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​.

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!

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.)​

Award winning memoirist and NMBA member Shirley Melis h0sted a wonderful workshop detailing the memoir writing process. Shirley discussed the essence of memoir writing – what it is and what it is not. Also, how it’s different from autobiography and fiction; why it can be therapeutic but not therapy; how a wiggly memory can trip you up; and why voice matters. She mentioned the Show-Don't-Tell edict, the importance of scene-setting and how rewriting can make a good memoir great. Lastly, Shirley provided a must-read list of resources and a few of her favorite memoirs.

​If you are interested in watching her memoir workshop, you can purchase it here.

In hopes of accommodating as many members as possible, the NMBA board voted to have both an in-person meeting and online meeting for the month of September. Both meetings took place on the second Friday of September at 11:30am. Having both types of meetings allowed for members to participate in the format that they felt most comfortable with. There was great conversation and members were able to share what they have been working on. Below we have a photo of the group that attended the in-person meeting at Tiny's Restaurant. 

This year we will be presenting Denise Chávez with both the Richard Harris Award for her novel The Last of the Menu Girls, and the Book-in-Hand Award for her work with Libros para el Viaje (Books for the Journey).

The Richard Harris Award is funded by a grant from the Harris family. Harris was a founding member of the New Mexico Book Association, author of many books, and a mentor to publishers. The Harris Award is presented annually to a book whose outstanding excellence authorship, editorial preparation, design, and influence, is deemed worthy of high honor and recognition.

The Book-in-Hand Award recognizes exemplary service in getting books into readers' hands. We honor Chávez, whose dedication and generosity has helped put Spanish as well as bilingual books in the hands of refugee, asylum, and migrant families on the U.S./Mexico border.