More and more writers are becoming published authors. Some start with blogs, writers’ groups, and lifelong dreams. Traditional publishing can be difficult to break into, especially if you’re not already an established author. So how are new authors getting their books into the competitive market without an agent or a supportive publishing house?
Digital
Reproductive Pairing: Books, Podcasts, and Taboos
By Elle Klock @elleklock
It’s helpful to have a fictional way to explore the potential fallout that faces us when our government makes decisions about our bodies. These novels offer context and shine a beam of empathy into a situation that has become highly politicized. Ravenous for more information, I took a dive into digital conversations surrounding health, reproductive rights, and motherhood.
Ebooks: The Prophecy That Never Came True
By Siri Vegulla
Nearly a decade ago, ebooks were on the rise, and it was believed that this would lead to the imminent death of the print book. Some experts went as far as stating that the market for print books would plunge into oblivion. These prophecies turned out to be both true and false to some extent. While the market for ebooks soared at an unprecedented rate, the print book still holds its place with its head held high.
The End of the Printed Game Guide
By Stephen Hyde
Depending on your age and the relationship you had with video games when you were a child, you may or may not have fond memories of going to a game store and having your much-beleaguered parents purchase you the answer to all of your frustrations—a game guide.
The Age of Mass Distraction
By Monique Vieu
With an economic market that demands extreme multitasking and a digital culture that rewards immediacy, ease, and efficiency, our environment is changing at an astonishing rate. Pressured by this cultural shift, we have less time to consume information, and our brains are adapting to these demands.
XML Coding: Where Digital, Editorial, and Design Collide
By Kaitlin Barnes
During my time at Ooligan, I have been told by multiple people that XML coding is the portion of the Ooligan workflow that they are most unfamiliar with and therefore most anxious about volunteering for. It’s not hard to see why XML seems daunting or confusing: the work is done by the editorial department, but it requires coding tags one would expect to see in the digital department, and the product is used exclusively by the design department. It’s easy to get lost in all of that. If the work requires coding, why isn’t it done in the digital department? If the product is only used by the design department, why don’t they do the work? To help clarify, here’s a crash course in XML.