Good thoughts and discussion on last week’s blog. Thanks for your honest input. Before we continue, I want to clear up what seems to be a misunderstanding of the purpose behind my blog last week. I’m not expressing my opinion of ICRS or of its value for authors. One only has to look at what is being offered there (explained so well by Curtis Riskey, president of CBA, in the comment section of last week’s blog) to know it benefits those authors who attend. And as Mary DeMuth stated, the serendipitous meetings that can take place at this show are irreplaceable.

But these blogs aren’t about whether or not an author should attend ICRS. Rather, they’re about addressing questions authors struggle with every year:

• Is it an offense if my publisher doesn’t invite me to go to ICRS?
• Should I be hurt or feel neglected if I’ve let my publisher know I’m going on my own dime, but they won’t even let me do a booksigning?

So this week, let’s take a look at the second reason your publisher hasn’t invited you to ICRS: The timing’s not right.

For the most part, publishers love getting together with their authors. Most of the editors I talked with about this whole issue agreed they enjoyed meeting with their authors at ICRS. But to actually offer to take an author to the show, the timing has to be right. Which means said author needs to have a new book release close to the time of the show. Because that makes any events the author participates in effective for marketing and promotion.

Admittedly, a number of authors attend the show on their own dime. And it only makes sense for them to ask their publishers if they can be involved in any events, such as a booksigning. But when I asked about this, the answers were pretty much the same: because of logistics, available opportunities (there are a limited number of booksigning slots, especially in the booth), and expense (the cost of shipping and handling alone increases every year), publishers tend to focus booksignings on those authors who are either well known or whose releases coincide with the show. So if your book releases in late Spring or early Summer, then it may indeed make sense for you to do a signing at the show. For releases outside that window of time, it’s not as likely. (For books that release after the show you may only be able to sign Advance Reader Copies or ARCs.)

Something else to keep in mind about signings in your publisher’s booth: The booths are intended to be selling venues for all of a publisher’s books. But one professional said that signings have a tendency to limit or shut down the other functions of the booth, especially when floor space in said booth is limited. While CBA is careful to prevent problems and deal with crowd control, if there is a long line for the signing that form in front of the displays other attendees may walk by without stopping. Or that line may interfere with the neighboring booth and their customers.

So if you can’t do a booksigning, at least you can have a meeting with the folks at your publishing house. Well, again, it’s about timing. If you let the publisher know far enough in advance, then you run far better odds of having a productive, enjoyable meeting with them. But realize that folks in-house are scheduling meetings months in advance of the show. I used to start getting meeting requests from agents and other editors as early as January! And folks’ schedules fill up fast because they’re not just having meetings, they’re also helping man the booth, host/oversee events, chaperoning authors, and on and on. These folks hit the ground running on the first day and seldom get a break until after the booth is torn down. So if your publisher can’t meet with you, don’t be hurt. They can only do so much with the time they’ve got.

Of course, there are other ways for authors to connect with interested buyers at ICRS, such as any of a number of events being hosted by groups like ACFW. So if you’re planning to take yourself to the show, be sure to let your publisher know as far in advance as you can. That way they can let you know what they can and can’t do for and with you. And don’t be hurt if they can’t do much. As one editor put it, “This isn’t personal. We don’t book signings or events because we like that author more than we like you. It’s a business decision based what takes the most advantage of the timing of releases and events. About what’s most beneficial for author, publisher, buyers, and the show.”

It’s just around the corner. That time of year when publishers, retailers, agents and yes, some authors, descend upon a select conference center (this year in St. Louis in late June) to attend the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS).

ICRS. The trade show formerly known as CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). Where publishers gather with their editorial, sales, & marketing folks in shiny and grandiose booths to regale retailers with their offerings. This trade show has been around for a lot of years. In fact, I attended my first ICRS in 1982! Oh, how I remember standing there, staring at aisle after aisle of impressive booths and sparkling product; seeing famous authors I’d only heard of walking by or signing books; attending nightly extravaganzas that rivaled anything you could find in Nashville, Branson, or Vegas. It was, in a word, amazing!

And so it remained for a lot of years. Which made ICRS a coveted destination for authors. For years, the standard thought has been if a publisher takes you to ICRS, that proves they look on you as a rising (or established) star. A crowd pleaser. THE author whose products the retailers should carry in their stores. And so every year as the time approached for the annual event the excited buzz would begin…

Is your publisher taking you?

Are you having a book signing?

Are they featuring your books in their booth?

Are they putting up banners that feature you in the convention center or, better yet, on the side of a bus?

And right on the heels of this buzz, came another. But the overall tone of this buzz was far from excitement.

No, they’re not taking me.

No, they’re not featuring my book. It was released in the last catalog and is no longer “current.”

I told them I’d go on my own dime, and they still won’t let me do a book signing! What are they thinking?

Well, in anticipation of this cycle of discouragement, I thought I’d find go to the source to find out exactly that: what publishers and editors are thinking nowadays about ICRS and its value for authors.

I contacted nearly a dozen editors and publishers who all agreed, yes, back in the day, taking an author to ICRS was a sign of the publishers’ commitment to and belief in that author. However, things have changed. Over the next few blogs, I’ll share their thoughts and insights on the Top 3 Reasons Authors Don’t Get Asked to the Prom (or Invited to ICRS). (However, David Letterman notwithstanding, I’m going to start with Reason #1 and go to #3.)

I hope you’ll find their responses as informative as I did…and maybe even a little bit encouraging.

So, reason #1:

ICRS is no longer the primary place where retailers order product.

In the trade show’s heyday, it was a SELLING show. Retailers would place orders for enough product to last them through Christmas. There were special discounts and incentives to do so. Publishers would unveil their new Fall books at the convention. Media was there in force, giving authors ample opportunities for interviews and publicity (often doing pre-recorded interviews to air throughout the Fall).

But ICRS has changed dramatically in the past 5 to 10 years. What was once an order-taking show has now become a networking show, where key people in the industry can meet together. When the floor was crowded with independent Christian bookstore owners (many of whom brought several members of their staff), it made great sense to have authors there. Retailers still attend but there are fewer stores and the economy has caused them to be selective on how many of their staff attend.

But the same thing that’s happening with consumer book purchases is happening with trade purchases: More of it takes place online. Publisher catalogs are online, as well as videos, author interviews, and all kinds of wonderful tools to introduce retailers to product and authors. Sales representatives for the publishers are not able to visit their accounts as often, especially the smaller independent stores.

For the key accounts, the large chain stores, they’ve already made their sales presentations. The new Fall books are presented to the accounts in the first quarter, much earlier than in the past. Therefore fewer key accounts attend ICRS, at least not the way they used to. And when you think about it, it makes sense. Why go to the expense of travel/food/housing for yourself and your employees when you can take care of business without leaving home?

So what about interviews, you ask? Media, publicity? Well, there isn’t anywhere near the media involvement in ICRS that there used to be. I remember several years ago escorting my authors from interview to interview, barely able to catch my breath as we raced from one place to another. You’d walk through the convention center and everywhere you looked some form of media was set up with cameras and lights, interviewing someone. The last time I attended ICRS, there was only a fraction of the media In attendance. And what opportunities did exist were slotted for established, best-selling authors.

All of which means that the ICRS of today doesn’t provide as many opportunities for publishers to share their authors with those who will make a difference in what a store orders. And that’s what ICRS is about: promoting product to the trade, to the retailer. So it becomes an economic decision for the publisher to think hard about the expense, time, and effort to bring authors to the convention. Steve told me that he knows of one publisher that spent over $100,000 during the week of ICRS on expenses for staff, booth rental, shipping, and author events. And today there are some publishers who no longer exhibit at the convention. There are alternative ways, for the publisher and the author, to spend that money.

Which leads us to Reason #2. But that’s saved for next week!

One caveat. This doesn’t mean ICRS isn’t a valuable experience. In fact both Steve and Tamela will be attending again this year and have over 20 important meeting scheduled with publishers, editors, and authors. (Plus Steve is the emcee for the Christy Awards banquet held that Monday night.) I’m only trying to answer the question of why you may not have been invited by your publisher.

 This was my second ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) as an agent with The Steve Laube Agency. Once again, the show proved to be a marathon of information, entertainment, new connections, and strengthened friendships.

On a personal note, this year marked my younger daughter’s eighteenth birthday so our family devoted Sunday to her celebration. Armed with a new camera, she took many photographs at the Harry P. Leu gardens in Orlando.  These gardens are gorgeous!

The bulk of the show is condensed into Monday and Tuesday since the floor closes in mid-afternoon on Wednesday. Our schedule was packed on both days, and once again I enjoyed attending meetings with Steve Laube. To combat hot and humid weather, our hosts plied us with soda, tea, and water. I told Steve that Christians have added new meaning to the term “social drinking!”

The people we spoke with agreed that the floor seemed more sparse than usual, and some publishers occupied smaller booths than in the past. However, most of the best and brightest publishers were represented, often by their executives and owners. Amid hugs and laughter, Steve and I gleaned information we will use as we strategize how to present properties that best fit their current needs and interests. We were glad to have our first face-to-face time with Daisy Hutton, the recently-appointed Vice President and Publisher of Fiction at Thomas Nelson Publishers. She had already signed one of my clients before the show, so it was great to meet her in person. She will be the ideal successor to Allen Arnold’s excellent work.

I didn’t expect to learn much on Wednesday, but Steve and I spent most of the day in scheduled and impromptu meetings. I enjoyed the latter part of the afternoon with a couple of my authors. And with the this blog post coming to an end as I compose it the evening before I leave Orlando, I am shutting the lights on another wonderful, exhilarating ICRS. Next year, won’t you meet me in St. Louis?

On a note close to my heart, on Monday, during the convention, the finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards were announced. Please join me in congratulating my client Connie Stevens for being a finalist in the short historical category with Revealing Fire! Congratulations also to her editor at Heartsong Presents, Rebecca Germany (who is a finalist for five books that she edited!). Our agency has a total of four finalists this year. The winners to be announced in September.

Carol Award Finalists from our agency:

Long Contemporary Romance: 

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale – Karen Watson, Editor)

Novella:

An Accidental Christmas from A Biltmore Christmas by Diane T. Ashley/Aaron McCarver (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Romantic Suspense:

Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany/Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

Short Historical:

Revealing Fire by Connie Stevens (Heartsong Presents – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

This year’s ICRS (International Christian Retailing Show) was a great time of celebration and doing a lot of business.

First I have to celebrate with Four award winning clients!

AWSA (Advance Writers & Speakers Association)
Fiction Book of the Year

Susan May Warren - Heiress (Summerside)

The Christy Awards

Ronie Kendig – Wolfsbane (Barbour) – best Contemporary Romance

Ginny Yttrup – Words (B&H Publishing Group) – best First Novel

Lisa Bergren – Waterfall (David C. Cook) – best Young Adult

I am so honored to represent such wonderful writers! It is especially meaningful having traveled the journey of each book with each author. Ask the authors for the story behind their story!

As for business, we had a lot of great meetings with publishers, editors, and authors. Tamela Hancock Murray and I had 23 scheduled appointments on Monday and Tuesday. It meant flitting from place to place in record time, especially since some appointments were on the convention floor and others were at one of the main convention hotels. (See Tamela’s post later this week for her perspective on the event.)

We also had over 20 of our clients in attendance which made it fun to say hello and enjoy some short “hallway” conversations.

This was my 31^st consecutive booksellers convention. Tamela was a witness that when we walked into the convention hall for the first time I audibly gasped. I stood there in a stunned posture for a moment because, for the first time in three decades, I could see both ends of the convention hall from where I stood. It felt so small! But after a few hours it became evident that virtually every publisher and distributor was there, but their footprint was smaller. In other words instead of having a massive display booth, the publisher had a third of the floor space as they have had in the past. This shrank the total square footage of the event. It is interesting that every year we comment on how small the convention feels. But everyone was in agreement on this year’s event.

In addition there were fewer gift product booths than I remembered and really only one big music booth (EMI). I suspect the entire event could have been held in a super-sized hotel ballroom instead of a convention center.

The International Marketplace was a buzz of busyness as usual. They really should expand that section of the sales floor because there was barely enough room to move around and not enough places to have meetings.

The tone and attitude of the industry was one of “we have survived the worst.” And one of enthusiasm and excitement about new properties and new opportunities, especially in the digital arena. Since our agency has had an author in the Tyndale Digital First program and one of Tamela’s clients is the launch author for Zondervan’s new digital fiction program (see last Thursday’s post), we had a number of conversations about what works and what doesn’t in this fledgling category.

We were very glad that a couple publishers brought a full roster of editorial staff to the event. This allowed us to have some one-on-one time with acquisitions editors we normally do not get to see at conferences or even during visits to publisher’s headquarters.

All in all I would say this was a great year for further cementing great relationships and for building a number of new ones.

As you know from reading our own Steve Laube’s excellent insights on this blog about ICRS, the days were busy, exciting, and invigorating. The convention confirmed our optimism about Christian publishing’s bright future.

I’ve been to the convention a number of times and have always been blessed. This year, it took place in Atlanta, a lovely city that offers hot, sunny, humid weather. My biggest challenge was trying to keep my hair presentable.

A writer following ICRS news would think this event has shrunk to nothing, but in fact, the Convention Center overflowed with exhibitors. All total, 21 writers from The Steve Laube Agency were in attendance. One of the week’s highlights for me was enjoying breakfast with several of my writers and I was able to visit with another author as well. Debby Mayne and Martha Rogers were among the many holding book signings. Organizations such as the American Christian Fiction Writers hosted booths. This is not a tiny event by any means. I didn’t track how many miles I walked, but I do know I would have welcomed a foot massage at the end of each 16-hour day!

Many writers find what agents do at this convention to be mysterious. Questions include whether they should send me one-sheets, will I be able to pitch their work, and will I be able to find out if they will be receiving a contract soon. However, ICRS is not a writers’ conference where editors hear pitches from authors and agents. Instead, during many of the meetings, we spent the majority of our short time with editors discussing “housekeeping” issues with clients and simply listening to what they had to say about the latest news regarding their houses. What we will now do is use that information to serve our writers.

We enjoyed amazing food and fellowship at a number of events. I like to be at these dinners to support all authors and Christian publishers for their fine work. I am beyond proud of all of my authors, but the highlight of ICRS for me this year was to be present when Kathi Macias received her AWSA award for Novel of the Year. If you haven’t read Red Ink yet, this book is well worth your time. At another event, I was seated at a table with the grandson of Grace Livingston Hill. Both of my grandmothers, especially my maternal grandmother (we called each other “Precious”), would have been astounded by that fact.

This was the first year I attended ICRS as an agent with The Steve Laube Agency. Steve and I met with the a number of high-ranking editors and executives from major publishing companies (many of whom have known him for over 20 years). Steve is already a highly respected presence in the industry. And in the genre of non-fiction he represents some significant authors, so by listening, I learned about the type of non-fiction projects that garner editors’ attention. Though I expect to remain focused on fiction, now I feel invigorated about pursuing select non-fiction projects as well. We also enjoyed our meetings with fiction editors, many of whom are already my friends. ICRS confirmed what I already knew — that Steve and I share the same business philosophy and we are a great fit. Already we feel we have been working together for years.

Steve is correct in that for many reasons, ICRS is the big event of the year for Christian publishing. I hope the Lord’s plan is for me to attend as part of The Steve Laube Agency team for many years to come.

Last week was the 2011 International Christian Retailing Show (ICRS) in Atlanta, Georgia. Tamela Hancock Murray and I  had a busy time. Statistics released declared that professional attendance was up 9.7% to 1,748, primarily representing buyers. Total attendance was up 5.83% to 4,918. International attendance was up 16.17% to 431 attendees from 61 countries.

The busiest place on the convention floor was the International Marketplace where licensing into other languages created a constant buzz.

Tamela attended the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association banquet on Sunday (where her client Kathi Macias won Novel of the Year) and the Christy Award banquet on Monday. We both attended the Baker Publishing Group banquet Sunday night and I attended the Crossway Books banquet on Monday. (Whew. Banquets galore!)

We had over 35 appointments with different publishers and editors spanning the breadth of the industry. It is always invigorating to exchange idea and take a pulse on the health of the marketplace. But if you add in the aisle and hallway conversations it was closer to 50 significant opportunities.

On Wednesday I participated in a panel discussion on Christian Fiction called “How to Grow Sales by Better Understanding the Fiction Publishing Process.” Other panel members included Allen Arnold (Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Publisher, Fiction), Sue Brower (Zondervan Executive Editor, Fiction), Margaret Daley(award-winning author and American Christian Fiction Writers President – and one of my clients), Jeane Wynn(Wynn-Wynn Media), Carla Williams (Publicity and Editorial Director at WinePress Publishing) and Rachel McRae (Book Buyer, LifeWay Christian Stores). It was a fun hour of conversation with about 40 people in attendance. I marveled at the turnout considering it was the last panel discussion of the convention on the last day when the majority of attendees had already left.

What did I think? I think ICRS is the key event of the year, especially for the editorial side of things. Writers conferences are a tough place to do “business” because the intent of the gathering is different. Here there were top executives attending meetings as well as their acquisition editors. Many publishers utilized group meetings so there was a lot of opportunity for brainstorming and dialogue. The only way to replace that would be to make a personal visit to each publishing house.

Is the industry healthy? If you mean Christian Retail, then I would answer that it has a solid pulse. The winnowing has slowed and the strongest are surviving. It is still tough to make it in any sort of retail environment. If you meant is publishing healthy, I would answer most certainly, yes! The Internet is glutted with pundits declaring that book publishing is on life support and that e-books are sucking the lifeblood of the industry.  That is hardly the case. Granted, there is considerable upheaval in business models but like any mature industry they are being intentional and strategic in their implementation of new technologies and initiatives. They cannot move as fast as some, which creates opportunities for entrepreneurs. But in general I sensed an optimism that was missing the last two years. Previously there was a sense of fear, but that is gone. We now work with the survivors….so to speak.

This was my thirtieth consecutive ICRS (formerly CBA) convention. Thirty years, every Summer. It only means one thing. I’m getting old!

But it also means I’ve had the privilege of watching this industry grow up, mature, and change. The convention is still the only time in the year where the entire industry gathers in one place. There is nothing else like it.

This was my 29th consecutive booksellers convention. At its height there were approximately 14,000 in attendance, many years ago. That is no longer the case. Statistics released indicate total attendance was 6,812. Registered pick-ups in attendance was  4,747 (flat compared to 2009); professional attendance was 1,675 (up 4.5% over last year); and international attendance came in at 390 (up 4% over 2009). I’m not sure if they combine exhibitors and retailers in that first number of if the exhibitors (publishers, etc.) are included in the second number. As an agent we are considered “professional” attendees.

Apparently the national average retail trade show attendance is down 16%, so the convention is feeling pretty good about this year’s showing.

I’ll admit to being skeptical about St. Louis as the locale. In my nearly 30 years of attendance it had never been in that city. I was pleasantly surprised. I was fortunate to be staying at the hotel directly across the street from the convention hall which made moving from one thing to another very easy. I was also impressed by the number of fine restaurants in the area, most within walking distance. I had the fun to host two author-related dinners and both restaurants were excellent.

Since I don’t go to the convention with tourism in mind I have no idea what I might have missed, other than traveling to top of that Arch. However I spoke to the husband and son of an author who thoroughly enjoyed the area and filled three days with a wide variety of activities.

For me the event began with the Christy Award reception on Saturday night. Our agency had three authors who were finalists. None received the top award, but being recognized as a finalist is an honor in and of itself. I love the Christys and what it represents. If you ever have someone criticize Christian fiction as being vapid or poorly written, challenge their assumptions by suggesting they read the finalists. I predict they will be chagrined to have made their accusations after having a chance to read some of the incredible writers represented among the award finalists.

The rest of the week was a series of scheduled meetings and “hallway” or “aisle-way” conversations. I had thirty scheduled appointments and probably ended up with over 50 significant conversations when the time was done. Even had the chance to discuss deal points on a new contract that surfaced during the convention (that almost never happens).

I was also privileged to hear a hour and a half presentation by Hachette Digital. They are working very hard to maximize the opportunities created by the digital revolution. I came away feeling like some very smart people are working hard on doing smart things in this world. They were open to questions and suggestions. Very impressive. Thank you Rolf, for the invitation.

Tuesday was an odd day in that every meeting was in the hotel until late afternoon. I did not actually hit the convention floor until 4:00. That was something new for me since, in the past, most meetings took place on the convention floor or in Publisher suites. This was also the first year that not a single appointment took place in a publisher’s suite!

Because the convention itself was smaller in scale it fit in the hall very well. There were always people visibly roaming the aisles all the way until the closing announcement on Wednesday afternoon. It “felt” busier because of that.

The International rights section was a hive of activity. Goodness. There was never a dull moment in that space. It is incredible to think of the marvelous activity of great Christian literature and its impact around the globe.

I’ve had some disagreement with a colleague or two over whether the ICRS convention is a dinosaur that will soon disappear. I tend to remain positive about its place in the industry and truly hope it does not go away. There is simply no other single event where so many industry-related people gather in one place. I can think of a half dozen conversations that would not have happened if were not for this event.

For publishers it has become an Author-Relations event, not much of a sales opportunity. The stores have already placed their orders for forthcoming books and music. And while there are fewer Christian stores, many major big box retail buyers were in attendance. Therefore while actual orders may not be placed at the show, the seeds for new sales were being planted.

Since both Chi Libris (fiction) and AWSA (women speakers and authors) organizations have their retreat in the days before the convention, many authors are there. I believe we had at least 12 or 13 of our clients who were there for at least part of the event.

The gift section was humming the entire show. And that will always be. Many gifts are such that they have to be physically held or seen in person before knowing if they are a product the retailer can sell. If ICRS goes away the retailers will have to rely on the general market Gift Shows which would not have as many vendors and their selection opportunities would decline.

All the usual suspects of kitchy art, gifts, and toys were there. Nothing made me exclaim, “you’ve got to be kidding.” So that either means I’ve become immune after all these years or there were simply fewer products to see. (Years ago, my all-time worst observation was a clown making balloon art. He was methodically putting together a six foot high brown crucifix with a flesh colored Jesus on it…all made out of long thin “clown” balloons. From the back of the adoring crowd I muttered a little too loudly, “My kingdom for a pin.” And then walked away shaking my head.) In general I don’t mind most of that material since I sold a lot of it during my days as a Christian retailer. For many people the items are a real blessing in their church or home. But that balloon art exhibition was over my line.

I enjoyed taking pictures of client’s book covers and displays and emailing those to them. A lot of fun for those who couldn’t attend.

Bottom line? Publishing is alive and well. Publishers are still looking for great content and great authors. The Christian retail business is small, but those who survived the “crash” are still working hard and serving their communities. It is nice to see there are those still dedicated to the call of being booksellers.

I can’t wait to get to work each day to find out what’s new in this terrible, horrible, wonderful, exciting, frustrating, exhilarating business.

1) The total convention exhibit floor was about 30% smaller than in past years and the middle section, housing CBA’s events and displays was HUGE. In fact you could walk through the entire book section very rapidly for the first time in years. Everything seemed condensed.

2) The net effect of the smaller sales floor was that you felt the crowds. There was noise, energy, and excitement in the air. This was a major change over previous years where it always felt so quiet.

3) The reason for the reduced exhibit floor is simple. The publishers reduced the size of their booths. Many cut their space in half. Others simply did not exhibit at all (Thomas Nelson, Steeple Hill, NavPress, and Waterbrook were not to be found).  I am not one to make a big deal of the decision to eliminate an exhibit. As a cost cutting move they saved a bundle. They did miss out on some media opportunities (an editor for the Associated Press was working the floor for a story on Christian fiction) and some “hallway” conversations. But when a publisher can spend $100,000 or more to attend the budget restraints are understandable. (A simple 10′ x 10′ booth can cost well over $2,000 just for the space. Then you have to get there, ship the product, create a snazzy booth design, etc.)

4) Fewer publishers had a separate convention suite for meetings. Since those suites can cost more than $10,000+ for the event it was an understandable change. It made finding private places for a meeting a little more difficult, but we all managed.

5) Monday, the first actual day of ICRS, was very busy on the convention floor. The lines for book signings were long and exciting. But I made an interesting observation. I seemed to recognize almost everyone who was walking around. That meant two things:

a) I’m old. After 28 years in the business you get to know a lot of people.
b) It meant that a large number of the attendees were authors or exhibitors…NOT stores.

In fact the word-on-the-street was that there were only 300 stores registered. But I have no way to verify that number. Plus one registration may represent a half dozen or more regional chain stores, and the Family Christian Store chain has over 300 locations. This further cements the reality that the convention is not the place for order taking. Instead it is a place for building bridges with customers, clients, and eventually, consumers.

Bottom line is that it felt busy. And that is a good thing. It did get VERY quiet by Wednesday when all the authors and many of the editorial staff had left. Cutting a full day from the normal four day convention was a very good decision. Kudos to CBA for listening to their members on that score.

6) Those who were predicting that this would be the last ICRS (and that the industry was doomed) were wrong…again. Why is it that we like to view things so negatively? Is it that genetic disposition we have for slowing down to see a car wreck? Do we like to complain to elicit sympathy from our audience? While I can be as morose as the next guy, I try hard to see things in a more positive light. So while the show was a bit slower pace than in past years, it still had great benefit.

7) Benefits for our agency.

a) face time with key people
b) finalized negotiations on three contracts, in person.
c) navigated an author/editor clash, in person. Invaluable to have this kind of conversation face-to-face. Removed all the potential negativity that is systemic to all email communication. Instead the flow of words and exchange of ideas was critical to resolve the problem for everyone.
d) Met with two companies that are working hard on bringing digital products to the consumer via the retailer and the Internet. I was able to find out how I, as an agent, can help their efforts with publishers which will alternatively benefit our client’s sales.
e) Met with a long time industry friend who is seeking an aggressive way to bring back, in ebook and POD, those books, by my clients, that are now out of print and unavailable.
f) Heard the nuanced vision for publishing from at least a half dozen major publishers. Always helpful to hear them articulate their ideas and hear how I can find the right books for their program.
g) found out about two editors whose jobs have changed. One is not returning after maternity leave, another is leaving the company. It’s like trying to keep track of your favorite baseball player during the free agent signing season. People shift around all the time and each time creates another subtle change in the labyrinth.
h) had time with 12 clients who attended. Always nice to touch base, even if for a brief hello. Missed seeing five others due to scheduling conflicts.

You catch the theme here? “In person.” This is a relationship business…as it should be. Friends and acquaintances working towards a common goal.

Anyone else have a different take?

Today is the official opening of the convention in Denver. This year will be my 28th consecutive ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) or CBA as we veterans still call it (Christian Booksellers Association Convention). I absolutely love the experience. I’ve attended as a retailer, as an exhibitor, and now as an “industry professional.” I find it amusing that each name badge is color-coded to help exhibitors know whether the person in their booth is a bookseller (and thereby a potential customer) or a browser, like me. What makes it particularly fun is that the “agent” color is black….the color of an agent’s soul.

PRO: There is nothing like the experience of walking the floor of the world’s largest Christian bookstore. Everything is there, the good, the bad, and the outrageous (like the balloon art crucifix or the painting of a junkie shooting heroin into the arm of Jesus). The spirit is electric. It can be overwhelming, but ultimately it is a picture of God at work. As a writer you can meet key people, network with fellow writers, collect catalogs (those that aren’t digital), and simply increase knowledge of what the industry is all about.

CON: Unrealized expectations. Too many writers think the convention should be all about them. It isn’t. Disappointment is palatable with some folks at the end of the experience. Their publisher didn’t pay enough attention to them; not enough people came to their signing; no editor was available for an appointment…etc. Go to the convention with modest expectations and the chance of disappointment with be minimized.

MORE CONS: In addition the convention has changed significantly in recent years. For the book publisher it is no longer a sales event. It has transformed to a type of author relations event. It makes the authors who come feel good, but it doesn’t help sell books. If you are an author and are doing a booksigning at the convention, don’t fool yourself. More than half the people in the autograph signing line could care less about the author – they want the free book. Sound cynical? More than a tad. But veterans know that I speak the truth. It is still a great way to get books into the hands of booksellers. But it isn’t only fans who are in line.

Eighty percent or more of the publishers sales have already been made on forthcoming product by the time the ICRS convention rolls around. That is why you see bored sales reps standing around in the publisher booths.

This year will see radical reductions in attendance. The economy has hit the expense budgets hard. Most publishers are severely limiting their presence. Thomas Nelson, Steeple Hill, and Waterbrook are not exhibiting at all.  Others are sending a third of the staff they have in the past.

A few publishers banked heavily on the Christian Book Expo in Dallas (March 2009) which was a financial disaster of mythic proportions. So when this July show was planned, there simply wasn’t the budget.

We’ve seen this coming slowly but surely. The music industry’s presence dropped dramatically some years ago. And I see the book publishers following suit.

Some are predicting the demise of the show. I doubt that will happen entirely. It may change, but it is unlikely to go away. And don’t forget that the gift products almost always must be chosen in person. A buyer for a store cannot, or should not, make their product selections out of a catalog or a one inch picture online.

There are few venues where all levels of the publishing industry can gather and exchange ideas. Executives, sales people, marketers, publicity experts, authors, agents, journalists, etc. all in the same place. I really enjoy being at this event. It is a highlight of every year.

To my eternal delight two clients won!

Marlo Schalesky won in the contemporary romance category for her book Beyond the Night (Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group).

Tracey Bateman won in the contemporary series category for her book You Had Me at Goodbye (Faithwords).

Since neither Marlo or Tracey could attend, I had the privilege of accepting their awards and reading their speech. A thrill and an honor.

Other clients who were finalists include:
Susan May Warren - Finding Stefanie (Tyndale) – contemporary romance category
Tracy Higley - Shadow of Colossus (B&H Publishing Group) – historical category
Pamela Binnings Ewen - The Moon in the Mango Tree (B&H Publishing Group) – historical romance category
John B. Olson - Shade (B&H Publishing Group) – visionary category

Congratulations to each and every one of these great authors. And heartfelt congratulations to all the finalists and winners. The evening was a sucess. The keynote by Richard Foster was tremendous (“Every writer has a spiritual formation. But often it is a de-formation which is why we are in need of re-formation.”)

Visit the Christy Award site for all the details. (www.christyawards.com)