So a mere two days after we arrived back Stateside, Justine and I threw ourselves into Book Expo America, a vast mass of parties, free books, and publishing schmooze.
The first thing you realize about BEA is that it is big. Thirty thousand people big. Here’s a photo of a tiny part of it:
Do you believe me now?
The first day at the S&S booth, Simon & Schuster staff were handing out sample books of Extras (not advanced readers’ copies, just the first three chapters. Scotty was late). They were being extremely good sports and wearing t-shirts declaring themselves to be uglies, pretties, specials, and extras.
That’s my jet-lag expression. Note dark circles under eyes.
On Saturday, I had a signing, where more sample books were passed out. Here’s the vast and intimidating autographing area where about 20 authors sign at the same time.
And here’s a view from backstage.
On the left you can see the hordes of people lining up in the maze of stanchions (reminding this Texan of a cattle yard). On the right, the boxes of books waiting to be signed. I’m pretty good with crowds by now, but passing through that curtain at the beginning of your signing is rather nervous-making.
Here’s me in action . . .
I signed about 200 sample books in my hour. The jet lag hit about halfway through, so apologies to friends I didn’t recognize, people I was weird to, and for all the misspelled names. And thanks for coming! You were all very sweet.
And suddenly it was over with five minutes to spare, so I put on an “I’m an Extra” shirt to pose with.
By the way, Simon & Schuster will be giving away loads of these shirts as October 2 comes closer! And I’ll be giving away any spare Extras sample books. Watch this blog for details.
Thanks to everyone at S&S for the posters, t-shirts, party invites, lunches, and other kindnesses that made BEA loads of fun.
So very soon I’ll be doing the following:
1) Trying to put up the videos I’ve been taking.
2) Put up promised pix of Singapore, etc.
3) Blog some of the books I swagged at BEA.
And don’t forget that you can pre-order Extras now.
that’s cool. when will you post the first three chapters of extras on the computer so we can all read it.
i’m the first to post!!
when the shirts come out, where can we get them?
I really want a T-shirt of all four of them
yay! i have some one to talk to!
and i wnat all four t-shirts too. as well as my sister.
why does it say june 5. its june 4.
i know i always get confused by that
I know how Scott feels, our drama team went through a time zone to get to the comptition. I didn’t sleep for two noghts and can’t sleep in moving vehicles. I spent the whole trip home staring at a “No Smoking” sign above our teachers head. I blinked about three times and that was it.
OMG… thats cool! I want a T-shirt 2! So you have more of the “pre” extras books….. You should post it here so we can read it!!!
PS: Loved the pictures!
I WANT A T-SHIRT!! I’M AN EXTRA!! 😀 😀 Hehe. BEA sounds amazing.
I want a specials shirt. Really, really badly. If I had known you could get them, I so would have been there. Oh well, I hope you got over your jet lag and hope to see Singapore soon.
OoOoOo I want a t-shirt too!
i want to go to BEA
i wish i could go to BEA too!!!! yea you should really post the first 3 chaps for all your fans online to see. and when will the t-shirts come? i REALLY want an ugly and special one!!!
I WANT A T-SHIRT!!!:-) sorry… got kind of carried away. I want Extras SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD!!!
I really really want a shirt, too!! So do my friends as well. And I totally want the first three chapters of Extras. I think it would be so fool if all of the fans could see them on the blog.
It says June 5th even though it’s the 4th becase it’s a different time zone (I think Australia.)
I want to read the first three chapters!!!!!!!!!
And I want the t-shirts!!!!!!!!!!!!
okay, that answers my question.
i want one of those shirts so bad. i just got my friend to start reading uglies. she necer reads so it’s a miracle. she likes it a lot so far. i just noticed that you have the bluest eyes ever. i know that sounds really disterbing ans wierd but you do.
I WANT ONE TOO!
Candy, i have a dog that is named Candy Girl. i like to spell Candy like Candi.
a little off topic.
Ya, those shirts are sweet! and i cannot wait to read extras. My mom wont let me pre-order ***Gives mothrer dirty look***
I want a shirt! That would be so awesome. Sounds like you had fun, Scott, even in your jetlagged state.
This is a question that is probably gonna make me sound stupid, but those ‘I’m an Extra’ T-shirts… What exactly IS an Extra? Is it some kind of ugly? Or did Scott just call it that because the book it self is extra?
I’m sure this question has a fairly obvious answer and I am just randomly rambling, but I still don’t know.
i want the shirts they rock but even more i want the first 3 chapters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it would be fawsome at the bea
YAY!! I wish I could have been there…that’s so COOL!!! 🙂
my sympathy goes out to you, it must really suck having to sit and sign all day. i would need a donut to sit on so my butt dosnt go numb! but i guess its all worth it, right?
AHHH! I so want to be there even though its like over. And I want a T-Shirt. And I want a sample book. I want alot of stuff. SCOTT’S A GIANT MUFFIN STEALER!! Go to Maureen Johnson’s blog for details on that note. Lol.
luv the shirts!!!
Freakin sweet.
Would that equal fweet?
I want an uglies shirt/sample book, dayum.
yeah, i guess it would.
All I want is for my kitten to stop trying to chew on my hair. But a t-shirt would be nice. And a sample book. And for it to be October already so I can read extras.
I see I am really really late chiming in to say I NEED THAT T-SHIRT! The “Im an Ugly” one.
*gapes at biggness*
That looks like so much fun. All books and authors, it would be kinda like heaven…
I want one of each shirt. WHERE CAN I GET ONE? I don’t wanna wait that long for Extras… but at least I can get it for my birthday… Yay birthday!
bea really does look like heaven elmo. you know what people say if you are at a friends house a lot they say it is you second home, well that is looks like 6th after my church, the public library where i live, barnes and nobel and half price books
kinda off of topic
question scott- (having to do with maureen johnson’s blog) was that gigantic muffin real? or was it some prop material stuff like the candy boxes that sadly don’t have giant candy in them?
OH happiness is here come on Scott make my summer pleez tell me where i can get a shirt and a sample book. I am 17 years old unemployed except for babysitting so the highlight of my day is when i get to change a diaper that doesn’t have a “surprise” in it. And i’m a huge fan i even spend $18 on specials because my library didn’t have it yet and i wasn’t patient enought to wait. Give me something to do while the kids sleep man.lol.
I can’t wait for Extras! I teach high school reading and after I convince my students that Uglies really isn’t as long as they think it is (or get sneaky and use Peeps or So Yesterday to snare them in to your writing), they’ve all loved it. There has been some spirited debate amongst students who have read it about the relative annoyance of various book endings, but that’s a GOOD thing!
If you have a spare extra of Extras (that’s just fun to say …) I know that our librarian would ADORE a copy. Yes, I do beg shamelessly on behalf of my public school’s library. 🙂
wow those ppl are like really really lucky!!!! i cant wait for extras!!! and how do u get a shirt i want one!!!!!!!!
I want a shirt that says “I’m a special”!
oh that sounds like fun you know it is really random looking at eveything from everyones different points of veiw scott westerfeld maureen johnson ,and john green all talking about the sam ething, except different like maureen johson talked about the book thing for like 3 hrs (not that it’s bad) and john green, was more interested in a nerd fighter wedding. and scott was more like in the middle kinda if you know whaty i mean. anyway it’s been coolhearing about all this stuff from everyone
omg someone with the same name as me posted just before me, and it’s confusing so i am the one rambling on about different perspectives just to ket you know
I want a shirt soooooo badly! Were did this event take place?? I soo wish I was there. I wish little ol’ me could have the first three chapters of Extras.
I want them 2
how do you buy the t-shirts
I just saw Rosie O’Donnell on E! at BEO. Sigh. It looked so awesome. Although it can be annoying when there are so many people. And I’m going to ALA! Can’t complain. I can’t wait to get Extras. You have got to post the three chapters here soon.
Heyyyy, was the BEA open to the public?????
If it was,,,,,,,,,,,Scott!!!! You should have mentioned something!!!!!i SOO WANTED TO GO
sorry if i sound so whiny but i really could have gonbe and see you and other authors if i knew it was happening!!!!!!!!!!Awwww man
You have 2 post the first three chapters!!!! I really, REALLY don’t think I can wait till october to read them!!!
FIRST. THREE. CHAPTERS= COMING TO ME. Pleaaaase Scott-la? I’ll even answer questions or wear strange Uglies-themed costumes out in public (… that isn’t much of a sacrifice though) I’ll even write what I think Extras should be like if you want:D