BookExpo 2020 Program

Description and more information to come.

Meet the Editors gives booksellers the opportunity to experience the book editing process through in-person visits with New York book editors at their offices. Booksellers will go directly to their assigned publishing house at 9:30 am, where they will meet with editors for approximately 90 minutes. The structure of the editor meetings will vary by publisher but they are meant to give a behind-the-scenes look at the philosophy and process of book editing. Booksellers will be on their own to return to Javits following the publisher visits. Booksellers will be randomly assigned and will receive their publisher information by email prior to BookExpo. Registration via ABA opens on April 1.

Relax, refresh, and meet with friends in the ABA members-only lounge, located (on Wednesday only) on the Mezzanine on the way to the River Pavilion.

BookExpo's Editors' Buzz 2020 shows off the books that readers and media will be buzzing about. Join this session to hear editors share their excitement and passion for six of the fall's biggest potential breakout releases. Moderator: Bradley Graham, Politics and Prose, Washington, DC.

Aftershocks: A Memoir by Nadia Owusu (Simon & Schuster, Publication Date: August 18, 2020)
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel (Alfred A. Knopf, Publication Date: August 25, 2020)
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books, Publication Date: August 25, 2020)
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (William Morrow, Publication Date: October 13, 2020)
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. (Putnam, Publication Date: January 5, 2021)
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir by Sara Seager (Crown, Publication Date: August 18, 2020)

ABA member bookstore owners, managers, and event coordinators will meet with publicists from several publishers among the participating companies. During the timed “dates,” booksellers have the chance to promote their stores and discover what publicists look for when planning author tours. Representatives from the same store will rotate together to assigned publicists’ tables. Stores will be scheduled for seven rotations in total; details will be sent via email to participating stores a week or so before BookExpo. Pre-registration via ABA is required and opens on April 1; registration closes May 1.

Five authors will take the stage for the annual Adult Book & Author Breakfast on Thursday, May 28. Radio host and television political analyst Zerlina Maxwell will host the event, and she’ll be joined by United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, Carmen Maria Machado, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Rebecca Roanhorse. Each author will draw from their diverse backgrounds and perspectives to discuss their latest books and initiatives. Register here.

Visit the ABA Member Lounge to pick up books and have them signed by the authors featured at the Thursday morning Adult Book & Author Breakfast. Exclusively for ABA member booksellers.

BookExpo's Young Adult Editors' Buzz 2020 shows off the books that readers and media will be buzzing about. Join this session to hear editors share their excitement and passion for five of the fall's biggest potential breakout releases. Moderator: Kelly Estep, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes (First Second, Publication Date: August 18, 2020)
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido, Publication Date: September 7, 2020)
Eventide by Sarah Goodman (Tor Teen, Publication Date: October 6, 2020)
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, Publication Date: October 13, 2020)
Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf by Hayley Krischer (Razorbill, Publication Date: October 6, 2020)

Social media is a large part of most businesses' marketing efforts, and it's a great tool because many of your customers are already on major platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, it’s a marketing tool that can easily take up a great deal of time, and it may even become overwhelming... but it doesn't have to. In this session, you'll hear from fellow booksellers about simple tools and tips you can use to simplify the social media marketing process while still reaching your audience across all major platforms.

Booksellers have the opportunity to hear from authors of the Summer/Fall 2020 Indies Introduce debut picks. This event will feature the bookseller panelists who curated the diverse list of upcoming titles and many of the authors, who will each read a short passage from their debut and answer a question posed by a panelist.

The ABA Town Hall provides booksellers with the opportunity to express opinions and share ideas with the Board and staff in an informal setting. To provide an opportunity for as many members as possible to speak during the Town Hall, email [email protected] or add your name or topic to the sign-up sheet displayed in the ABA Member Lounge.
All ABA members are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting, which directly follows the Town Hall. The Annual Meeting features reports from the Board of Directors and executive staff on the association’s activities over the past year, as well as updates on new and ongoing initiatives.
The ABA Member Lounge will be closed during both the Town Hall and Annual Meeting and will reopen at 4:15 p.m.

Raise a pinky to the authors and narrators whose talents are brought together to create incredible listening. Moderator Bahni Turpin guides us behind the scenes with Mark Oshiro, Emma Straub, James S. Murray, and Darren Wearmouth as you get to know secrets about how great audiobooks are made. Separate ticket required. Purchase tickets here.

Exclusive for ABA member booksellers. Meet and get books signed by Indies Introduce and other featured authors. Details to be announced.

The Children’s Book & Author Breakfast is BookExpo's annual event that showcases several of literature’s most esteemed children’s and young adult authors. The breakfast, sponsored by Candlewick Press, will feature Judy Blume, Natalie Portman, Misty Copeland, Raj Haldar, Marie Lu, and Kwame Mbalia. Register here.

Visit the ABA Member Lounge to have books signed by the authors featured at the Friday morning Children's Book & Author Breakfast. Exclusively for ABA member booksellers.

At Editors Speed Dating, booksellers will meet with groups of editors to talk about new and upcoming titles.
Booksellers can select their top two genres, and ABA will try to make sure booksellers sit with editors who publish books in those categories. The categories booksellers can choose from are as follows: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Romance, Narrative Nonfiction, History/Politics, Religion/Philosophy, Cooking, Poetry, Works in Translation, Art/Photography/Design, Graphic Novels, Children’s Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult. Sign up by March 27.

BookExpo's Middle Grade Editors' Buzz 2020 shows off the books that readers and media will be buzzing about. Join this session to hear editors share their excitement and passion for five of the fall's biggest potential breakout releases Moderator to be announced.

Chance: A Memoir by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers, Publication Date: August 25, 2020)
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist (Crown Books for Young Readers, Publication Date: August 17, 2020)
Land of Cranes by Aida Salazar (Scholastic Press, Publication Date: September 15, 2020)
Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall (Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, Publication Date: August 18, 2020)
Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Publication Date: September 1, 2020)