BEA Newb Notes #5 - My Final Thoughts

I'm headed to BEA 2013!

I've got my registration confirmation and my hotel room. So, now what?? This will be my first time there, and I always approach new experiences the same way - research, research and more research. And, the more research I do about this amazing event, the more overwhelmed I feel. So, I plan to break down my schizo thoughts in an attempt to:

A.  Get organized

B.  Gather comments from seasoned BEA professionals

This will be my last Newb Notes post. Why, you ask? For the simple reason that, in less than a week, I will no longer be a BEA newbie! That's right - BEA starts next Thursday. Six short days from today. I feel like I'm eating, sleeping and breathing BEA at the moment. It's exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. Despite all the planning and research and education I've done over the past six months, I'm trying to keep in mind these final thoughts.

1. Don't Sweat It

Fact:  I will not get every book I want.
Fact:  I will not meet every author I want.
Fact:  My life will not end because of these things.

My husband will attest to the fact that I have this annoying habit of planning things within an inch of my life, and then when things don't go exactly according to my master plan, I become the fiery emo pit of doom. Despite the fact that I KNOW I can't be in three places at once (and, really, at BEA, how freaking cool would THAT be?), I will still be disappointed when the real fact that I can't astral project bitch slaps me along side my head. I refuse to be that girl. I will be ecstatic with every book I get, every author and blogger I meet, and every moment I spend there soaking up all the booky vibes. The experience alone will be worth it. So, if I miss the galley drop of The Iron Traitor or don't get to meet Diana Gabaldon in person, so what? It's just a good excuse to do it all again next year.

2. Have Fun, Dammit

This is New York City, for cripes sake! Yes, my feet will hurt at the end of the day. Yes, I will be zombie tired. But, I'll be husband-less, children-less and surrounded by hundreds of people who can instantly tell you the difference between NA and YA and who know, between Veronica Rossi and Veronica Roth, who wrote what and who the best book boyfriend is between them (PERRY!). Revel in it. Soak up the bibliophile vibes. Sing some bad karaoke with people you don't know. Wait. Scratch that last one. Keep in mind that these are also people who have blogs and vlogs - chances are, pictures of your half-drunk self will end up on the interwebz in some form or another.  This will be an experience like none other, and I want to treat it as such. I can't wait to meet all my new friends.

3. Learn Something While You're At It

Okay. Imagine you're stuck in a room with a bunch of big name publishers and super popular book bloggers all of whom are willing to let you pick their brains in order to make your own blog achieve rock star status. Oh yeah. THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. So, don't clam up and act all introverted. This is my big chance to find out what publishers really want to see in the blogs that do so much of their grassroots marketing. What do I need to do to secure my spot on some of the bigger blog tours? What blogs have some amazing ideas for increasing traffic and making my blog something that people actually WANT to read every day? These are all things that I know I can learn about as long as I open my mouth and speak.

So, wish me luck! And, stay tuned, because the next BEA-related posts you see will be re-caps with plenty of pictures and stories to tell.