By Joseph T. Sinclair
There are three trade shows coming up in the Bay Area in which authors and publishers of book apps may be interested. These conferences tend to be very expensive, as they present many educational sessions over a multiday show.
I’ve found that one can learn a substantial amount just by getting into the trade show floor (“Expo”) and visiting the vendors. The admission is often free or a nominal price. By talking with vendors until you understand what they offer (not always easy), you can learn a huge amount—potentially more than attending the educational sessions.
You need to decide whether these conferences are relevant to what you’re doing before you attend. Otherwise you may waste your time. The conferences are:
AnDevCon (http://www.andevcon.com/AndevCon_sanfrancisco/index.html), November 12-15, Hyatt Regency Burlingame, Expo free
Appnation (http://appnationconference.com/an5/), December 3-4, Moscone, Expo $20
Appsworld (http://www.apps-world.net/northamerica/), February 5-6, Moscone, Expo free
San Francisco (Silicon Valley) continues to be the app center of the universe, and as a result, we get many of the trade conferences. Eventually the conferences will migrate to other cities. Digital publishing seems to have its epicenter in NYC but focuses on ebooks, an antiquated platform.
San Francisco is the second literary capital of the US behind NYC. The literary scene here is very robust and substantially ahead of third place (probably LA). Because of digital publishing, the literary gestalt of San Francisco has been leveraged as never before. Take advantage of the potential edge it can give you while you can. In five years this window of opportunity will pass as digital publishing technology penetrates the hinterlands.
Author
One of my favorite things about BAIPA is its culture of generosity, the willingness — even eagerness — to share what we have each learned in the process of bringing stories to life. We provide educational programs, networking, marketing opportunities, encouragement, and information on industry vendors and services. And lots of one-on-one advice and mentoring.
We welcome all who have an interest in making connections within the world of independent publishing and learning more about how to publish and sell their work successfully. Together we are raising the standard of independent publishing and helping our members thrive.
Do join us!
—Becky Parker Geist, BAIPA Board of Directors, President
Quick Resources
Current BAIPA members do not need to register for our monthly meetings. The night before the meetings, they will receive the Zoom info. For workshop registration, currently, members get in free for all workshops and will receive the Zoom info the night before the meetings, as well as in the confirmation email.