If you’re attending BookExpo America, you’ve probably caught wind of some of the exclusive publisher/blogger parties. These special parties are invite only. You hear about bloggers attending the “Harlequin Breakfast” or “Macmillan blogger happy hour”, etc. Then you start feeling bad about yourself and/or your blog because you weren’t invited. You might be thinking:
- My blog sucks
- Do publishers not know I exist?
- Is it because I don’t do enough promos for them?
- Maybe other bloggers are just cooler than me
- Is it because I went on a hiatus that one time six months ago and now I’ve killed my chances?
- Maybe I don’t post enough reviews..
Get those negative thoughts out of your head! Party invite or not, your blog is awesome. It’s yours, you own it, you rock it, and the lack of a party invite shouldn’t make you think otherwise.
Why you shouldn’t be put out if you didn’t get an invite
Last year I wasn’t invited to any publisher parties, but I was invited to one blogger party. I was so excited! It sounded like a lot of fun and I was eager to see what bloggers/authors/books would be there.
I never went.
This particular party was in the evening. By the time the BEA day was over, I was EXHAUSTED. Like, dead on my feet and want to go to bed at 7pm exhausted. As much fun as the party sounded, I couldn’t bring myself to get in a cab and travel all that way and party into the night. It sounded too exhausting. I wanted to take a shower, climb into bed early, and sleep.
Since I bailed, I wasn’t invited again this year (I assume that’s the reason). And while that did disappoint me, it made me realize why I shouldn’t be upset about not snagging an invite to that party (or the others):
The book convention on its own will keep you so busy!
There are so many amazing authors and signings at the book convention. Looking at my schedule, I can’t imagine how I could pencil in more breakfasts and lunches. Girl, I got signings to go to and galleys to grab! And as for the evening parties: I’m fine not going. I’ll be enjoying a nice, early night sleep, thank you very much. Maybe that makes me sound old and boring, but BEA is exhausting!
I’m sure the parties are fun, but you will have enough signings, panels, and giveaways to keep you extremely busy during the day, and at night, you’ll probably be ready to plop down and sleep for a solid 8-10 hours.
You’re totally right! I was invited to two things last year. I declined on one because I had something else to do, and I didn’t get invited back this year. I got two invites this year, had to decline one b/c it’s at 3pm and I have an author signing. I sent a nice email, never heard back. I know they are busy but at least acknowledge you received the email. In any case, I think I’m most upset because almost all my blogger friends that I will be hanging with while there will be going to these parties, and I’ll go back to my room. But not really. I have two dinners and then a book event at a bookstore. So I’ll be zonked. I agree, it’s A LOT. And, while I would love to get invited to SOMETHING else where my friends are going, I guess I’ll just suck it up and remember that the convention is more than enough. And there’s always next year! BTW, looking forward to seeing you again. I think you should hang with me. We can have our own party!
Yeah getting invited to things is nice, and it’s easy to feel left out if you’re not invited. Especially when people ask you, “Are you attending the Harlequin breakfast?” and it just makes me feel lame when I explain that I wasn’t invited.
But you’re right, we’ll be totally zonked! I definitely was last year. I think I’ll be really glad when I can just go to my room, relax, do nothing, and stare at my new books, haha.
I’d love to see you again!! I’m posting my BEA schedule on Monday so you’ll have an idea of where you can find me. 😀
Awesome! I’ll be spending a ton of time at the SHP booth since I have four authors signing, so I’m sure I’ll see you there 🙂
You are awesome! And dude I don’t know how they choose invitees but if you and I weren’t invited obviously it’s their lost! #Hairflip
Haha but really I’m so with you. Last year I wasn’t invited to a bunch of parties that the bloggers I went to BEA with were going to and by the time I got back to the hotel I was DEAD ON MY FEET! Like that is not us being old that is us having a BLAST at BEA and walking for NINE HOURS! I think I went to bed at like 9pm the 2nd night – and dunno if you’ve heard but I’m a night owl, 9PM for me is almost breakfast still! haha! Can’t wait to see you there!!
LOL same here! I usually stay up well past midnight, but I went to bed at like 9 or 10 every night at BEA.. and that’s after being a zombie through dinner and constantly thinking to myself, “I wish I could fall asleep at this dinner table.”
I’m not going to BEA – it’s just too expensive because of where I live and the timing is off – but if I could go I think I would be too exhausted for any parties too. I know I’d want to meet up with as many other bloggers that I know as possible, but we can set those things up on our own, we don’t have to go to other parties. Plus I’d want to get back to my room early enough that I have some energy left to read before bed. I can’t go to sleep without reading for a least 15 minutes and usually an hour.
Aw, I’m sorry you’re not able to attend. 🙁
There are tons of opportunities to meet with bloggers at BEA. The Blogger Conference is a great one because everyone around you is a blogger. But there are also tons of opportunities while you’re waiting in line at BEA. Or there’s also the Bloggers Picnic and Meet and Drink.
And yes, it would be very nice to snuggle up and read some of those new galleys before bed. 😉
I didn’t even know they had parties! I haven’t yet been to BEA since I started blogging, but I’m hoping to go next year. I won’t get my hopes up if I get invited or not, I’ll be too excited to just be there. 🙂
My first year at BEA, I was invited to one party, which was awesome. But otherwise, I ended up making plans with other bloggers for each night and just exploring New York City. One of my best nights was going out to dinner with about 30+ bloggers at this super swanky Mexican restaurant. I mean, this might sound arrogant as a NYer, but NYC, to me, is the greatest city in the world. Didn’t get invited to a party? Visit Times Square! See a show! Check out Central Park! Plan a dinner with your blogger friends. There’s just so much to do in New York City. I guess the tl;dr version of this is — if you don’t have party plans, that’s fine, I can guarantee that at least 5 other people you might know are in the same boat, text them and meet up at Pinkberry or Maxwell Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man and know that you are going to have the time of your life talking books with great people who GET YOU over some excellent food.
Just my super long two cents.
I went to BEA for only one day last year and I was pooped by 3pm. I have no idea how I made it back and I probably wouldn’t have gone to a party, even if I was invited. Plus, the weather outside was particularly bad and I’m sure I would’ve showed up in a less than ideal state. :/
I LOVE this post. This is my third year going and my first year at getting some party invites. I’m excited to go to see what they’re all about but you’re so right; you have a blast without them. Especially with so many public signings/events during the week at BEA and the fact that so many other bloggers are in the same area as you, you could easily make plans. NOT TO MENTION the fact that you’re in NYC so of course there’s plenty to do. BEA wears you out and usually at the end of the day you want to eat, shower and sleep…and if you’re lucky, someone will volunteer to massage your feet (but I wouldn’t count on that).
All bloggers are awesome. And all blogs are awesome. Actually, scratch that. All readers are awesome. Period.
I agree with all of you! BEA is awesome but VERY tiring! I was invited to two parties this year… on the same day and almost at the same time. So far, I plan on going but that’s it, I need the rest of the time to rest or go to dinner with friends.
Also, I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason on how the invite people to these parties. My first year at BEA I was invited to a publisher’s breakfast, and I went (loved it!), but was never invited again.
Last year, I registered and got invited to ALL the parties. ALL THE PARTIES!
But then I didn’t go to BEA, because I had just come home from RT at the beginning of the month (where I also attended all the parties!) and immediately left again two weeks later for a week-long beach vacation. I COULD have gone to BEA, but I was sucking the vacation fund dry by the end of May and hadn’t seen my fiance pretty much the entire month even though we live together.
This year, I got invited to, like, two parties. I also took a blogging break last fall/winter because of wedding planning (you know how that is, a giant time suck) and I think what surprises me the most is, I’m in pretty good with several of the pubs who didn’t invite me, but invited a lot of the bloggers I’m traveling with. I’m fairly certain it’s because I blew it off last year.
Such is life. I would actually love to meet up with you and talk wedding planning if you have time!
I’m sorry you didn’t get reinvited to parties this year. 🙁 That’s rough! But I know exactly how you feel since that kind of happened to me (on a smaller scale). It’s a bummer!
I’d totally love to meet up with you. 😀 I’m posting my BEA schedule on Monday so you can use it to come find me! Haha
Ehhh, I did get invited to two and that is fine with me! Most of us are getting there on Tuesday, too, so I’m going to have a chance to get acclimated, as well as spend time with everyone.
I’ve lived on the East Coast my whole life, minus six pesky years a long time ago, and I’ve never been to NYC. Worst East Coaster ever.
I will make sure to look for you!
YES so true. Last year I was just exhauuuuusted. We were supposed to go to the blogger picnic but we were just so tired and not feeling well. I have so many places to be this year (somehow!) and I hope I’m not dying by the time it’s time for the parties haha.
This is a great reminder Ashley. Thank you! 🙂
This is a fantastic post, about a topic I have wondered about. Last year was my first as a blogger. I had joined up with a team of girls that ran a book blog in Portuguese after attending BEA the previous year as a Power Reader. I figured we received no invites because our blog was mainly outside the country and because we did not (due to work schedule) sign up for the bloggers conference. Since this past BEA me and one if the other girls that live in the US decide to part ways with that blog and start up our own, it’s still fairly new and we are working on getting more followers and getting up more posts. I also got married this year and my fellow blogger was my maid of honor, so we had a full plate of wedding planning and a new blog to out up. Hoping now that is all so e we can refocus on the blog. Definitely planning on going to BEA15. How about you?
Yep I’ll be at BEA15 too! 😀 I already have my flight booked!