We envision a gathering of our writers at an annual retreat where we occupy cottages with screened in porches (ideally near water) and share ideas, contacts, concerns, and marketing success stories during those hours when we’re not playing cards until 4:00 in the morning, while wearing funny hats and drinking beer from Thailand.

We envision a sort of Summer Stock, Judy Garland - Gene Kelly "Let’s Put on a Show!" Bookstore Barnstorming Tour. Because we believe books can be promoted well past their initial publication date, that they don't somehow get used up, we want to pick up where the publishers' author tours leave off. A grouping of Max & Co. writers would travel together for small tours to present a near performance level piece of readings, writings, festive song, and definitely some magic tricks.

We envision Max & Co. authors helping one another to promote their books. When one of the authors, say, from LA, has a new book landing, other Max & Co. writers in New York, New Orleans, etc. will help ballyhoo the event as they are inclined and able.

When a Max & Co. author ever has a #1 New York Times bestseller, and thus we receive 15% of their #1 New York Times bestseller royalties, we intend to reinvest funds to acquire a small number of vending carts or ice-cream trucks. These would be painted over as Max Express carts and manned by s-l-o-w-l-y moving, but absolutely charming, eighty year olds. These wizened drivers and susurrators (opposite of ‘barkers’), would work as mobile vendors in the hip neighborhoods of cool cities, handing out brochures, selling the Max Book of the Month, and standing atop highly decorative soap boxes to issue dramatic readings.

To paraphrase Jake Barnes speaking to Brett at the close of The Sun Also Rises,

"Isn’t it pretty to think such thoughts?"