Literary festivals have long been considered a bastion of in-person connection for fans, authors, and publishing houses, but what do they look like in the new virtual world of COVID? The largest book festival in the world, the Edinburgh Book Festival, wrapped up their digital event at the end of August with the intent to “Keep the Conversation Going.” Implementing their first-ever virtual event, the festival drew in hundreds of thousands of viewers in the midst of the global pandemic.
Ooligan Blog
Sensitivity Readers: An Editing Essential
By Devyn Yan Radke
Sensitivity reads have become an important aspect of editing in recent years. When an author who does not identify with a characters’ demographic writes experiences or narratives from that character’s perspective, a sensitivity read—also called a diversity read—can help point out any potentially harmful stereotypes that a character may be subjected to in the book.
Morality Clauses in Book Publishing
By Alexandria Gonzales
Publicity plays a crucial role in any publishing house. Authors who accrue bad publicity are often subjected to the morality clause in their contract so that the reputation of the publishing house is not tarnished by the actions of the author. Recent developments in the entertainment industry, especially in regards to the #MeToo movement, have led to an increased focus on ethics and morality in professional, educational, and media settings. Publishing houses and agents have faced similar problems, which is where the morality clause comes into play; an increasing number of publishing houses and agents are now including these clauses in their contracts, requiring authors to comply with acceptable professional standards and providing for the possible termination of the contractual relationship if the author fails to conduct themselves appropriately.
Publishing in the Age of Visual Content
By Kaitlyn Shehee
Publishing companies are reaching a point where they need to start rethinking the way stories are delivered and marketed. It’s important to provide stories and content in the way that consumers want to consume them.
Growing, Pruning, and Shaping Your Story
By Amanda Hines
Many writers often ask how their first draft gets turned into a polished manuscript that is ready for publication. This first step is called the developmental edit, which takes place after the text has been completed. Most people think of editing as just grammar, punctuation, and proofreading, but those are more line level elements; developmental editing, or substance editing as it’s sometimes called, is all about the content: the meat of the story and what form it will take by the time it reaches readers. This is the phase where we analyze characters, plot, setting, and even the pace of the story. These are the big issues that require the use of three techniques to help refine the story: growing, pruning, and shaping.
Which Ooligan Book Matches Your Zodiac Sign?
By Hannah Boettcher
This list will determine which Ooligan title best corresponds to your astrological personality. Are you a Finding the Vein or an Odsburg? Maybe you’re more of a Faultland or an Iditarod Nights. Keep reading to discover what the sky has to say!