and it is nice to see their work rewarded."
Some booksellers said the show didn't have as much energy as years past, although the larger space may have contributed to that feeling. They did enjoy the education sessions and author events, and while a slow show may not please all reps, as Robert Sindelar of Third Place Books pointed out, it does make it easier for booksellers to talk to everyone they need to. He also had this observation: "On the floor I am always surprised at the extreme emphasis on winter books over fall books. Every year it seems to lean further and further to the winter lists. When I began going to trade shows as a bookseller some 12-15 years ago, the main value the show had for me was discovering books that I could get excited about and talk to my customers about. [Most booksellers] are more interested in what they can talk to a customer about tomorrow. The thing that usually sticks out for me at a show is seeing the finished copy of a book I had just read about in a catalogue--something that maybe I ordered only one or two copies of but now, seeing the real thing, can see the potential for stacking it up on our tables."
Kathi Kirby, of Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., had a slightly different take on the same idea, saying it's a pleasure to see the fall books in one place, "a reminder of all the great stuff headed our way," and sees a real advantage to having all the reps in one spot at the beginning of the big season. She agreed that the traditional format of the show no longer works, but is still pleased with all the things that do go well--conversations, galleys reps are passionate about, the exchange of ideas.
That passion for books and connections made over a galley or catalogue, a glass of wine or cup of coffee, will never die as long as there are people who love books and the selling and buying of them. Nick DiMartino of Seattle's University Book Store (and a Shelf Awareness book reviewer) explained to some folks the joy he finds at the trade shows; he was overcome with the memory of two reps walking toward him as he left PNBA, "radiant with their usual good will and book enthusiasm and sheer human warmth. Those book reps were why I went to trade shows, not just for the advances but the contact book high I get from superb professionals like those two. [They] were the essence of what I loved about bookselling."--Marilyn Dahl
While authors, reps and publishers were in abundance, bookseller attendance was at the same level as the 1997 spring show. Executive director Thom Chambliss said he thinks PNBA is not capable of supporting a convention-center show any longer; over the last six years, many stores have gotten smaller and the big stores have been bringing fewer people. He feels the PNBA needs to adapt by working with other Northwest industry groups, changing from a booksellers' trade show to a book industry convention. When he spoke to others about this, he said, "many responded positively, including some reps. I intend to look closely at that concept and begin efforts to produce such an event at our fall 2008 show. At this point we're considering offering bookseller education the first day (while exhibits are setting up), then library education the second day (during the exhibits), then author education the third day, which will be dedicated to author promotion for the booksellers, with signings, panels and presentations, and meal events." Chambliss plans to be in touch with regional library groups, publisher groups and some author groups that have not yet worked with PNBA.
George Carroll, Redsides Publishing Services, appeared to agree with Chambliss, saying, "The PNBA membership needs to become more active and involved, to guide the board of directors to adapt and evolve the format of the show. This is the one annual opportunity for the Northwest bookselling community to connect, network and celebrate our survival. It's just not happening. Maybe if it was more fun?"
By the way, the Mountaineers Books did a fine job in the fun department while promoting its new outdoors lifestyle imprint, Skipstone: the company served coffee in the morning, in red plastic cups made from corn; beer, wine and cake in the afternoon; and a Backcountry Betty: Roughing It in Style water bottle with handy hints printed on the side, like how many ounces of wine it will hold.
Other reps saw the glass a bit more half full, or maybe they'd been at the Mountaineers booth and had a full cup. John Dally of Houghton Mifflin said he thinks the show continues to evolve in interesting and positive ways. "We feel it is important to attend the shows not only to support independent booksellers but to promote the books we know independent booksellers sell, and we publish a lot of those. The show provides us with a great opportunity to talk up our current and future lists, explain our backlist promotions, talk with booksellers about trends and marketing that works for them, and to give them an opportunity to tell us in person what we can do better." And Ted Lucia of Thomas McFadden and Associates thought it was the best show in years: "I did not experience the long lulls between visits by accounts that were the norm last year. A lot of people spend a great deal of time, effort and money on the show and it is nice to see their work rewarded."
Some booksellers said the show didn't have as much energy as years past, although the larger space may have contributed to that feeling. They did enjoy the education sessions and author events, and while a slow show may not please all reps, as Robert Sindelar of Third Place Books pointed out, it does make it easier for booksellers to talk to everyone they need to. He also had this observation: "On the floor I am always surprised at the extreme emphasis on winter books over fall books. Every year it seems to lean further and further to the winter lists. When I began going to trade shows as a bookseller some 12-15 years ago, the main value the show had for me was discovering books that I could get excited about and talk to my customers about. [Most booksellers] are more interested in what they can talk to a customer about tomorrow. The thing that usually sticks out for me at a show is seeing the finished copy of a book I had just read about in a catalogue--something that maybe I ordered only one or two copies of but now, seeing the real thing, can see the potential for stacking it up on our tables."
Kathi Kirby, of Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., had a slightly different take on the same idea, saying it's a pleasure to see the fall books in one place, "a reminder of all the great stuff headed our way," and sees a real advantage to having all the reps in one spot at the beginning of the big season. She agreed that the traditional format of the show no longer works, but is still pleased with all the things that do go well--conversations, galleys reps are passionate about, the exchange of ideas.
That passion for books and connections made over a galley or catalogue, a glass of wine or cup of coffee, will never die as long as there are people who love books and the selling and buying of them. Nick DiMartino of Seattle's University Book Store (and a Shelf Awareness book reviewer) explained to some folks the joy he finds at the trade shows; he was overcome with the memory of two reps walking toward him as he left PNBA, "radiant with their usual good will and book enthusiasm and sheer human warmth. Those book reps were why I went to trade shows, not just for the advances but the contact book high I get from superb professionals like those two. [They] were the essence of what I loved about bookselling."--Marilyn Dahl