Wanda's Book World

SIBA’s Core Bookstore memberships are 18% above this time last year.  I think it is due to these economic times that we are seeing this growth and  others in the industry should take notice. 

I have been putting on the largest southern bookselling trade show for nearly 20 years. Through both thick times and thin, and I have to say that it is during the thin times that folks most need the SIBA Trade Show.

How to make the most of a trade show experience?  Defining the goal for attending is the most critical first step to a successful experience.

 Answer the question: How can I best exploit the trade show to meet my goals?

There is still no more economical or effective way to a make contact with a multitude of booksellers and others from the industry than through the SIBA Trade Show.   The SIBA Trade Show is more than worth the money and effort.

Again, the key is to do the homework in advance.
What exactly does the money buy you?
What other opportunities are there and which are the most affordable and/or the most productive for my kind of book or this kind of author or launching a new imprint or a new series or getting authors in my store or dealing with a shipping issue or a credit issue?

I think the internet will prompt more on-line experiences as the methods become more affordable and accessible but nothing will replace the face time that the SIBA Trade Show offers.  No one wants to feel that they are alone in their triumphs and challenges and the trade show offers a unique opportunity for publishers, booksellers, authors, wholesalers, industry media, librarians, academics, gift reps, rep groups, and others to share with each other in a way that is both out of time and out of space.  This simply cannot be replicated.