Category: book marketing

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TACW 2025

Madville showed up in force for the Texas Association of Creative Writers. It is a small conference that’s always a “feel-good” experience–even for first-timers. I laughed the whole time, because there is so much storytelling going on. It happens in the panels, of course, where attendees hear prepared work, whether poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, but the stories flow into the oral tradition when we eat and drink together. And I am really touched that so many Madville authors chose to attend the conference and read their work. Six of them showed up! And all but Steven Moore traveled a very long way to be there. The authors were Steven Moore (The Horizon Never Forgets), Dan Mendoza (Drum the Double Sun–Algoems), Earl Braggs (Obama’s Children), Goutham Rao (Electric Dreams), Bruce Overby (The Cyclone Release), and Amit Verma (A Quiver in the Purlieu, and The Ballads of Niam).

Steven is the current President of TACW, and Dan Mendoza is Vice President. They did a great job. (Previous president, Jill Patterson, is a hard act to follow, and our guys made us proud.)

Look for video of the readings on our YouTube Channel

And this is the URL for our YouTube channel where you will find the videos. We are spacing the publication of the videos out just a little bit on social media so that our audience doesn’t become overwhelmed! That means that we will continue adding videos for a little while, so bookmark the playlist and check back!

One large, messy caption…

I will try to do a mass caption here… Starting from the top left (Correct me if I’ve missed a name, please!): The new guy, whose name I forgot!, Cassy Burleson, Terry Dalrymple, Jill Patterson, Jim Sanderson, Laurie Champion, Kim Davis, and Chris Ellery. Moving clockwise, Daniel Mendoza, then Jim Sanderson, then a panel composed of authors with work in The Sowell Collection (I think!) I’m confused about who is who in this group. Below them, we see Amit Verma, Steven Moore, and Joe Haske having tacos for lunch. Then come Terry Dalrymple and Bruce Overby. Below them is the lovely view from our hotel room window of the lake at Grandbury at sunrise. Continuing clockwise, we come to Goutham Rao, then Cassy Burleson and Scott Yarbrough. The three women to the right of Cassy and Scott are Debbie Williams, Tui Snider, and Robin Carstensen. Above them in the parking lot are Earl Braggs, Steven Moore, Kim Davis, Amit Verma, and Daniel Mendoza. Above that is Earl S. Braggs, and last but not least, we have Steven Moore, his lovely and very efficient TA who’s name I have misplaced, and Amit Verma.

TACW 2025 President, Steven T. Moore,
Daniel Manuel Mendoza reading his poems from DRUM THE DOUBLE SUN: ALGOEMS. Dan is of average height, slim build, has dark shoulder-length hair and glasses with a close-trimmed beard and moustache.
Jim Sanderson reading stories at TACW 2025. He is a large man, seated. He has a bald head and glasses. His shirt is bright turquoise.
Madville authors at TACW 2025: Amit Verma and Steven T. Moore laughing with Joe Haske (a Texas Review Press author)
Sunrise in Granbury, Texas
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AWP25 Recap

Michael Gills with students from the University of Utah Honors college at Madville Publishing's booth for AWP25

Once again, we have Luanne Smith to thank for sponsoring our trip to the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference. As always we saw so very many friends–authors and editors with whom we have worked. Authors with whom we hope someday to work. Experts in the field with good advice, and talented new poets and writers. It didn’t seem as crowded as in years past, and there was clearly concern behind the cheery smiles and pats on the back. It’s a tough time to be trying to sell spots in creative programs. And it’s a tough time to try and make a living in publishing. We especially enjoyed connecting with fellow Texas publishers. Here are a bunch of photos. I’ll put them here and try to add the names!!!

And we missed pictures somewhere… Those who took photos with us, please share!

Madville Publishing's booth for AWP25. A colorful backdrop displays the Madville Logo in white over a reproduction of a Bob Boze Bell image used for the cover of Santa Fe Trail: Chasing the Big West.
Kim Davis and Michael Gaspeny at AWP25
Bill and Kim Davis in the lobby of the Moxy Hotel
The Los Angeles skyline seen from the 27th floor of the Moxy downtown. Lots of tall buildings and glass. Abstract image taken during AWP25.
Fiew of LA traffic taken from 27th floor of the Moxy downtown LA during AWP25
Kim Davis and Cat Smith complete setup at the booth for AWP25. Honkeytonk Sue, art by Bob Boze Bell stands between them.
Sign announcing 2025 AWP Conference and Bookfair. It was in the upstairs lobby of the AC Hotel--which shared some features with The Moxy.
Los Angeles traffic at night.
Michael Gills, Gabe, Jonah, Lee Zacharias, Bill Davis at the Madville booth at AWP25
Kim Davis, Michael Gills, Gabriel and Jonah, two students from Gills' honors class where students write a novel in a year.
This is an incomplete photo gallery from Madville Publishing’s AWP25 experience. There were several other authors we know we photographed… We need to connect with a couple of others who took photos. Bruce Overby? Patricia Clark? Lee Zacharias already sent hers…

We had many favorable comments about our new backdrop, and we have to admit that we got it from VistaPrint. They do amazing things quickly and inexpensively. I mention it here because some of our friends asked.

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Frankfurter Buchmesse 24

Kasey Rogers and Kim Davis pointing at one of the many bright pink signs at the Frankfurter Buchmesse. This one says "Reading Changes the World"

by Kim Davis

I went to Frankfurter Buchmesse to represent Madville Publishing for the first time this past week. According to Wikipedia, “The Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world’s largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. It is considered to be the most important book fair in the world for international deals and trading.”

I left the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday, October 12 and arrived in Frankfurt on Sunday October 13. It’s a 10-hour flight and you lose seven hours traveling west to east to get there. This is what I wrote that Sunday as I sat for another eight hours waiting for check-in time at the hotel:

“I’m sooooo-o-o tired… I haven’t slept a wink.”—John Lennon

I binged the entire fourth season of True Detective on the plane, the one with Jody Foster and Kali Reis. I knew I should try to sleep, that it would be morning when I arrived in Germany, but I wasn’t tired then. It was afternoon back home. The series was almost as good as the first season with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. I was blown away in that storyline by Matthew McConaughey’s performance that spanned 17 years. He displayed an incredible range. This fourth season I just watched with Jody Foster and Kali Reis was good, but I think the strength of this one was the story more than the acting. Don’t get me wrong, the acting was fine, but if the story hadn’t been strong, it wouldn’t have been special.

I spent the entire time puzzling at the piercings in Kali Reis’s cheeks wondering if the two sides connect like a bit with a chain running through her mouth. Of course that sent me on a search for information about Kali Reis. Did you know she was a professional boxer? That would explain why her character gets to beat some men all the way up in the show. It was good to see a bad ass woman taking the fight to the misogynistic bastards. But I liked the resolution. If there hadn’t been a good ending, it would have spoiled the show for me. That’s what happened in the second one. I didn’t see the third. But without a compelling finish, I leave a miniseries feeling disappointed—like I wasted my time.

So, I watched this series while flying over the ocean from Dallas to Frankfurt in preparation for my first trip to the Frankfurt Book Fair—the largest in the world, and the place to be if you want to sell foreign publishing rights. I’m nervous because I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m sure I’ve already missed a trick or two by not scheduling meetings yet. Still… Steps one and two are completed. I rode the airplane here and found my way to the hotel. Only trouble is that I arrived at the hotel at nine o’clock in the morning and can’t check into my room until four p.m. and I haven’t slept at all. Now I need to try and stay up all day so I can sleep tonight.

The Frankfurter Buchmesse

To say this fair is huge is an understatement. Here are some photos with captions that may give you an idea of what it’s like. We made some great new friends and hopefully some important business connections. As for foreign rights deals? We’ll see. That part of the trip was more of a learning experience!

Looking around the inner courtyard area at the Frankfurter Buchmesse
Looking around the inner courtyard area at the Frankfurter Buchmesse
Looking around the inner courtyard area at the Frankfurter Buchmesse
We walked miles the first day just trying to find our wan in and out and get something to eat.
We were in building number 5 on the first floor (not the ground floor...)
When we arrived the booth had to be assembled.
We were eight women publishers in cooperation. Deborah Franklin, Jade & Wilnona, the "And I thought ladies," Brandy Miller, Kasey Rogers, and Suzanne Mattaboni
Jade
Visitor to the booth named Molly, Brandy Miller, and Kim Davis
Kasey Rogers and Suzanne Mattaboni
Wilnona and author Cat Buchanan, who visited the booth a few times.
Two of the lovely ladies working the Korean language booth.
Suzanne Mattaboni and Kim Davis.
A panel by three french publishers about licencing film rights.
This group was discussing academic publishing in China.
The larger companies had huge stands.
And we learned a lot about presentation, and location at the fair.
We thought this booth was beautiful with a giant red velvet head of Michaelangelo's David.
Here is a beautiful, colorful booth.
Another beautiful colorful booth at Frankfurter Buchmesse
A beautiful booth we saw at the Frankfurter Buchmesse
Kim Davis, Dogman, and Deborah Franklin in front of our booth at the Frankfurter Buchmesse
We thought this display worked really well. Our neighbors across the corridor at Frankfurter Buchmunesse
The Forum building inside the Frankfurt book fair. This is where Kim practiced Zen navigation on the first day and did a circuit of the entire grounds. Had she just turned Right instead of Left...
Frankfurt Book Fair 2024 as seen from the 35th floor of the Marriott Hotel
Frankfurter Buchmusse from above.
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Midwest Book Review likes The Monosexual

The Monosexual, a novel by Dean Monti. The cover is on a beige, worn looking background with red lettering for the title and author name and blue lettering for a novel. A pattern of red, pink, and blue blobs in the center is meant to represent sushi.

We have a new review of The Monosexual by Midwest Book Review. (Have we mentioned Midwest Book Review lately? We are grateful to them for always supporting small publishers.)

The Monosexual from Madville Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.

–Clint Travis for Midwest Book Review

The Monosexual by Dean Monti

Madville Publishing
9781956440898, $20.95, PB, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Monosexual-Dean-Monti/dp/1956440895

Synopsis:

The Monosexual by novelist Dean Monti is the story of Vincent Cappellini, an obsessed ultra-monogamist who struggles when his relationship with the love of his life abruptly ends. Twice-burned (once in love and once by the sun) Vincent faces a host of challenges to his self-appointed sense of identity. Sunburn, bad sushi, a Sinatra karaoke contest, and the road rage fury of a woman scorned are but a few of the trials Vincent will endure while facing the ultimate test to his monosexuality — a new woman in his life.

Critique:

Through his remarkably distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, author Dean Monti raises his original and deftly crafted novel to an impressive level of literary excellence with a riveting and fun read for those with an interest in absurdist fiction laced with dark humor. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), The Monosexual from Madville Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note:

Dean Monti started writing at age two, but nothing legible until age five. Since then, his fiction has appeared in several literary journals in print and online. His critically-acclaimed novel, The Sweep of the Second Hand, was published by Academy Chicago Publishers and reprinted in paperback by Penguin. In addition to other novels, he is the author of several full-length and one-act plays and has had works staged in Chicago and Norfolk, Virginia. His short story “Why Dogs Don’t Talk” was adapted as a stage play and short film. Additionally, Monti has also taught creative writing at Columbia College in Chicago and at College of DuPage.