I never thought very much about all the decisions involved with turning a book into a manuscript, beyond recognizing that at some point someone had to design the cover. Things such as font choices, trim sizes, paper weights, etc., were all decisions that I blindly consumed as a reader without realizing all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making them. Then I joined the Ooligan team, and suddenly I got to play a part in making all of these decisions! That’s when I began garnering an understanding—and appreciation—for the beautiful beast that is the book design process. Now that I’ve stepped into my role as the manager for Ooligan’s design department, I’m learning so much more about all that goes into designing a book.
Inside Ooligan
Branding a New Website for Ooligan Press
By Jill Bowen
As the new manager for the Ooligan Press website, my team and I have been appointed a task of monumental importance. The work that we do will ultimately end up creating a brand for Ooligan Press, so our work needs to be a genuine representation of our goals and values. Though we are still in the beginning stages of our endeavor, we are excited by what we have accomplished so far.
A Season of Change at Ooligan Press
By Rachel Howe
The arrival of summer means that our second-year students, including managers, are graduating and moving on from the program, while our new incoming managers are wrapping up their training and preparing to take over their departments for the summer term of classes. It will be interesting to see how these different experiences, learning environments, and mentalities will influence the press in the future.
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.
FAULTLAND Shakes Up Social Media
By Cole Bowman
We knew early on that FAULTLAND was the kind of book that could carry a strong and unconventional social media presence, and our Oolies are busily working away to demonstrate just how accurate that prediction was.
Assembling the Comics Creators Panel from Write to Publish 2020
By Michael Shymanski
Ooligan Events & Outreach ended up being a serendipitous match for meeting local comics creators and assembling a panel at Write to Publish 2020.