If you’re attending the giant BookExpo America convention in Washington, D.C. May 18-21, pay attention to the journalists, book reviewers and other media people who will be there, keynoting or speaking on panels.
I found these names while paging through the convention program. This list is by no means comprehensive.
Thursday, May 18:
10-11 a.m.–Creating Digital Press Kits, Jess Todfeldt, “Fox & Friends”
11:30-12:30–How to Prepare for Media Interviews, Jess Todfeldt
2:30-3:30–Capturing the Baby Boomer Behemoth: Are Publishers Ready?, Hugh Delehanty, Editor-in-Chief, AARP Publications
5-6 PM, Opening keynote by Tim Russert, Host of “Meet the Press”
Friday, May 19:
10:30-11:30 a.m.–National Public Radio, Meet the Producers panel: Amy Salit of “Fresh Air,” Setsuko Sato of “Talk of the “Nation,” Susan Sweeney of “All Things Considered”
11-11:45 a.m.–The BEA Interview Series with Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine
Noon-2: Saturday Book & Author Luncheon with commentator Pat Buchanan, “20/20” reporter Lynn Sherr
1-2 p.m.–DC Print Media: Meet the Editors, Carol Memmott, book critic for USA Today; Benjamin Schwarz, literary & national editor, Atlantic Monthly; Marie Arana, editor, Washington Post Book World
2:30-3:30 p.m.–State of the Thriller, including David J. Montgomery, critic, Chicago Sun-Times
3-4 p.m.–Fiction Under 40 and the Future of the Novel, Lev Grossman, book critic, Time magazine; Laura Miller, journalist, critic & co-founder of Salon.com; John Freeman, freelance writer & book critic, Jennifer Reese, critic, Entertainment Weekly; Oscar Villalon, book editor, San Francisco Chronicle
4-5 p.m.–Mind Body Spirit Publishing: Marketing Trend Update: Lynn Garrett, religion editor, Publishers Weekly
(I won’t be attending this year because of a prior commitment.)
Note: When you meet journalists at these events, this is NOT the time to pitch. Paul Furiga, a former business journal editor who was my guest on a teleseminar a few years ago on “How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story,” says events like this are crowded and noisy and the last thing journalists want to hear is your story idea. Introduce yourself and ask if it’s OK to follow up with a call or email later the following week.