Book people of the world, unite

And they will, starting Friday in Washington, D.C., when BookExpo America, the nation's biggest trade show between two covers, convenes.

More than 2,000 exhibitors, from the mighty publishing giants Random House and HarperCollins to a retired hippie selling handmade patchcouli incense sticks to New Age bookstores will be peddling their wares inside the cavernous Washington Convention Center.

Better yet, BEA organizers claim that 500 authors will pass through the convention doors, many for the world's biggest autographing sessions, others for a series of seminars, readings and talks.

Then after the show closes, the parties begin in earnest around the nation's capital, with publishers, agents, writers, booksellers and me, one of the people who write about all them, trading gossip, news and jokes.

I'll be offering my own perspective on BEA in a blog and podcasts, honed to a science after attending BookExpos since 1988. Check here starting Friday: www.post-gazette.com/books/bob.asp.