I had a FANTASTIC time at BEA, and wouldn’t hesitate to go again. The biggest expense for me was the plane trip – over $300 – but aside from that, I kept everything pretty low-cost. Kelly’s given you all a pretty good play-by-play, so here’s just a few highlights (and lowlights) from my own experience.

The Good:

• I am ridiculously proud of my packing plan. I knew that shipping boxes of books back would be pricey, so for my trip there, I brought one large-ish suitcase (but still small enough to be a carry-on) and stuffed two smaller cases inside (a regular suitcase and my backpack). All of my clothes and such could fit inside one of these smaller bags. I was lucky enough to be flying JetBlue, which allows a free checked bag, a free carry-on, and a free “personal item” (including backpacks), so all of my return luggage was completely free. My checked bag ended up weighing 44 pounds. That sucker was heavy. I don’t even want to think about how much my backpack weighed. I ended up bringing back 78 books, not including all of the other swag I picked up. The shoulder strain was totally worth it. I will be bragging about my packing ability for years.
• I was able to snag some pretty awesome books, including new releases from Philip Roth, Ann Brashares, Lauren Oliver, Cornelia Funke, and Cassandra Clare, as well as some exciting debuts, such as The DUFF.
• I discovered that so many people who work for publishing houses are more than willing to just send you books in the mail if you simply ask. When Kelly and I visited Egmont, we were handed a catalog and told to email the publicist which titles we were interested in. Simply amazing.
• The librarian’s dinner was pretty awesome – free food and free hardbacks, plus some fun talks by authors.
• Being surrounded by so many people who love books more than almost anything in the else in the world was just plain magical.

The Bad:

• My return flight was delayed over two hours, meaning that instead of landing back in Texas at midnight, I got there at 2 in the morning. And then had a 1.5 hour drive back home. Needless to say, I went in to work late the next morning. I count myself lucky, however, since Jen’s flight was canceled and she had to spend an extra night (on her dime) in the city.
• Ohmygoodness LINES. And CROWDS. There were many. If you hate lines or crowds, BEA is not for you. If you are not willing to be more than a little grabby and occasionally aggressive, BEA is not for you. I hesitate to call this a bad, since I actually got pretty pumped by the masses of people all there because they LOVE books, but it can be overwhelming. Know that you will be crushed by people. Know that you will probably have to wait in a number of lines. Know that it will be worth it.

The Truly Amazing:

• I came home from BEA to find a galley of Monsters of Men awaiting me (which I received simply because I asked for it at TLA). What a wonderful homecoming.

As for tips and tricks? I think the best advice I can give is to just relax and don’t get too disappointed if it turns out you don’t get a galley you really wanted. Chances are, the publicist will send you one anyway if you ask nicely (and mention that you blog). Other than that, a few dos and don’ts:

DO get there early.
DON’T over-plan; instead, try to go with the flow.
DO utilize the packing room and the bag check.
DON’T over-pack; leave the non-essentials at home and make more room for books and swag.
DO give yourself plenty of time for transportation. You never know what NYC traffic will be like (ranging from bad to absolutely nightmarish).
DON’T take your wheeled suitcases into the exhibit hall. Seriously. Don’t do it. It’s not allowed, plus everyone will hate you.

So, who plans on joining us next year?