How Spotify is Impacting the Book Publishing Industry
Less than one year into Spotify’s new US literary foray, and already, we can track its effects on the book publishing industry, both positive and negative.
Less than one year into Spotify’s new US literary foray, and already, we can track its effects on the book publishing industry, both positive and negative.
Blogs were put on hold for about a year while the website was being updated. Since all of the managers in Ooligan Press are part of the book publishing master’s program at Portland State University, the life expectancy in any given position of the press is also about a year. That is to say, I had never even written a blog post for Ooligan Press when I was put in charge of managing them. But that’s ok. As someone smart once said, “Confusion is a Learning State.” I learned how to manage blogs, and I can teach you as well.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been present in our lives for the past few years now. You can find it on social media, writing tools, and even in search engines. Its ever-looming presence begs the question: are we going to lose our jobs to AI?
If you have ever looked at the production timeline for a book, you know how overwhelming it is. If you haven’t seen one before, imagine an intense excel spreadsheet with a hundred different deadlines, many of which can’t be adjusted or lenient. When you first see it, you might think, “How on earth do I navigate this?”
One of the most important parts of the acquisitions process for a publisher is determining if a manuscript they are considering is likely to sell enough copies to make financial sense to publish. One of the ways publishers can determine audience interest is finding comparative titles, or comp titles. While a winning set of comp titles isn’t the secret to getting a book deal, understanding their function in publishing and having a few solid options will help any author seeking publication position their book effectively.
Recently, I embarked on a mission to sell foreign translation rights to Croatia for one of our upcoming releases Supersymmetry. What seemed like a straightforward task quickly turned into a deep and enlightening dive through the complex world of foreign rights management.
If you are a book publisher, perhaps I’ve just described a truly basic, almost banal aspect of your work life. If you are a planner who has ever been under the inertiatic weight of a public agency, perhaps you can see why I am so fascinated with Ooligan Press.
In order for us to perform our proofreading, Isaac had to teach us these industry standards which opened up many students’ eyes to the complexity of comics. Who knew the letter I could cause so many problems?
It’s important to be well-rounded in the industry, so—through trial and error—I have gained knowledge that has helped me become a designer when I have never been one before! Through my few short months of being at Ooligan Press, I have learned some tips and tricks that have helped me become a better designer.