In late December, our publisher was informed that a major portion of the shipment that was en route to our distributor was lost. She acted fast, looping in the Design Manager, Operations Manager, and me, the Project Manager, and we did some major troubleshooting. FedEx was attempting to locate the shipment, hopeful that it would be found after the holiday backlog cleared. The publisher reached out to Ingram, our distributor, to see if it was feasible to use their print-on-demand service to ensure we would have books in time to meet the industry deadline for new titles. Because of many factors (timing, holiday closures, and staffing numbers), the success of this option was not guaranteed. Ultimately, moving the publishing date forward a month was the best solution.
covid-19
Who Are These Masked People? Going From Virtual to In-Person
By Alexandra Magel
On the first day of Fall term 2021, it rained torrentially. Oolies new and old scrambled through the slick PSU streets to find the large lecture hall that housed our first meeting. There were all the common indicators of a hectic first day: the dash to find the right rooms and buildings, new faces, new syllabi, and new procedures to learn. Many Ooligan managers were on the same footing as the newcomers: we had trained during the remote school year, and this was our first in-person class. In some regards, we were as fresh as the first-years in the program.
Books Matter, Shouldn’t Bookstores?
By Rachel Howe
Bookstores are just one of the many businesses that have been profoundly impacted by the shutdowns happening throughout the country. Shelf Awareness and Publisher’s Weekly have both made it a point to offer regular reports and updates on the current status of bookstores and the publishing industry; while some of this news is good, some of it is surprising, and some of it is down-right depressing.
Independent Bookstores Aren’t Dead, but Here’s How You Can Help Them Survive
By Rachel Lantz
Without a doubt, 2020 was a difficult year, and these difficulties have extended to our neighborhood independent bookstores. These independent bookstores have had to close, shift their business models, and more to survive during the pandemic, but they are not dead yet. Here’s why and how you can help these stores survive.
What We’ve Learned from a Year of Hosting Virtual Book Launch Events
By Stephanie Johnson Lawson
I reached out to graduating project managers Grace Hansen, Cole Bowman, and Bailey Potter who oversaw the successful launch events for LAUREL EVERYWHERE, FAULTLAND, and FINDING THE VEIN, respectively. I asked each of them about advice for planning future virtual events. Within a few hours, I had struck gold. Synthesized below are their replies and some guidance to get started when it is time to plan a celebration of your new book.
Proofreading in a Pandemic: How the Editorial Process is Carrying On in Corona
By Emma Wolf
While many aspects of the publishing industry are still adapting to these evolving circumstances, the way editors utilize programs such as Track Changes and Google Docs has set them up to not just survive during a pandemic, but thrive.