FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Tina Jordan
BookExpo America
203/840-5384; tjordan@reedexpo.com
or
Roger Bilheimer
908/233-4107; Bilheim@aol.com

BEA’S SPANISH BOOK PAVILION
EXPECTED TO DOUBLE IN 2002
 
-- New exhibitors, Spanish book buyer programs, educational seminars on 2002
Convention Agenda -

Norwalk, CT.  September 4, 2001.   Reinforcing the growth of the
Spanish book market in the United States and abroad, BookExpo America show
management today announces new initiatives set for the Spanish Book Pavilion
at the upcoming 2002 convention.  BEA 2002 is scheduled for May 1-5 at the
Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.
Show organizers plan to create targeted marketing and incentive
programs intended to bring more Spanish book buyers to the show including
bookstores, public and academic librarians, college university professors
and teachers of Spanish. All-inclusive special educational programming,
networking opportunities, and economic registration and exhibit options are
slated to support the needs of Spanish book buyers and publishers.   BEA has
also retained the services of Spanish language consultant Karin Kiser of
Kiser & Associates to assist in “Libros En Español” strategic planning.    As
a result, convention organizers hope to double the size of participating
companies within the pavilion for the New York event. New exhibitors within
the pavilion already include Editorial Pax México, Pleasant Company
Publications and Fondo de Cultura Económica USA. The pavilion will be
centrally located on the third floor of the convention hall.
“Once considered niche, the Spanish book market has now become
mainstream, and the industry continues to seek and create methods in which
it can take advantage of this growing area,” notes Greg Topalian, BEA’s Show
Manager.  “BEA intends to continue its focus on bringing more buyers to the
show by targeting up to 20,000 new attendees, so our participating Spanish
book publishers will get more value from their convention participation."
Currently, the Hispanic population in the U.S. has topped 35.3 million and
the U.S. is currently the 5th largest Spanish speaking country in the world.
By the year 2010 only Mexico is expected to have more Spanish speakers.

BEA has launched a multi-tiered Spanish Book market outreach program
to include exhibitor, attendee, education and networking opportunities as
incentives for participating Spanish Book Pavilion buyers and sellers. 

They include:
 
*   Key Spanish Book Buyer Outreach.  Relationship
development, marketing and advertising campaigns are already planned with a
number of key Spanish Book buying groups. All major distributors and
retailers of Spanish books will be targeted, as well as major organizations
including: SALALM (academic librarians of Spanish material); REFORMA (public
librarians of Spanish material); MLA (Modern Language Association); and the
AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese,
representing outreach to almost 16,000 potential buyers.  Librarians who
oversee the purchase of Spanish titles are also expected to double in
overall librarian participation at BEA.
  
*  Networking Opportunity. New for 2002, show organizers
will facilitate guaranteed one-on-one meetings with exhibiting distributors
and publishers, expanding upon initial efforts with Borders and
participating exhibitors last year.  In addition, a dedicated networking
reception sponsored by Críticas will also be planned for Spanish language
publishers and book buyers for the opening day of the show.

*   Gold Buyers Program.  In order to assist Spanish Book
Pavilion participants with generating more contact with prospective buyers,
show organizers will offer discounted attendee registration options to
exhibitors’ top ten prospective accounts.

*   Educational Programming.  BEA will offer more Spanish
book market-specific programming this year throughout the show’s five-day
conference program, allowing both buyers and sellers more educational value
while also conducting business at the show. Topics currently slated include:
“How to Maximize BEA and the Spanish Book  Pavilion; Marketing Spanish
Books:  Advanced Strategies for the U.S. Market”; “Market Update:
Publishing in Mexico”; Market Update: Publishing in Spain.”

*   Author Autographing/Publicity.  Encouraging exhibitors
to send their authors to the show, BEA will continue to provide a dedicated
Book &Author Salute featuring Spanish or Latin American authors within its
popular author autographing program. Dedicated press announcements of those
featured authors will also be released to key Spanish language publications
for heightened publicity.

*   Economic Booth Alternatives/Directory Listings.  In
order to provide more economic booth space alternatives, BEA will offer
smaller booth options to first-time Spanish Book Pavilion exhibitors, and
also for the first time, will provide participating companies, whether in a
stand-alone booth or in a collective, the opportunity for independent
directory listings in BEA’s buyer’s guide.

“Expanding our commitment to Libros En Español facilitates
opportunity for Spanish book buyers and publishers," adds Topalian.  “Our
efforts are directed to our constituents’ bottom line, as evidenced by these
programs and initiatives intended to add more buying power on the show
floor.”  
 
For more information on exhibitor participation at Libros En
Espanol/Spanish Book “Pavilion at BookExpo America 2002, contact Karin Kiser
at 858/780-2660; karin@kiserassociates.com    For general information on
BookExpo America please visit the web site at http://www.bookexpoamerica.com
or call 203/840-5610.

#     #     #

----------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          
Bill Rinaldi, Wheelchair Avenger        

DUNMORE PA - September 4, 2001  Muscular dystrophy
destroys bodies. It needn't destroy lives. Despite his
affliction, Bill Rinaldi met Jack Kennedy, Sophia Loren
and Dean Martin. He got a phone call from Richard Nixon.
He graduated college and taught school. He runs for
elective office every four years and wins.

And that's how Bill Rinaldi avenges foolish notions that
disability means inability. With that in mind, he penned
his autobiography, You Can If You Think You Can - The
Power of Thinking Big. 

Bill Rinaldi can share with your audience:
.Meeting Jack Kennedy, Sophia Loren and Dean Martin.
.What Richard Nixon shared when he phoned.
.How great it felt to fight for equal access and win.
.How he manages a staff of 20 in a department that
   handles hundreds of thousands of documents a year.

Rinaldi has a BS in Accounting and an MS in Social
Studies/Secondary Education.

Televison appearances include Live with Regis and
Kathie Lee, plus 25 (yes, that's right, 25) Muscular
Dystrophy Labor Day Telethons. Public appearances
include hundreds of campaign speeches.

For an interview, phone the Wellness Institute at
504-361-1845 or email the author directly at
Rinaldiauthor@aol.com.  

You Can If You Think You Can is available at bookstores
or toll free at 1 866-77-BOOKS. Published by the
Wellness Institute, 164 pages, $14.95.

"Don't put your mind in a wheelchair."
 - end -
----------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

1stBooks Library to Offer Comedienne Extraordinaire Rita Rudner's
         Book of Comic Essays, "Naked Beneath My Clothes",
                                        in Traditional and e-Book Formats
Nationally Renowned Comedienne Brings Her Witty Observations To Online
Publisher

BLOOMINGTON, IN - June 11, 2001 - Rita Rudner, the renowned comedienne and
media mogul who has performed her routines on HBO specials and numerous
television talk shows, will now deliver her jokes on a new kind of stage.
  Teaming up with online publisher 1stBooks Library, Ms. Rudner's book of
comic essays, Naked Beneath My Clothes, will be published in traditional
and e-Book formats by 1stBooks Library.  The book will be available
beginning today at retail in hardcover wherever fine books are sold, and in
e-Book format from www.1stbooks.com.

Naked Beneath My Clothes is a collection of Ms. Rudner's most popular and
witty essays covering a variety of topics.  The soft-spoken comedienne
concentrates her unique brand of humor on a constantly rotating number of
observations, including everything from wearing makeup to marriage and the
foibles of human relationships.  Also scattered throughout the book, Ms.
Rudner relates some autobiographical anecdotes and includes random lists
that contain advice and comic truisms.

Born in Miami, Ms. Rudner embarked on an entertainment career in dancing at
the age of fifteen and quickly landed roles in a number of Broadway shows.
In her twenties, she decided to change direction and entered the world of
stand-up comedy.  She has since made scores of television appearances,
including the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay
Leno and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.  Her first HBO special,
Rita Rudner's One Night Stand was nominated for Two Ace Awards, as was her
English television show, which later appeared on A&E Network.  Her other
two HBO specials include Born to be Mild and Married Without Children.

Also authored by Ms. Rudner is Rita Rudner's Guide to Men, in addition to
two produced screenplays (Peter's Friends starring Emma Thompson and
Kenneth Branagh, and A Weekend in the Country starring Jack Lemmon and
Dudley Moore) written with her husband. Ms. Rudner currently resides in Las
Vegas, where she performs exclusively at the theatre especially built for
her by New York-New York Hotel and Casino.

About 1stBooks Library:
Based in Bloomington, Indiana, 1stBooks Library was established in 1997 in
order to fulfill the dream of authors who wish to have their books
published while retaining all rights and control of content.  1stBooks
titles are available in traditional hard copy format at thousands of retail
outlets worldwide, and in e-book format through the 1stBooks Library online
store at www.1stbooks.com.


PRESS CONTACTS: Brian Downey or Chris Persheff
The Steven Style Group
New York, NY
t) 212.465.1290 f) 212.465.1299
email: briand@stylegroup.com or chrisp@stylegroup.com


Christopher Persheff
Account Coordinator
The Steven Style Group
106 W. 32nd St., Suite 600
New York, NY 10001
t) 212.465.1290 f) 212.465.1299
email: chrisp@stylegroup.com



INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS PRESENT FOUR BOOK SENSE BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Author David McCullough Serves as Emcee for the Ceremony

(Tarrytown, New York)  David McCullough, author of current bestseller JOHN
ADAMS served as emcee for the presentation of the 2001 BOOK SENSE Book of
the Year Awards as voted by independent booksellers nationwide. The four
awards were announced and presented at the Celebration of Bookselling event
on Friday, June 1, during BookExpo of America. Before an audience of over
one thousand people, the BOOK SENSE Book of the Year Awards were presented
to:
Children's Illustrated: Olivia by Ian Falconer (Atheneum)
Children's Literature: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick)
Adult Nonfiction: Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented
Architecture by Ross King (Walker & Co.)
         Adult Fiction: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Picador USA)

Full release attached.

Scott McKinstry
Industry, Trade Practice
         & Communication Manager
scottm@bookweb.org
(914) 591-2665 Ext. 1286
(800) 637-0037 Ext. 1286
(914) 591-2720 Fax
American Booksellers Association
828 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
http://www.bookweb.org/

"There is a remarkable variety of insects that thinks books are just
delicious."
-- Ian C. Ellis