Another memorable Brooklyn Book Fair

Norman Beim and Perry Brass at the BBF taken by Steve Kreis, who came by and bought books. 

Of Interest: Publishers Gave Away 122,951,031 Books During World War II (from The Atlantic)

In 1943, in the middle of the Second World War, America's book publishers took an audacious gamble. They decided to sell the armed forces cheap paperbacks, shipped to units scattered around the globe. Instead of printing only the books soldiers and sailors actually wanted to read, though, publishers decided to send them the best they had to offer. Over the next four years, publishers gave away 122,951,031 copies of their most valuable titles.

Read the full story from The Atlantic:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/publishers-gave-away-122951031-books-during-world-war-ii/379893/

Beim's Latest Book Receives Acclaim

Norman Beim received a great review of his latest book, "A Not-So-Nice Jewish Veteran Faces Life," in the blog Reviews by Amos Lassen.

Announcing International Underground Poetry Fest

We are honored to announce this event created by GNYIPA alumna member, Kat Georges and her Three Rooms Press.  Learn more about Three Rooms Press for poetry at http://threeroomspress.com/

THE FIRST ANNUAL BRUSSELS
INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND POETRY FEST
19-21 September 2014
GC Essegem 1090 Brussels
Leopold I Straat 329 Entrance: A. Gomardstraat

A Celebration Of Cutting-Edge Poetry | Performance | Art | Dada

Fri 19/09 8 PM
Book Launch
This Is Belgian Chocolate: Manifestations Of Poetry
Feat. Performance Poet Philip Meersman

Sat 20/09 7 PM
Book Launch
Maintenant 8: A Journal Of Contemporary Dada Writing And Art
Feat. Three Rooms Press Editors Peter Carlaftes + Kat Georges

Sun 21/09 10 AM
Performance
The Disunited Kingdom Of Belgium: A Public Poem
Feat. Author-Performer Alain Arias-Misson

Plus Academic Seminars, Workshops, Art Expo, and Awards Ceremony

Admission to all events is FREE

Underground Poetry Fest Participants (In Alphabetical Order)
• Alain Arias-Misson • Artiestencollectief Ja!4 • Rossella Bargiacchi1 • Jaap Blonk1
• Antoine Boute • Fork Burke • Peter Carlaftes • Jean De Lacoste • Prof. Dr. Hans De Wolf2
• Heike Fiedler • Luc Fierens • Éditions Maelström • Fjorton • Kat Georges
• Hauser (Lies Van Gasse & Annemarie Estor)1 • Rozalie Hirs1 • Frie J. Jacobs1
• Maja Jantar • Una Lee • Prof. Dr. Laura Lopez-Fernandez2 • Jaan „Luulur” Malin
• Philip Meersman • Tom Nisse • Renaat Ramon • Xavier Roelens • Gabor Roozen1
• Slam Tribu3 • Sven Staelens1,2 • Vincent Tholomé • Michaël Vandenbril
• Kila Van Der Starre • Lies Van Gasse3 • Dirk Vekemans • Sandrine Verstraeten
• Acg Vianen • Helen White • Peter Wullen • Wilfried Wynants1,2 • Aleksey Yudin
1 Art Expostition
2 Academic Seminar
3 Workshop
4 Taped Performance

Great Upcoming Events

GNYIPA Members, these upcoming readings offer you the opportunity to share your work and to sell books.  Save the dates, and to find out more, come to our August 6 meeting at 6:30 at CUNY Graduate Center.

Friday, September 19, 5:30-7:00 p.m. --  "Publishing Our Private Worlds: Connecting with Your Heart to the Reader's Heart." Official Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event. Greater New York Independent Publishers Association members read from their recent works and talk about what keeps them working and publishing in these times. In a world of constant media noise, how do you find your true voice, and reach your reader in a deep, sustained fashion?  We are a growing community of publishers and self-published writers offering inspiration and information to people who want to create and publish books in traditional and newer formats. Venue: Absolute Coffee, 327 Atlantic (Hoyt and Smith).  

Sunday, September 28, 3 - 5:00 p.m. -- Antic Day.  "Books, The Intimate Art Form. Why They Are Still So Important to US."  Have you ever had a “secret book,” one that meant so much to you you couldn’t share it with a friend? Or a book you had to share with a friend? Members of GNYIPA, a growing community of publishers and self-published writers, talk about their books, their love of books, and why books are still important today. Venue: Absolute Coffee, 327 Atlantic (Hoyt and Smith).

MAJOR ANNUAL EVENT: BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL

Sunday, September 21, 10 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. -- Brooklyn Book Festival.  This is the third-largest book festival in the United States, with strong press coverage and a projected turnout this year of 40,000 book lovers.  If you are a GNYIPA Member in good standing, you have the option of buying a share in the GNYIPA table, an inexpensive way to sell books, make industry contacts, and build your audience. See Perry's recent email for more details.

To participate, contact Perry Brass  (belhuepress@earthlink.net)  immediately.

Perry Brass Poem at The Good Men Project

Perry Brass's poem "New York is Full of Boys" is currently up on The Good Men Project, a site dedicated to problems and solutions for men in a gender-role-and-expectations changing world.

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/chb-new-york-is-filled-with-boys/

Gnat-Mullin's 'Kisses Out of the Blue' Reading a Success

GNYIPA member Linda Gnat-Mullin at her reading and book signing for Kisses Out of the Blue at The 440 Gallery in Brooklyn. Linda's reading was a special event for visual artist Karen Gibbons, whose dreamlike paintings and collages provided the perfect environment for Linda's soulful, strange and true stories, told to offer readers a wider sense of the world's -- and their own -- heretofore hidden possibilities.  Master chef and restaurateur Fabiane Lima provided beautiful treats for the occasion. The gallery reported that this was their best-attended event in memory.  Kisses Out of the Blue is available on Amazon, where it has received a five-star rating, and at other online retailers.

M i d - M a n h a t t a n L i b r a r y 
p r e s e n t s 

The Ins, Outs, Pitfalls, and Rewards of Self Publishing:

What is self-publishing, its goals, risks, and drawbacks?
Why is there even in today’s free-wheeling e-publishing 
environment, a stigma still attached to self-published books?

As part of March’s National Small Press Month, join us for an eye-opening panel discussion about self publishing in the Age of Self Publishing.

Thursday, March 13th, 2014 
6:30 p.m. 
Mid-Manhattan Library
455 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor

Elevators access the 6th floor after 6 p.m. 
FREE 

f e a t u r i n g
The Greater New York Independent Publishers Association 

Panel...

Perry Brass
Norman Beim
Kay Williams
Heidi Russell (Moderator)

Why is this the Age of Self Publishing?
Because today all books are to a great degree self published, since publishing a book is not simply printing it (or putting it on the Internet), but making a book into a publicly available item. So all authors today need to be involved in bringing their books to the public, whether marketing their books, promoting themselves, or making other decisions to keep their work alive in front of an audience.

So if you are thinking about writing a book, or simply love books and want to know more about the process of their creation, this panel will be of interest to you.


Website: http://gnyipa.blogspot.com/

Moderator:
Heidi Russell is an internationally exhibited photographer and entrepreneur who holds curatorial positions with Manhattan Theatre Source and the e-zine The New York Optimist. In 2008, she founded the International Women Artists’ Salon. Her indie publishing company, Viaduct Publishing, seeks to publish works that utilize art as a bridge for cultural understanding. She has been a member of the Greater New York Independent Publishers Association since 2006 and is currently serving her second term as chairperson.
Website: www.heidirussell.com

Panelists:

Norman Beim is a lifetime member of the Dramatist Guild, prize-wining playwright, actor, director, novelist, and memoirist. He appeared on Broadway in the original production of INHERIT THE WIND, starring Paul Muni and Melvyn Douglas, has appeared with Morgan Freeman at the Public Theatre in BLACK VISIONS, and also on TV shows like "Saturday Night Live," and in films. Two of his novels have been published as well as ten collections of his plays. His work has received endorsements from Horton Foote, Jerry Stiller, Tony Randall, Katharine Hepburn, Rosemary Harris, and Mario Fratti.
Website: www.normanbeim.com

Perry Brass has self-published 16 books through his imprint Belhue Press, has sold close to 100,000 copies of his books in print, digital, and audio formats, and is currently treasurer of GNYIPA, as well as a founding coordinator of the New York Rainbow Book Fair, the largest LGBT book event in the U.S. His newest book is King of Angels, A Novel About the Genesis of Identity and Belief, a coming-of-age of novel set in Savannah, GA, in 1963, the year of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He is a full member of PEN International, the writers organization promoting world literature and defending freedom of expression.
Website: www.perrybrass.com

Kay Williams, a professional actress for many years, began her second career as a writer, editor and publisher. In 1995 she founded Calliope Press to publish her 90-year-old father’s biography/memoir Maude (1883 – 1993): She Grew Up with the Country. Calliope Press went on to publish Great-Grandpa Fussy and the Little Puckerdoodles,One Last Dance, Butcher of Dreams, and The Five O’Clock Follies, all award-winning titles.www.calliopepress.com

Norman Beim's New Book Published

From New York—the greatest city in the world.

It's “The Friday Evening Post” with Marvin Hayes

for Friday, March 8, 2013.

Dear Friends

In New York, it is amazing how many “REAL” friends Frank and I

have. We are very lucky and blessed with good neighbors and good

friends. We have someone we could meet for breakfast, lunch or

dinner almost every day of the week and go to plays on and off

Broadway and movies or share movies with them or go to museums.

One of these friends is a writer—actor friend who after all these

years is still working 18 to 22 hours a day writing. His name is

Norman Beim and he just published his autobiography called “A Not

So Nice Jewish Boy Faces World War II-A Memoir”. This, over

five hundred page book, is his first “Memoir” and brings him through

birth and school and into the army and World War II. The book is a

real “Page Turner”. Norman does not leave anything to be guessed

at. He lays it all out, the good, the bad, and the ugly—his triumphs

and failures. The ring of HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and TRUTH sounds on

every page.

Growing up I had uncles and aunts that fought in World War II that

never talked about it. Seeing exciting movies and reading exciting

books about it, I always wonder exactly what happen to them. They

never would open up and tell me.

The Life of Beim

          

Norman at nine months           Norman's mother's mother & step-father & family

Jack Ghilain (my partner for over 30 years) was in the then Army Air

Force and flew 22 missions over Germany-his airplane was hit and

caught on fire and he was burned badly and was in the hospital for

three weeks and went back and flew several more missions, but he

would never talk about it. I learned this from his step father, Al

Fleming and I would have loved to have heard the complete story. My

mother worked for three years in a Naval Hospital during the war—12

hour shifts and never – never said anything about what she did. She

would come home with blood spots all over her white dress and white

shoes. I remember hearing her cry at night alone in her room.

When I was at Texas A & M, I got a small sample of what the military was like. I played football, but I was assigned to a military unit and ate and slept with them. The upper classmen were relentless hazing and ordering us freshmen about. It was like torture to put up with the nonsense day after day. Norman chronicles his experiences in detail in some of the worse fighting of the war in the Hürtgen Forest and The Battle of the Bulge until the Germans surrendered.

1

BOOKS BY NORMAN BEIM

MEMOIRS:

A Not So Nice Jewish Boy Faces World War II

NOVELS

Touring With Stalin

Zygielbaum's Journey

Hymie And The Angel

PLAYS

Behind The Scenes, Plus 2 Comedies & 2 Dramas

Bitter And Sweet: 3 New Musicals

The Wrath Of God, Plus 5 Additional Dramas

Six Ironic Comedies

Three Dark Comedies

Women Laid Bare

Comedy Tonite!

Infamous People

Giants Of The Old Testament

My Family: The Jewish Immigrants

Plays At Home And Abroad

Six Award Winning Plays

THE LIFE OF BEIM

Norman Beim was born in Newark, New Jersey attended Ohio State

University for a year and two thirds, when he was drafted into World

War II. During combat, he learned that his one act play, Inside had

won second place in a nationwide competition. He put aside his

decision to become a novelist and decided to become a playwright,

while he learned he earned a living as an actor.

After the war he studied and worked as an actor at Hedgerow

Theatre, produced and appeared in three plays in Philadelphia,

worked as an actor at the Provincetown Playhouse on the Cape, and

in the national company of Darkness At Noon.

He settled in New York where he worked as an actor on Broadway,

Off Broadway, and on TV. He appeared in the Broadway production

of Inherit The Wind with Paul Muni, and later with Melvyn Douglas.

He was standby for Van Johnson in the national company of Tribute,

and worked with Morgan Freeman at the Public Theatre. He also

worked as a director and, all the while, he continued to write plays.

He is a lifetime member of the Dramatists Guild. His plays have

been produced nationally and internationally, including the classic,

The Deserter. He's written book and lyrics for a number of musicals,

including the remarkable Fritz & Froyim.

Twelve volumes of his plays, and three fact-based novels have been

published, and he continues to produce novels and write plays which

continue to be produced. A second volume of his memoirs is due out in 2014.

“The Friday Evening Post” for Friday March 8, 2013

As I said before “The ring of HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and TRUTH

sounds on every page of Norman's book. I have only one objection:

I have never known Norman not to be “Nice”. He is one of the

“Nicest” men I have had the privilege to call my friend! Get his book

and read it—you will find a true friend for yourself.

Self Publishing Presentation at GNYIPA

The monthly meeting of the Greater NY Independent Publishers Association will be on Wednesday, Mar. 6 at 6:30 PM in room 8301 of CUNY's Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue (5th @ 34th Street) in the old B. Altman building. In lieu of having a speaker this month, we will be discussing the topic:

Self Publishing: How to Do It and How to Keep from Being Killed By It. 

The discussion will be led by Perry Brass who has successfully self published 16 books, Francine Trevens, publisher of T 'n' T Press, and our moderator Heidi Russell.

We hope you will join us in this lively and interesting topic. Please tell the staff downstairs that you are going to the "publishing meeting in room 8301" and not the GNYIPA meeting. 

Digital Publishing Workshop, April 8-10, Vegas

Future Media Concepts (www.fmctraining.com) is proud to present:

The Digital Publishing Workshop: TAP! 2013 @ NAB Show | www.tap2013.com | April 8-10, 2013 Las Vegas, NV

The TAP! 2013 @NAB Show will once again push limits in digital content creation, digital publishing, independent marketing and monetizing. The who’s who in this new emerging space will share case studies, talk tech and help hundreds of authors, publishers and content creators, bring their digital publishing projects to life. We invite your partnership to get this information out to your membership and share discounts to the conference as a member perk from your organization.

Denise Miller

Event Manager

Future Media Concepts -- Conferences

Tel:       303-420-0130

Web     www.FMCtraining.com

Email:   denisem@fmctraining.com

Cell:      303-868-1998

AIM:     drmillergg

Skype:  drmillergg  

Trevens Interview a Hit on BookGoodies.com

Francine Trevens was interviewed on BookGoodies.com. In the interview, she talks about publishing poems since she was twelve. Several of her plays were published, and some were produced in New England and New York. One short play was a finalist in the Samuel French short play contest. Trevens has been a theatrical/dance critic, theatrical press agent, director of off off and off Broadway plays, and the mother of two daughters, one who runs a Drama Desk Award winning children’s theater, the other a special education teacher.

She has freelanced celebrity, travel, theater and professional articles to national magazines and currently writes dance features of Art Times Journal.

The interview is available here:

Francine L. Trevens Author Interview with @BookGoodies

Trevens Reviewed in Children's Bookwatch Review

Gremlins, Genies and Trolls, Oh My!

Francine L. Trevens
Maggie Cousins, Illustrations
TnT classic Books at Smashwords
http://writerfrancinetrevens.com, www.maggiecousins.com
9781886586185, $9.95, www.amazon.com

“Each of the six stories in Trevens's book is entertaining and offers insightful lessons. Not necessarily only for children. Adults too may find themselves reflecting. Using gremlins, genies, and trolls, this author conjures mischievous behavior instead of spiteful. Even the artwork does this.

“Treven's insight shines through in a number of ways, displaying insight about the result before writing. Children often find hanging in there difficult for long periods, especially when a lesson is involved. Trevens makes lessons fun and she keeps each short. The concept of teaching young people through stories isn't new. Trevens realizes how useful this is however, and decides certain lessons need power. Children identify with characters, learn how to solve problems and to make decisions from them. The positive messages from Gremlins, Genies, and Trolls help develop children's inner voices and sense of justice.

“Francine L. Trevens has authored plays, been a columnist, a teacher/dance critic for various newspapers, published work in national magazines, authored eight books, and has wrote segments of McGraw Hills Encyclopedia of World Drama. She's written poetry since the age of twelve and believes she was born to write. Other books include Pixie Tales, Elfin Tales, A Patio of Poems, and Echoes of Eternity.

“Maggie Cousins is the illustrator. Cousins is a graduate of Bournemouth College of Art and Design, UK as a graphic designer. She works with clients in both the UK and the US. "I love color and simplicity," she says.

“Readers will cheer for and recognize Trevens's characters because gremlins, genies, and trolls pop up in everyone's lives. Each story stands on its own and wisely uses humor to liven up its lesson. A charming and valuable collection.”

From October 2012 Children’s Bookwatch Review

Carol Hoenig to Speak at February Meeting

Carol Hoenig is a fulltime freelance writer and publishing consultant. Her novel, WITHOUT GRACE, was awarded the Silver Medal for Book of the Year 2005 by ForeWord Magazine and given First Place for Fiction by the DIY Book Festival. Jada Press and the New York Book Festival also gave her novel honorable
mention. Her book THE AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO PLANNING BOOK EVENTS was given the Gold
medal by ForeWord Magazine for Book of the Year in the category of writing and named finalist by USA Book and Reader Views. Long Island Press named her Best of Long Island Author 2012, thanks to votes from her peers, where she came in second after Nelson DeMille. She is a co-partner on the multi-media project, Kids Who Think Outside the Box©: It‚s not an Age, but a State of Mind.

Recommended Illustrator & Designer

Maggie Cousins is an illustrator and graphic designer with over 20 years experience. She has illustrated several children's books for members of GNYIPA as well as non members. Her work is simple, colorful and playful, because all final illustrations are digital, meaning they can be reproduced in print as well as e-book.  She has also designed and created book covers for members and non-members. Maggie can also design and create logos and has done so for many private clients. To see more of Maggie's work and find out more about her please visit her website http://maggiecousins.com.

Contact information:

Maggie Cousins

646-573-2430

info@maggiecousins.com

www.maggiecousins.com

Parent Palace Gift Guide Recommends Trevens' Book

The popular website Parent Palace had a great review of Francine Trevens' latest children's book, Dan is Not Scary.
The book is listed on their Holiday Gift Guide. See the review at

http://parentpalace.com/2012/12/dan-is-not-scary-by-melissa-digenova/

Trevens' Latest Gets Rave Review

GNYIPA Author Francine Trevens' book series Read-to-me Fantasy Stories received a great review in Jenn's Review Blog. 

Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom offering insightful book reviews with the family in mind. 

See http://momzunas.blogspot.com/2012/12/read-to-me-fantasy-stories-1-review.html to read for yourself.

GNYIPA Author Trevens a Finalist

TnT Classic Books’ anthology of 27 plays by 14 award winning authors, Short Plays to Long Remember (978-1-886586-14-7), compiled and edited by Francine L. Trevens, is an Award-Winning Finalist in the “Performing Arts: Film, Theater, Dance, Music” category of The 2012 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. It will be listed live on USABookNews.com for an additional ten months. It was also a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards when it was first released.

This and other books by Francine can be purchased with PayPal at www.writerfrancinetrevens.co

Tntclassics@aol.com

Publishers of PIXIE TALES

Named one of 25 best books of 2011 By Free Book Reviews

Special Speaker at the November Meeting

The Greater New York Independent Publishers Association meets this Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30p.

We will have a special speaker this week, Eric M. Kampmann, CEO of Midpoint Trade Books, Inc. 

He will talk about changes in the book publishing world and distribution.

Hope to see you then. If you know others who may be interested in coming, please email GNYIP@gmail.com.

Eric Kampmann is President of Midpoint Trade Books, one of the leading sales and distribution companies for independent book publishers. Midpoint has built its reputation on innovative and powerful sales strategies that are designed to help publishers and authors compete successfully in the general book marketplace.

 

In addition, Eric is the president and owner of two publishing companies: Beaufort Books and Moyer Bell. Beaufort gained national attention in 2007 when it published on behalf of the Goldman family the controversial national bestseller, If I Did It.

 

Kampmann entered book publishing through an entry level sales position at the Viking Press in 1970 followed by senior sales management positions at St Martin’s Press and Simon & Schuster.

 

In 1981, he joined the entrepreneurial ranks by opening Kampmann & Company, a distribution company for independent publisher. He linked up with NBN in 1989 before opening Midpoint Trade Books in 1996.

 

Midpoint is unique because it was founded in the middle of the bookselling revolution, enabling it to take advantage of the significant changes in bookselling and publishing.

 

Midpoint views itself as an innovator in every aspect of distribution. It prides itself in being long on leadership and short on bureaucracy. As a result, Midpoint’s publishers compete successfully in a very tough environment.

 

Eric has taught courses on book publishing at Harvard, Columbia, NYU as well as numerous publishing and writers conferences.

 

Eric is the author of four books: The Book Publishers Handbook (2007), Tree of Life (2003), Trail Thoughts (2008) Signposts (2010),Awakenings (2012) and The Insiders Guide to Successful Publishing (2012) 

November Meeting Rescheduled

Due to the storm aftermath, November's meeting is rescheduled from November 7 to Wednesday, November 14.

We will confirm later a time and place.