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.

Related posts:

1. Convention Time!
2. ICRS / CBA Bookseller’s Convention
3. 2009 ICRS Observations

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.

Related posts:

1. ICRS / CBA Bookseller’s Convention
2. ICRS Observations 2010

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.

Related posts:

1. 2009 ICRS Observations
2. ICRS / CBA Bookseller’s Convention
3. New Releases May 2010

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?

Related posts:

1. ICRS / CBA Bookseller’s Convention

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.

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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)

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