Category: Industry

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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!

Kim Davis, Michael Gills, Gabriel and Jonah, two students from Gills' honors class where students write a novel in a year.
Fiew of LA traffic taken from 27th floor of the Moxy downtown LA during AWP25
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.
Bill and Kim Davis in the lobby of the Moxy Hotel
Kim Davis and Cat Smith complete setup at the booth for AWP25. Honkeytonk Sue, art by Bob Boze Bell stands between them.
Los Angeles traffic at night.
Michael Gills, Gabe, Jonah, Lee Zacharias, Bill Davis at the Madville booth at AWP25
Kim Davis and Michael Gaspeny at AWP25
Sign announcing 2025 AWP Conference and Bookfair. It was in the upstairs lobby of the AC Hotel--which shared some features with The Moxy.
The Los Angeles skyline seen from the 27th floor of the Moxy downtown. Lots of tall buildings and glass. Abstract image taken during AWP25.
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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Madville’s 2025 Pushcart Prize Nominations

Screen capture from the Pushcart Press Website. It shows the logo of a man pushing a cart and has a block of text about the press. http://www.pushcartprize.com/index.html

The 2025 Pushcart Prize

Madville has made our nominations for the 2025 Pushcart Prize. The prize will be awarded in several categories for short pieces. It was a hard decision, because we published such amazing work this year. The Pushcart Prize accepts six nominations per small press or magazine and “any combination of poetry, short stories, essays, memoirs or stand-alone excerpts from novels.”

Our editors weighed in on their favorites, and this is what we chose:

“James and Jim Ponder Enough” by Jim Minick from his poetry collection The Intimacy of Spoons (Madville 2024).

“Sorry” by Laura Last from the anthology, Fantastic Imaginary Creatures, edited by Gerry LaFemina (Madville 2024).

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” by Julie Liddell Whitehead from her linked story collection, Hurricane Baby (Madville 2024).

“Shelley and the Slipping Away” by A. Rooney from the linked story collection, The Lesser Madonnas (Madville 2024).

“The children turn themselves into ICE” by linda ravenswood from her poetry collection, a poem is a house (Madville 2024).

“Bird Call Koan with Glossary” by Yiskah Rosenfeld from her poetry collection, Tasting Flight (Madville 2024).

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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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London Book Fair 2024

t was 1950’s house wife day. At our booth at the London book fair. Thanks to H.A Stories Lucid house press Madville publishing Micheal Nelson Brandy Miller Jennae Elle Beaugard R.L Merril Abeni Celeste And so many other authors

Six Madville Books went to the London Book Fair

Our friends, Jade and Wilnona, the “And I Thought Ladies,” took six or our recent titles to the London Book Fair this year. These are some of the pictures they sent back. We expect a few more, so check back! We wish we could have joined them. It looks like they had a really great time in our tiny 2 meter by 2 meter booth.

Here is an article we just read that does a great job of describing the experience of the London book Fair. That NYT Piece about LBF??

Madville books on display