Another Major Honor for SDSHS Press Book

Dance in a Buffalo Skull has been awarded a presitigious Aesop Accolade from the Children’s Section of the American Folklore Society.

Dance in a Buffalo Skull is the second book published by the Press to receive such a distinction following Tatanka and the Lakota People last year.

 

The Awards committee made many favorable comments about the book and award-winning illustrator S. D. Nelson’s artwork in particular.  One judge called Nelson’s work “stunning.”  Stop by the main Press site to read more details about the award.

First, New, Official E-Newsletter

After many attempts to produce a professional looking e-newsletter that had good content and was of interest to the average reader, we finally did one.

The e-newsletters will arrive roughly once-a-month, but if there is more going on or we really need to tell people about certain things, then we might send them more often. They are packed full of news, info, special offers, savings, etc., and we think they are going to be an important way for people to find out what is happening.

If you have not signed up for an account with us at www.sdshspress.com (which gets you into the exclusive club receiving these e-newsletters), then do so when you get the chance. If you would prefer not to sign up for an account, but think the e-newsletter might be interesting, contact the marketing department at the Press and ask them to send you the e-newsletter. You won’t regret it!

Tree Ring authors spent time at B&N in Sioux Falls

Mark Meierhenry, Dave Volk, and Jason Folkerts all recently spent an evening at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Sioux Falls, signing books and answering questions. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader did a nice little article all about their visit.

Newbery and current discussions

It seems as though a recent article in School Library Journal has stirred up some discussions about Newbery books. Having just published an old (1930) Newbery Honor book in The Jumping-Off Place, the SLJ article seems pertinent and timely.
Do the older Newbery books stand up to these criticisms? Did they suffer from the same problems when they first came out.
Good writing is good writing and children of all ages appreciate that when reading. The Jumping-Off Place achieves that goal and overcomes some of the issues pointed out in these recent discussion . . . at least we like to think so.

Jerry Wilson in Pierre

It was great to have Jerry Wilson visit us in Pierre last week for a couple of signings.

Decent little turnout at the Cultural Heritage over the lunch hour and Jerry spoke for about 30 minutes, and gave a short reading from his book. Meant to ask him why he chose the particular passage he did, but never got round to it. The presentation can be viewed on our main website, www.sdshspress.com on the Waiting for Coyote’s Call page. In the afternoon, he also signed copies at Prairie Pages bookstore in Pierre.

I’ve included the first part of the video, here, to give you a taster.

Went well in Brookings

Just spoke to Jerry Wilson. He said that his events in Brookings yesterday went really well, so thanks to all those who turned up to listen to him.

We’re busy getting ready here in Pierre for his arrival and presentations. We’re going to try videoing his presentation at lunch today, editing it, and then putting it up on our website. New technology for us, but old hat for many I know. Still, hopefully it will go well and will add another layer of interactivity, especially for those unable to visit us today and hear him in person. Look for the video tomorrow or Monday.

Authors, Authors, Everywhere

One of the great things about having all your books published for the calendar year is setting up author appearances and getting them out in front of the public to show off.

Over the next few months almost all of our authors and illustrators will be making signing and discussion appearances throughout the Midwest. Just in the next week or so, 3 authors and an illustrator are making signing trips and recording interviews across South Dakota.

The appearances are fun for them; they allow the authors to experience the thrill of contact with their “public,” and in many cases the appearances provide smaller, independent booksellers the chance to have a “name” come to their store and generate traffic where it might not have been.

Jerry Wilson, author of Waiting for Coyote’s Call will be in Brookings, SD, today, at the South Dakota Ag Museum, from 12-1pm. Then he travels to Pierre, to visit the Cultural Heritage Center and present a talk and sign books from 12-1pm on Thursday, October 9. He’ll move from there to Prairie Pages Bookstore, also in Pierre, from 4-6pm the same day.

Next week, Mark Meierhenry, David Volk, and Jason Folkerts, will all be signing their new book, The Mystery of the Tree Rings at Barnes & Noble in Sioux Falls. October 16, at 7pm, is the time and date for that one.

So, if you are in those areas and fancy stopping in to say hello to these authors, feel free to do so.

Nice little blog about wines in South Dakota

Tying in nicely to Starley Talbott’s Along the Grapevine Trail is an interesting little blog in the Rapid City Journal all about wine. Check out The Wine Nose and see for yourself.

Carolyn Digby Conahan Blog

Although an apparently rather unwilling blogger, Carolyn Digby Conahan, illustrator of The Discontented Gopher and The Prairie-Dog Prince, has taken up the art anyway.

Her new blog has plenty of mentions of her work for us and links to the various books. She is a delightful illustrator with plenty of projects on the go so be sure to stop by and take a look.

MBA Trade Show and SD Festival of Books

Staff traveled to Sioux Falls and Saint Paul, MN for the South Dakota Festival of Books and the Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Show respectively, last week, to showcase our titles and show off our authors.

This was the 4th year that the Press has attended the Festival of Books and the first time at the MBA trade show. Extremely different events, each with their own specific audience and reasons for attending. The Festival of Books is generating an excellent reputation for bringing in top-level authors, and it is gratifying to have so many SDSHS Press authors on this year’s list. The trade show is exactly that. Aimed at independent bookstores, publishers exhibit their wares. The Press looked good amidst the giant publishers and took a number of orders on the spot as well as making many new contacts and new friends.