Over a decade ago, readers, authors, and publishers alike started to recognize a widening gap between the young adult and adult fiction genres. While the young adult genre tends to encompass stories targeted toward readers ages twelve to eighteen, adult fiction almost always features thirty-year-olds and older. This left out an entire market of twenty-somethings who wanted their stories told as well. Hence, in 2009, St. Martin’s Press coined the term “new adult” to describe this subgenre of fiction that bridged the gap between YA and adult.
Self-Publishing
Building a Following Before Publishing: The Wattpad Effect
By Kaitlyn Shehee
Everyone may want to publish a book, but only a few aspiring authors will actually get there. Publication can often depend on luck and the right publisher finding the right story at the right time. It is notoriously a grueling process to go from a rough draft to a finished and, perhaps more importantly, published product. This can be a lot for any author to go through, and it might also be the reason for Wattpad’s success.
It’s Nothing Personal: Reasons for Rejection that Go Beyond an Author’s Control
By Laura Mills
As a new publishing student getting my first introduction to the acquisitions process at Ooligan, I can’t help but feel a bit traitorous at the prospect of contributing to more of those infamous letters. If there is one thing I can say that might benefit a talented author who just isn’t the best fit for Ooligan right now, it’s that the rejection often has nothing to do with measuring an author’s skill. Instead, it might simply be a matter of not being in exactly the right place at the right time.
7 Tips for Authors to Build Twitter Presence
By Faith Muñoz @FaithAMunoz
There’s no doubt that the world of social media can be daunting for writers who want to establish that online presence many publishers push for, especially if the author has never had a social media account before. But there is no denying its necessity and value when it comes to reaching target audiences. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can all help you promote your blog and your books and can connect you with other people, but Twitter—in itself a form of microblogging—is a great way for writers to build an online presence and stay informed on trends in the industry.
Demystifying Book Metadata
By Stephen Hyde
The scene opens on a classroom. The students’ eyes are glazed over from the glow of the computer screens, half of them open to D2L, the other to some Instagrammer’s latest post. The professor asks the question, “What is metadata?” and one person, with a fox-like grin on their face, raises their hand and calls out, “It’s data about data.” Everyone breaks out in applause, confetti rains from the ceiling and cupcakes are served. This has happened to me more times than I can count, and yes, a quick hand raise asking for clarification could have solved all my problems but then I wouldn’t have had a blog post idea. So come with me as we take a journey on self-education and find out what all the fuss is about metadata and why you should actually care about it.
Book Design Basics
By Elise Hitchings
As a writer, the process of designing books can be overwhelming. You already know what good book covers and interiors look like, and you probably already know some of the basic concepts of design, but you may not necessarily know the right terms to use.