Damn have we been busy. In early June the three of us (and my wife and boy) flew out to New York where we attended the Book Expo America (BEA) at the magnificent Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Literally everyone in the publishing industry is spread across two levels of the entire center. Alian design went from table to table and talked with just about every publisher as well as making time for some old friends along the way. We gathered hundreds of contacts to potential collaborators for book projects. Seeing the amount of publications and comparing the quality of work between all the publishers was fun, insightful and enthralling to say the least. This is a cut-throat industry to be in—that's for sure. Art directors are guarded as a high commodity and everyone seems slightly afraid of designers—even though they're the ones who make this magic look so good—or bad—point is, we had to pull some strings to get certain contacts.

In the end, the 3 day event proved successful for us as we left with a sense that there is room for us—and our good work. If you have never gone to such an event and are in the industry—even as a graphic designer—I would highly advise the trip. The next one is in LA, and we will be sure to be there—souring the floor for whatever crumbs or loafs may fall our way. Truly a humbling experience...

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i

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