Dateline BEA: Openings and constant cab rides

Jesus, what an insane day. And the book room opens tomorrow so Javits, which is already too big and crowded, will only get worse.

Anyway, in a nutshell, because others did a better job of liveblogging and offering comprehensive coverage:

I spent the morning acting like a deer in headlights at BEA and then went to the blogging panel with Michael Cader, Mad Max Perkins (bedecked like Dumbledore on crack — or maybe it was Gandalf) M.J. Rose and Robert Gray, as moderated by Mark Dressler. I didn’t have as many problems with the format as Mark did, but mostly because I was taking tips from Dressler about how to moderate a panel — that is, let everyone else speak and just make sure they get the opportunity to do so. And if there was a bottom line, it is this: blogs are here, they aren’t going away, and it’s time the publishing industry recognized what an untapped well the medium is for them and getting the word out about books. Can’t really argue with that…

Then I rushed over to the Park Avenue South Hotel for the Backspace Writers Conference. There will be pictures later (thanks to Ms. Reagan) But my own panel seemed to go over awfully well, thanks to the amazing panelists who barely had to be prodded to speak engagingly and openly about writing, crime fiction and whatever else I and audience members could think of. Especially cool was Jeff Kleinman (of Graybill and English literary agency) and Andrea Schultz (of Harcourt) running a mock editorial board with audience members acting as various key players: editorial director, sales rep, marketing director, etc. A total eye-opener about how it’s so important to know your book inside out. And if you can’t boil it down to one line, then chances are it’s not ready for prime time (and for me, it just affirmed this. Thank god for revisions…)

Then the parties: the Litblog Co-Op party was amazingly well attended. Beyond our wildest expectations. Aside from a great many bloggers (many of whom I’d never met before and I’d list and link them but my brain isn’t working right now) I also met up with the two nice young editorial assistants from Random House who are in charge of the twentysomething essay anthology I blogged about last week. Plus so many others: Reagan Arthur, Gayle Lynds, M.J. Rose, Laura Lippman (who later showed up to the Akashic bash at Partners & Crime), Jenny Davidson, and zillions of other people.

Eventually I had to leave and made my way down to Partners in the company of Pearl Abraham and Bella Stander who kept remarking about how much the Lower East Side has changed over the last few years. Bars that disappeared, new gentrification that’s apparent. Great to listen to them compare notes. Then at P&C it was packed too, with the likes of Reed Coleman, C.J. Carpenter, Jason Starr, Peter Spiegelman, Jim Fusilli, Gary Phillips and Jervey Tavalon, S.J. Rozan, Tim McLoughlin, and again, I’m probably forgetting people.

Then dinner, and now, bed.

And I have to do this again tomorrow. And Saturday.

I love this town.