By Richard Polese

NATIONAL REPORTS show dramatic increases in the number of smaller local and specialty bookstores. The recorded 2,321 stores today is a 40 percent higher count than the number in 2009. Despite (or because of?) the departure of Borders and other big chain outlets, the rapid infusion of e-books, and Amazon’s burgeoning monopoly, it seems a growing number of people simply enjoy picking up printed books, turning a few pages, greeting friends, perhaps sitting with a cup of coffee, and toting a book or two home.  

Local authors Sandi Wright, Roberta Parry, Maxine Davenport, Elaine Pinkerton and Fiona Simon will be offering their books for sale at the Homegrown Authors table on Tuesday, May 1, when the Santa Fe Farmers Market opens for the summer. This is the sixth year the New Mexico Book Association has sponsored a successful table open to all its members.

A table filled with books is a pleasant surprise to many tourists who visit Santa Fe in the summer. For them, it’s a great place to pick up last minute local gifts for people back home, or  to read on the airplane going home. Many local residents also like the idea of meeting the authors and getting an autographed book, unavailable in book stores.

Drop by the table while you’re at the Market supporting our farmers and our writing community.

MARI ANGULO joined the New Mexico Book Association in 2017, and she’s excited to increase her participation by supporting the production and design of NMBA’s fresh Libro Nuevo Newsletter!

Mari specializes in marketing, publicity and graphic design for authors and nonprofits nationally through Artotems Co., a Santa Fe based marketing and publicity firm she co-owns.  She is a recent recipient of Federation of Press Women's communication awards for book trailer videos (2015, 2017) and e-newsletters for nonprofits in 2017.

Mari began her college career at St. John’s in Santa Fe, and then received degrees in International Business and Marketing from Universidad del Valle de Mexico, a Laureate International University in northern Mexico. There she spearheaded the first V-Day "Vagina Monologues" event in the region. Upon settling in Santa Fe she managed the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts, marketing workshops, programs and performances for youth and professional flamenco artists, and then became Executive Director of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association.

The Santa Fe Community Foundation identified Mari as an Emerging Social Sector Leader in 2016. Since then Mari has served as panelist for the New Mexico Arts Division Grants for Arts Learning In Schools and In Community. She enjoys combining her nonprofit and marketing experience with her lifelong appreciation for the arts and social services. Mari's hobbies include travel, photography, and kickboxing! Reach Libro Nuevo’s new co-creator at [email protected]

GARNETT STOKES was sworn in as UNM’s new president on March 5. Seven days later the University’s Board of Regents approved a contract with Longleaf Services “to assume both warehousing and distribution functions for the UNM Press.” All warehouse stock and fulfillment services will be moved to a Tennessee location by July 1, 2018.

This wasn’t the happiest turn of events for many book people throughout the Southwest.

Several have deep concerns how this move may impact our long-respected book publishing realm here. Cost savings were the rationale for the move, but contract terms are also costly.

The University of New Mexico Press oversees distribution for some thirty notable publishers in our region. We were told that UNM will soon determine which publishers it will continue to work with under the Longleaf deal: “On a case-by-case basis,” according to Melissa Vargas of the Provost’s office. Cutbacks are coming for UNM Press staff and the number of titles that will appear in a given year. Richard Schuetz was named Interim Director of UNM Press last July.

On Tuesday, April 17, NMBA hosted an evening workshop about book reviews with Art Tucker and Mari Angulo of Artotems Co. at the UU Congregation in Santa Fe.

Whether it’s word of mouth, blogs or review sites like Goodreads.com or Amazon, feedback is essential for compelling new readers to pick up a book.  Authors and publishers attended the event, where Mari and Art shared tips and tricks about the world of book reviews. Attendees learned about the different types of book reviews, websites that can help books get discovered, and received instructions about how to write effective reviews and post them on popular review sites.

By Shirley Melis, Author and NMBA Member
Originally posted on Shirley's blog

“I came here expecting to buy produce, and here I am, buying books!”  The tall man in khakis and a blue polo shirt cradled three books in one arm while his wife listened to another author at the table pitch her book.

Homegrown Authors, sponsored by the New Mexico Book Association, is the brainchild of Maxine Davenport, a local author who writes compelling short stories and novels about strong women.  Love Is a Legal Affair is her latest. As many as six local authors can be found indoors at Santa Fe’s Farmers Market every Tuesday morning until Thanksgiving.  Their works of fiction and non-fiction run the gamut from westerns and murder mysteries to memoir and travel stories.
  
•    Gone to the Dogs is author Tom Lohr’s story of his 103-day odyssey to find the best combination of baseball and hot dogs at major league baseball parks in North America.
  
•    Belinda Perry, author of An Old Woman’s Lies, also writes westerns, using the name William Luckey.  “When I started writing westerns, I figured no one would buy a western written by a woman,” Belinda confides. 
 
•    Taking the act of walking seriously is author Michael Metras’s mission.  Germany to Rome in 64 Days: Our Pilgrimage is Michael’s book about a walk he took with his wife, whom he met on a walk across northern Spain.  On the Germany-to-Rome trek, each went through nine pairs of shoes.