Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison David
Hi Madison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Of course! My name is Madison David and I am a creative entrepreneur and currently the Director of Publishing at Blue Handle Publishing based out of Amarillo, TX., which is actually my hometown as well. I moved back to Amarillo from New York City amidst the pandemic. It was a hard thing to do, and a difficult time.
Prior to working at Blue Handle Publishing I worked at Workman Publishing (which has since been bought by Hachette and an large imprint of Hachette) in the Indie Sales Market as well as the Digital Market. Prior to that I had a myriad of jobs and experiences. Probably too many to explain here. But every single one has taught me something and offered me something to progress in life, or some sort of kernel of knowledge, even if I didn’t recognize it at the time.
As far as how I started to form a passion around books/media/publishing/film and the like, I’d say it would start with the fact that my parents were fairly strict about me consuming media, but I was obsessed with it. I spend most of my time outdoors, but when they were both gone from the house I would always secretly exceed my 1 hour “screen time” per day. They are both very outdoorsy people and nature-oriented people, and even married on Earth Day. They didn’t feel watching TV or Media was that healthy back then. They were pretty okay with me reading though, but I did have to hide certain books. So I guess you could say that I read a lot because I couldn’t watch a lot of TV or Movies growing up. Hah. I did always find a way though, to see that R rated movie I wasn’t supposed to see. In fact, I just listened to an interview with Ted Sarandos, the CEO of Netflix, and he said his mother was always bad with money, so wouldn’t always pay the bills, but she bought a VHS player way before most families bought them, and a lot of the early tech to watch movies in the home. So even though the power was off, or there was no hot water, there was always a movie to watch, or the cable bill was paid. So I started to wonder if Netflix would even exist really, if his mother had spent that money towards the utility bills versus a VHS player and ensuring the cable bill was paid. It’s an interesting thought, and I thought of my own situation after he told that story. Maybe I’d be a doctor if they always let me watch or do whatever I wanted. Who knows? My father is a doctor.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely been a strange and windy road, sometimes smooth, sometimes bumpy. To say a somewhat cheesy/basic metaphor, sometimes I got a flat tire during my career, and other times I was able to go 90mph with no speeding ticket on the open road, and meet someone at the next town that ended up playing out my next few phases in life. All of the setbacks or successes, for various reasons, including technological development, cultural changes and paradigm shifts play a big role. The constant shift in the concepts and perceptions of “hegemony” and the “zeitgeist” always plays a huge part in any career in media and entertainment, as well as journalism and marketing/advertising.
When I graduated from UT Austin in 2010, it was a bit of an odd time, as it was midway through the year in December. I graduated in 3 1/2 years versus the normal four. Prior to starting at UT, I had passed a fair amount of AP tests and taken a bunch of dual credit, so ended up startingat UT with 27 hours. I actually had to take or find more classes in order to officially graduate, because UT requires a minimum of about 90 in-house hours. A few of those classes I had to take, ironically, brought down my GPA, which I have always laughed about hah. I did end up deciding to do the Business Foundations Program through Red McCombs, which actually, was fantastic, although challenging. And I still use what I learned from those classes. Particularly Business Law & Finance/Marketing/Accounting.
Anyhow, when I graduated in December 2010 the economy was still somewhat recovering from the 2008 collapse, so most of my opportunities to get into media and film were internship opportunities, typically unpaid, or with a small stipend. I had an internship at a sports radio station that aired the some Longhorn-oriented sports programming and some Spanish stations and a myriad of talk stations, including A.M. radio, which even then was surprised it still existed, and I also interned at a production company for a bit. That was the first time I was ever in the credits of anything. I was a PA and research assistant/intern and directly worked on a couple programs including a show called Half Ton Killer, and Shipping Wars (spin-off of Storage Wars) that aired on TLC. Even though that production experience was fascinating, it guided me in a different direction and made me a bit confused, and made me realize I wasn’t necessarily into the entertainment-oriented shows, and wanted to choose a different path. Something more academic in a way, I guess.
Unable to find my groove in Austin with media and whatnot, I took a leap and moved to New York City in early 2014. I was an executive assistant at an equity firm for a couple years then realized I had to go back to something I was passionate about, or that was a little more unique and creative. So I attended the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford, and was actually the first class at Oxford. As soon as I returned I got a job at Workman. If anyone wants to get into publishing, but they have no experience, CPC is a way to get into the industry.
After working at Workman for a few years I realized I wanted to pursue something that was less sales-oriented, and had a few plans to go abroad again but then the pandemic hit. We all suddenly had to leave our desks. I think two years later i went to New York and retrieved my belongings from my cubicle. When I got to Amarillo I saw that Blue Handle was a new publishing company trying to start off, so I reached out so see if I could help! Charles D’Amico, founder (and also author) brought me on and we have worked together the past four years, amidst many obstacles, to bring Blue Handle Publishing to life. Previously I had worked at more of a “Big 5” company, and I can’t even begin to tell you the barriers that exists for the small indie publishers out there. It’s been eye-opening for sure. And I’ve learned a ton. There need to be better distribution opportunities for independent publishers. That is a huge problem.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’d say my expertise is in marketing, copywriting, editing, overall launch strategy, contract work and negotiation, as well as thinking outside of the box and pressing boundaries. I also love talking to new people and interviewing people, as I almost majored in Journalism versus Radio Television Film at UT. I also enjoy doing graphic design, which I am working to improve myself in. At some point I would like to actually publish a book myself, that would eventually be adapted into a movie or limited series. Somewhat unfortunately, I’m also quite good with numbers. I’ve learned not that many people are in the media industry. As of now of now, am mentioned in the acknowledgements of four published books, which warms my heart. Most of them through Blue Handle, but another book titled Kingdomtide by Rye Curtis, who is an old friend and another Amarillo native, and one of the smartest people or writers I know. I am also currently working on starting my on consulting and publicity company, as well as a few other ventures. So stay tuned…
In addition to working in publishing/media, I enjoy playing the piano and the ukulele and attempt song-writing at times. I also make jewelry and gemstone bracelets/necklaces and have since I was 11. It’s sort of a time where I can collect myself and slow down. I enjoy a lot of things, so it’s always been hard for me to decide which idea and passion to pursue. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Definitely. You never know what will happen and how it will change the trajectory of your life. If the pandemic had not happened I would most likely still be in New York City. Living in in my cozy apartment in Brooklyn. I don’t really want to get into the medicine or politics or anything about it. New York viewpoints were completely different than Texas viewpoints as I learned when I returned. Because they were totally different situations. New York was hit hard, and hit hard fast. I’ll always remember the trailers outside the hospitals that I would pass by on the street near my apartment on my way to the grocery store, because they didn’t have enough capacity to fit those that had passed away. It was very, surreal, I guess, and emotionally affecting in ways I still can’t explain.
As far as silver-linings, I do like that companies and people have come to acknowledge that working from home is completely viable. I’m glad that humanity has come to accept it, and I don’t think that would have happened if Covid-19 had not happened, unfortunately.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluehandlepublishing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookspearean/
