BEA: The Field Before Us

I’m sure there is a scene in an old Conan story, maybe a Doc Savage pulp novel, about an underground city. That’s an appropriate image for walking to the edge and looking over at the BEA convention floor. More than 2,000 exhibits displaying publishing professionals from 93 countries.

For the book lover, gazing upon these thousands of free books, savoring the opportunity to meet so many people dedicated to the written word, this is Elysium.

For the aspiring author hoping for attention, seeing these thousands of competing books, this is Hades. This sight is why the wonderful Miss Snark said “BEA will break your heart. This is a show that covers a gazillion square feet and almost every publisher in the known universe brings a fair proportion of everything they’ve published to display. It’s like being a decent looking girl and going to the Miss America pageant.”