NEW MEXICO BOOK ASSOCIATION - News

NEW MEXICO BOOK ASSOCIATION

New Mexico Library Association Sales Opportunity Happening Soon!

9/12/2023

The New Mexico Library Association (NMLA) is holding its annual conference in Albuquerque on October 25-27, 2023, at the Marriott Pyramid North. NMBA will be displaying and selling our authors’ books in their exhibitor area.
This conference marks the 100th anniversary of NMLA, and is likely to be a well-attended event.

Important: This opportunity is for NMBA members only. If you aren’t certain of your membership status, check the Member Directory at https://www.nmbookassociation.org/member-directory.html

To participate, do the following:

Register online by October 13 at https://www.nmbookassociation.org/nmla-2023.html. The fee is $35 for the first title and $25 for each additional title.
Provide 5 copies of each title you plan to display.
1. NOTE: if you have participated in previous shows, we may already have copies of your books. (If you’re not sure, email Paula at lozarpaula@cs.com, and put “NMLA Book Sales” in the subject line.) Check before you mail any additional books!
2. If we need more books, mail them to New Mexico Book Association ℅ Coyote Arts, Attn: NMLA 2023, PO Box 6690, Albuquerque, NM 87197-6690. Books must be received by October 13.
This year we are using an online catalog only. Use the form linked to the registration page to upload the PDFs of your sell sheets for the catalog. Specifications for sell sheets are on the registration page.
We are seeking volunteers to help in our booth at NMLA. Volunteers are needed for three-hour shifts on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and two-hour shifts on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. From past experience, we know that sales are better for authors who are present in the booth, so consider helping us out at NMLA! The link for volunteer sign-up is also on the registration page.

NMBA Summer Gala 2023 Alight with Passion

8/29/2023

Nacha Mendez

Writers, book designers, publishers, and more literary lovers gathered for the annual New Mexico Book Association's Summer Gala on August 23rd at Las Campanas in Santa Fe.

The summer heat cooled as attendees mingled outside the Club Room under the portal, munching on assorted appetizers on a picture-book summer evening in Santa Fe.

Acclaimed guitarist and performer Nacha Mendez brought her quintessential song and musical talent to the Gala by playing for NMBA members and friends. Mendez, voted Best Female Vocalist in Santa Fe in 2009 and 2010 and the recipient of the New Mexico Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, made sure the air sizzled with song.

But New Mexico's award-winning poet, memoirist, and screenwriter Jimmy Santiago Baca stoked the artistic passion of NMBA Gala attendees. Often described as both a "firebrand" and "inspirational," Baca is, in the main, a storyteller. Raised first by his grandmother and later sent to an orphanage, Baca was a runaway at age thirteen. After being sentenced to five years in maximum security prison, Baca learned to read and write, unearthing a voracious passion for poetry and what writing can bring to the human soul.

Baca described himself as notoriously anti-social saying. “I don't go out anymore. I’m devoted to work and have been for many years. I get some invitations from global publishers, which normally I turn down, but I'm always a sucker for regional publishers.” Weaving stories about being a robber gang’s lookout, stumbling upon a nine-bedroom house of his dreams that he would later own, and taking young teenagers from east Los Angeles into the hallowed library of Stanford University, Baca revealed the inner workings of his life and writing to gala attendees.

Jimmy Santiago Baca

Of particular interest to many Summer Gala attendees, the NMBA announced the finalists and winners of the 2023 Southwest Book Design and Production Awards (SWBDA) competition in twelve categories. Twenty-seven books, and by extension, their authors, book designers, and editors, were honored. Award winners are listed in this article’s sidebar.

The Association also revealed its 25th Annual Book-In-Hand Award, which recognizes individuals and entities for their diligent efforts to put books into the hands of readers. Jimmy Santiago Baca was recognized for his work with at-risk youth through the non-profit Cedar Tree, with the mission to help transform the lives of at-risk youth through workshops on writing and literature in prisons and community centers. Jean Devine, owner and operator of Garcia Street Books, was recognized for her collaboration with NMBA that showcases member authors and their books on the Garcia Street Books portal in Santa Fe the first Saturday of the month while the weather holds.

Shirley Melis- co-president, outlined the year's activities and accomplishments. Co-president Miguel De La Cruz announced the names of newly elected board members, effective August 2023. Treasurer Paula Lozar recognized two long-time NMBA members, Shanti Banwart and Art Tucker, who passed away this year.

Once the program and awards portion of the Gala ended, NMBA members were treated to a book signing by Jimmy Santiago Baca, including collections of poetry, memoirs, and short stories. NMBA purchased fifty copies of two books by Baca, and the author himself brought a stack of titles for NMBA members.

NMBA Board Members

Photos by Bill Frej & Pat Galagan.

NMBA member Lisa Lucca Podcast Interview

7/14/2023

Listen to NMBA member Lisa Lucca, winner of the 2022 Southwest Book Design and Production Award from the New Mexico Book Association for her book Ashes to Ink in the LGBTQ category, discuss the challenges of writing about your past while living in the present. Lucca was Interviewed by memoir coach, memoir teacher, memoir editor, and memoir writer Marion Roach Smith on Querty, a podcast by, about, and for writers who want to live the writing life.

Listen here:
https://marionroach.com/2022/12/writing-about-your-past-while-living-in-the-present-with-lisa-lucca/

Meet the Authors at Garcia Street Books

7/3/2023

The successful "Meet the Authors" monthly event at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe continued on July 1, 2023.
Rebecca Skeele, Donna Pedace, and Sandi Wright (L to R) displayed their books to readers and buyers on the portal of the bookstore. Thanks to Garcia Street Books for offering NMBA authors this opportunity!

Note, the bookstore has offered to continue the tables through October. We're full up for August 5, but I'll soon be sending out a call for the two following months. If you're interested, watch for the email.

Feria del Libro de la Frontera- International Book Fair in Juarez, Mexico

4/28/2023

The New Mexico Book Association has been invited to display and sell member books at the annual government-sponsored 2023 Feria del Libro de la Frontera in Juarez, Mexico. NMBA Co-President Miguel De La Cruz, who lives in Las Cruces, will be handling our booth at the fair, which attracts thousands of English- and Spanish-speaking and reading people from Mexico and U.S. states bordering Mexico.

Here’s How You Can Participate

Because the cost of a booth in Juarez is less than the cost at the Tucson Festival of Books, we’re able to charge less to register.

Fees (payable by check or PayPal):
$15 for first book title; $5 for each additional (maximum of three)

Submit three (3) copies for each title: If we already have your book(s) in our book show stock, we’ll use those. If we don’t, please mail copies to Paula Lozar (address below)). If you’re not sure, email Paula: lozarpaula@cs.com. Books and/or check must be received by Paula by May 12th.

IMPORTANT!

Participation is limited to registered NMBA members. If you’re not yet a member and would like to participate in the Juarez Book Fair, you can register to be a member here or if you would like to renew your membership, you can do so by clicking here.

Display Tables at the NM Writers Dinner

4/10/2023

NMBA Display Table- Photo by Paula Lozar

NMBA showcased 45 of our members’ books at the New Mexico Writers Dinner at La Fonda in Santa Fe,
April 6, 2023. Thanks to James McGrath Morris, Executive Director of New Mexico Writers, for helping
to make this happen, and thanks to the committee (Shirley Melis, Anna Sochocky, Jordan Jones, and
Paula Lozar) who collected the books and assembled the supporting materials. This was not a sales event,
but we handed out lists of the books on display (including purchase information), and also distributed
brochures for the Southwest Book Design and Production Awards.

The display will make another appearance on May 18 at the opening reception for the Santa Fe
International Literary Festival. This will take place at the Santa Fe Convention Center, and authors and
publishers whose books are on display will be invited to the reception – watch for an email with specifics.
After the May event, New Mexico Writers will donate the books to local libraries. Thanks to everyone
who participated, and we hope to see you on May 18!

Report from Tucson 2023

4/6/2023

NMBA’s trip to the Tucson Festival of Books, March 4-5, 2023,
was a success: We sold more books for more of our authors
this year than last year. As before, authors who volunteered
in the booth tended to sell more books, probably because
readers like the personal touch. (Also, although we ask
participants to submit five copies apiece of each title,
volunteers are free to bring extra copies with them to the show,
so some volunteers sold more than five copies of their titles.)
We had clear, mild weather, although it had actually snowed
in Tucson a few days before!

The festival included nearly 200 booths spread out along
the grassy mall in the center of the University of Arizona
campus. Besides booksellers, there were literary nonprofits
(such as writers’ organizations), businesses that offer editing
and promotional services, small specialty publishers (fantasy, science fiction, and Westerns seemed to be popular), and academic publishers. There was an extensive children’s book
area, plus science displays and demonstrations, a National Parks gift shop, and representatives from nonprofit historical and archeological associations, museums, and educational programs. NMBA was unique as a professional authors’ and publishers’ association with state-wide membership. The festival also features a wide variety of speakers, panel discussions, and readings – this year the speakers included Linda Ronstadt (a local hero!) and Bernie Sanders. So the festival is very well attended: I haven’t seen this year’s totals, but estimated attendance averages around 135,000 visitors.

Photo of our booth at Tucson courtesy of Connie Nelson

It's impossible to predict which books will sell, and this year’s best-sellers at the NMBA booth ranged
from children’s books to memoir and fiction. We had inquiries for Young Adult books, Native American
topics, and travel books, but we didn’t have any of those this year – so if you write in those categories,
consider participating next year. We gave out business cards directing interested readers to our online
catalog; even if your book didn’t sell at the show, it had lots of exposure and, possibly, follow-up orders.
(Let us know about those; we’d like to hear about the effectiveness of our catalog.)

This year the “Indie Authors” area had a different format: Authors were asked to apply in advance for a
time slot in the reading area and go through a selection process. If you are considering participating in
this aspect of the festival in the future, instructions will be on their website, tucsonfestivalofbooks.org.
(This section of their website may not be functional yet. We’ll let everyone know when the dates for next
year’s festival are announced, and you’ll need to check back after that.)

Thanks to this year’s volunteers: Dominique Mazeaud, Shirley Melis, Connie Nelson, and Sandi Wright.
Frank Hirsch helped with booth set-up and take-down. Jordan Jones was indispensable in assembling our
online catalog, setting up our online Square store, and trouble-shooting our card reader from a distance,
and Anna Sochocky collected books from show participants and transported them to my house. Special
thanks to Jared Gann, who carpooled with me to Tucson through blizzards and epic traffic jams (no
exaggeration), and unloaded and reloaded many cartons of books and booth supplies as well as helping in
the booth. We’re grateful to all of you for your help in making this year’s festival a success for NMBA,
and we hope to see you again next year in Tucson.

-- Paula Lozar

2023 Winter Fiesta

1/29/2023

by Connie Nelson

Over forty NMBA members and guests attended the Winter Fiesta in-person event at Las Campanas on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Shirley Melis and Miguel de la Cruz, 2023 NMBA Co-Presidents, coordinated the program which centered on presenting the annual Richard Harris Award to Leslie Marmon Silko for her book Ceremony. The NMBA will, as part of the award, purchase copies of the book to donate to New Mexico libraries that don't have Ceremony in their collections. Ms. Silko was unable to attend due to her health. Long-time NMBA member, Barbara Ruther was eulogized by Paula Lozar.

Participants were asked to join one of the four NMBA standing committees and/or one task force which include:

Workshops/Outreach
Social Events
Book Sales
Bylaws

The task force will review the tax-exempt status of NMBA during 2023. The standing committees are ongoing.
Shirley encouraged the participants to get involved.

Next, the guests were encouraged to promote their books with one minute “elevator speeches”. Many authors also sold books.

A sign-up sheet for information on the Tucson Festival of Books was circulated. Registration information will be added to the NMBA website next week. NMBA will have a booth at the event which will be held March 4-5 in Tucson.

The NMBA monthly meeting will be held via ZOOM on February 10 at 11:30 a.m. You can RSVP to the meeting by clicking here.

The next workshop, Self-Publishing Journey, is scheduled for February 21, you can register to the workshop by clicking here.

Photos, courtesy of NMBA member Pat Galagan

2022 NMBA Summer Gala

9/7/2022

NMBA Board Members

by Paula Lozar

The New Mexico Book Association held their annual meeting and Summer Gala on August 23 at the Clubhouse at Las Campanas. We were fortunate to have a beautiful clear evening to better appreciate the lovely surroundings. (Thanks to Shirley Melis for arranging the venue!) After gathering for “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” drinks, and conversation, the attendees heard a brief presentation from President Jordan Jones about NMBA’s history and mission, as well as our plans for upcoming workshops and book selling opportunities.

The Book in Hand Honors were presented to three recipients: Carly Newfeld for her podcast “The Last Word: A Place for Writers” on KSFR 101.1 FM; and Sandi Wright and Jared Gann for managing the Southwest Book Design and Production Awards (SWBDA) for three years after Jim Mafchir’s retirement.

Paula Lozar read a brief memorial to Jim Mafchir, who passed away in November 2021. Jim was a
founding member of NMBA from its earliest beginnings in 1994, served as President for multiple terms, and established and ran the SWBDA awards program for seven years.

Jordan then presented this year’s SWBDA awards:

WINNER, Trade Book, non-illustrated:
Stargazer: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel by Anne Hillerman (HarperCollins Publishers; Jarrod Taylor, designer; Sarah Stein, editor).

FINALIST, Trade Books Non-Illustrated:
Little Hours: A Novel by Lil Copan

WINNER, Trade Book, illustrated:
The Nature of Lake Tahoe: A Photographic History, 1860–1960, by Peter Goin (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer; Elise McHugh, editor).

FINALIST, Trade Books Illustrated:
Mud, Space and Spirit: Handmade Adobes by Alan MacRae and Virginia Gray

WINNERS, Art and Photography:
Maya Ruins Revisited: In the Footsteps of Teobert Maler, by William Frej (Peyton Wright Gallery Press; William Frej, photographer; David Skolkin, designer; Elizabeth C. Hadas, editor).

Fire Ghosts by Philip Metcalf and Patricia Galagan (George F. Thompson publishing; Philip Metcalf and Patricia Galagan, photographers; David Skolkin, designer; Joanna Hurley, editor).

FINALISTS, Art and Photography:
Seasons of Ceremony: Rites and Rituals in Guatemala and Mexico by William Frej

Fragments of Spirit: 60 Years: A Photographer's Recollections of Taos Pueblo, the Region and its Arts by Sara Frances (Photo Mirage Books)

WINNER, Guides:
Hiking Trails in the Valles Caldera National Preserve, by Coco Rae (University of New Mexico Press; Felicia Cedillos, designer; Stephen Hull, editor).

The Mexican Chile Pepper Cookbook: The Soul of Mexican Home Cooking, by Dave DeWitt and José C. Marmolejo (University of New Mexico Press; Mindy Basinger Hill, designer; Stephen Hull, editor).

WINNER, Poetry:
Walking Uphill at Noon: Poems by Jon Kelly Yenser (University of New Mexico Press; Mindy Basinger Hill, designer; Elsie McHugh, editor)

WINNERS, Children:
Albuquerque Gerdy by Sandi Wright (Art Academy de los Niños; Jared Gann, designer; Paula Lozar, editor).

Playful Prairie Dogs by Neecy Twinem (Roman & Littlefield/Muddy Boots; Neecy Twinem, designer).

WINNER, Body, Mind, Spirit:
Whispers in Sound: A Profound Healing Journey through Sacred Vibrations and Meditations by Laura Penn Gallerstein (Sedona Sacred Sounds Press; Diane Rigoli, cover design; Janise Witt, cover photography; Arlene Matthews and Jeff Braucher, editors).

WINNER, LGBTQ:
Ashes to Ink: A Memoir by Lisa Lucca (JuJu House Publishing; Lisa Lucca, cover design; John Edgar Harris, interior design; Magdalena Bartkowska, copy editor).

FINALIST, Memoir:
What Cannot Be Undone: True Stories of a Life in Medicine by Walter M. Robinson (University of New Mexico Press; Mindy Basinger Hill, designer; Elise McHugh, editor).

See all winners here.

During the time that Jim Mafchir ran the program, one of the awards we presented was always “Jim’s Choice.” We have continued this tradition by renaming the top award each year as the “Jim Mafchir Best in Show Award.”

The Jim Mafchir Best-in-Show award went to two titles:

Maya Ruins Revisited: In the Footsteps of Teobert Maler by William Frej.
Fire Ghosts by Philip Metcalf and Patricia Galagan.

The election of board members was conducted by paper ballots distributed to all the members in
attendance. All current board members were re-elected.

The board met after the party to vote on officers for the coming year. Jordan Jones announced that work
pressures prevent him from serving another term as President, but he is willing to stay on the board and
run the SWBDA awards program; we are grateful to him for his leadership and support for the past two
years of unprecedented difficulty. Vice President Miguel de la Cruz will serve as co-President for the
coming term. Jordan will remain as co-President through the end of 2022, after which Shirley
Melis will replace him as Miguel’s co-President. Anna Sochocky will serve as Vice President, in charge
of programs and outreach. Secretary Connie Nelson and Treasurer Paula Lozar will remain in their
current positions.

Our gala was featured on The New Mexican, you can read it here.

NMBA at the Tucson Festival of Books 2022

3/25/2022

by Paula Lozar
<br><br>
Our booth at the Tucson Festival of Books was a success: We sold close to $1,000 worth of books. As usual, some authors did very well, some moderately well, but many sold only one book or none at all. There’s no way to predict which books will sell, but the NMBA representatives in the booth did our best to promote everyone’s books. As always, the authors who were present in the booth tended to have better sales because purchasers enjoy the personal touch.

Left to right: Martha Egan, Paula Lozar, Jared Gann, Rebecca Skeele. © Rebecca Skeele. Used by permission.

It’s hard to describe how big the festival is unless you’ve been there, but there were 180 exhibitor booths, 270 authors scheduled to speak (plus 160 self-published authors in the Indie Authors pavilion), dozens of book-signing booths for authors, 15 food vendors, and an extensive Science City with exhibits ranging from solar telescopes to cockroaches. The exhibitors included publishers large and small, libraries, nonprofit organizations of all kinds (history, archeology, mental and physical health, and even a model train museum), and regional writers’ groups. We noted that NMBA seemed to be unique as a state-wide authors’ and publishers’ association, and our selection of books was wider ranging than most.

Left: Rebecca Skeele with a conference attendee. Right: Paula Lozar and Jonathan Miller.
Photos: © Rebecca Skeele. Used by permission.

Attendance at the Book Festival has reached 135,000 in past years. I haven’t seen the totals for this year yet, although the crowds looked substantial. In 2020, the show was canceled (literally at the last minute) because of the pandemic, and there was a smaller virtual event in 2021, so both exhibitors and attendees seemed delighted to get together in person again. We had a good location near the Children’s Area, so there was a lot of foot traffic past our booth. And the weather was perfect – around 70 degrees, clear, and sunny both days.

We are crunching the numbers. Authors who sold books will receive an e-mail to clarify payment methods, and then payment will happen within a week or so. Note that, if your book sold, you’ll get the full price that it sold for. NMBA covers credit card processing fees and AZ sales taxes, although you’re responsible for paying your own state and Federal taxes on your earnings. NMBA doesn’t take a cut of the sales price; the cost of the booth and other expenditures are covered by participant fees.

Many thanks to Martha Egan, Jonathan Miller, and Rebecca Skeele, who helped in the booth for all or most of the weekend. Riyon Harding supplied us with welcome bottled water and diet sodas. A special shout-out to Jared Gann, who helped me drive my 4-Runner full of books to Tucson and back, as well as assisting in the booth all weekend too. It was hard work, but I feel the results were worth it, and we should definitely sign up for the show for next year. (A note to indie authors: There are opportunities for you to give readings and book-signings, but you need to sign up early; if you’re interested in being a part of next year’s Tucson Festival of Books, check out their website at tucsonfestivalofbooks.org.)