If you’re at BEA this week—and what book-industry type is not?*—come check out Abby, LibraryThing’s first hire and Head Librarian give a short talk on Thursday at 1pm.

Also, she’s organizing a get-together in NY. Friday night at 6:30, anyone and everyone—BEAers or not—is invited to meet up at The Half King Bar & Restaurant (505 W 23rd Street).**

Abby’s speaking alongside representatives from HarperCollins, Grand Central Publishing, MySpace and Gather. The topic is “Using Social Networking to Build Author Brands.”

She’s going to outline what LibraryThing is all about, and how authors and publishers are using it. But LibraryThing is something different—more? less?—than “social networking” and “author brands” is one of those bloodless, push-push, container-shipping phrases that obscure what’s really going on. Readers don’t connect with “author brands” anymore than passionate lovers connect with “lover brands.” Social networking–or social cataloging–is about real connections. Brands are to real connections what television is to telephone.

Anyway, quibble aside, I’m sure it’ll be a great panel.

*That would be me. I’m on a 1×3-mile island off of Ireland. Really.
**The Half King is apparently a very literary place—they have readings every Monday night, and it’s co-owned by Sebastian Junger. If his place is full of LibraryThing-ers, surely he’ll become a LibraryThing author.

Labels: Uncategorized