Perseus to Create BOOK on BEA Trade Show Floor: First Sentences Wanted

During a 48-hour span at BookExpo America, Perseus Books Group will publish BOOK: The Sequel, a collection of first sentences submitted by the public for yet-to-be-written sequels to any book ever published. The rapid-fire, multi-formatted creation of BOOK will demonstrate, right on the trade show floor, that publishing is agile and tech-current.

"Basically we're producing a book -- in multiple formats over the weekend of BEA," said Matty Goldberg, vice president, sales and marketing at Perseus. "We're doing it all right on the floor of the show and invite participation -- certainly for the content of the book -- from any and all attendees."

All are invited to submit entries for BOOK: The Sequel (Clive Priddel, editor; PublicAffairs), which will be completed by 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Submissions are being accepted online at www.bookthesequel.com. (One example: "You see; I was right." From Das Kapital, Revised Edition, by Karl Marx.)

Readers are invited to write the first sentence of a sequel to a book they love (a new title for the sequel is optional). Submissions will close at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, the first day of BEA. BOOK; The Sequel will be created in multiple formats, including print book (via POD in the Perseus Booth on Saturday), eBook, digital audio download, and large print edition. In addition, BOOK will have an online presence via its own website, Facebook, and Twitter, and it will be reviewed by traditional media, lit bloggers, and more.

The work area for BOOK: The Sequel will be open and visible to all booth visitors. While all final decisions lie with the editor and publisher, specific parts of the process are designed to encourage audience collaboration: BEA attendees can weigh in at an editorial meeting in the booth; contribute to a publicity and marketing meeting at which the pitch and rollout will be calibrated; join a jacket design meeting where book package decisions will be made; and more. Booksellers are being encouraged to participate in all aspects of the publication process.

Royalties from BOOK: The Sequel are being donated to the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards. A celebration marking the book's publication will commence in the Perseus Books Group booth (#4237) at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. --Karen Schechner