We need to be setting an example for future publishers—to strive for imperative community-building values that promote action and advocacy. If we’re not giving back to the communities that allow us to thrive, exciting children about books, helping provide them with the resources they need, promoting literacy, and, more importantly, giving them characters they can connect to on a deep and personal level and live their lives by—then what are we doing?
Ooligan Blog
Exploring Video Games and Interactive Media in Publishing
By Faith Muñoz @fmunoz247
A whole generation of children is learning to read from a screen rather than a book. What could this mean for the future of the publishing industry? For one, it means we can no longer ignore the influence of ereaders, audiobooks, interactive reading apps, and video games on future and current readers.
Try New Things
By Brittney Finato @finatography
I’ve only ever applied to two colleges in my life. Which, if you know me at all, will seem like a drastic deviance from my general personality. You might say, based on this knowledge, that I’ve “always known what I want to do” or that I’m “really good at making decisions.” The first one less than the second but really, neither apply.
Widows, Orphans, and Other Abominations in Book Design
By Bryn Kristi
Books come in all shapes and sizes, from picture books for children to 1000-page, text-only novels. No matter the book or who it’s for, design matters. The design can set the tone and expectations for a book. A reader expects something much different in the design of a horror novel compared to a romance. Good design is invisible, especially with text-heavy books. It is the lack of distraction that makes the design good. While image-heavy books can—and should—focus on aesthetics, how they are put together and designed should not distract from the content.
The Value of an Ebook
By Brittney Finato @finatography
While we could go around for hours about the costs of an ebook version of a book versus others, there’s another part of the general consumption of ebooks that should be discussed. Perceived value is just as important as actual cost.
Marketing Yourself First
By Taylor Thompson @taylormegon
While Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are quick ways to get short announcements out, they are also heavily trafficked sites—it has become much harder to find content on those sites unless you are specifically looking for it. But if social media isn’t the answer to your marketing dreams, then what is?