We here at Ooligan primarily use Circana Bookscan to find comparative titles or “comp titles” which are books we use as reference points to inform our own marketing efforts and sales expectations. The books we use have to be very similar and it can be a laborious task if you don’t know what you’re doing. Fortunately I’m here to walk you through some more advanced features of Circana Bookscan to make finding the data you need easier.
As the author, you are the best advocate for your book. So in the early stages after acquisition, you can focus on getting your book out there on your end. Which really means putting yourself out there.
“Beyond simply boosting visibility, fan art has become a powerful marketing tool for romance authors and publishers. By embracing this creative force and creating strong connections with fan artists, the romance industry is unlocking new avenues for engagement and building a more vibrant and sustainable future for the genre.”
Straight quotes open and close a quotation in the same style, while curly quotes are curved and directional, arching towards the text they enclose. They also have distinct opening and closing versions for both single and double quotes. So why are there two quotes to begin with?
The continued shift toward illustrated covers appeals to a younger audience, emulating the popularity of the same trend in YA, causing confusion and misinterpretation of the intended audience for these books. This is a concerning failure to match content with audiences as social media such as BookTok picks up adult romance books, including those with high levels of spice content, and promotes them to the primarily YA audience.
Take a second and think back on the last time you visited a bookstore. Not that moment when you opened a book to smell its pages, but that other moment when you spotted a shelf filled with books that had cats decorating almost every cover. Have you ever heard of “healing fiction?”
Developmental editing is a crucial stage in the writing process for both fiction and nonfiction. It’s where the big picture elements of a manuscript are refined—story structure, pacing, character development, and clarity of argument or narrative. However, the approach and focus of developmental edits can differ significantly between fiction and nonfiction due to the different purposes these two genres serve. Understanding these distinctions can help authors and editors alike navigate the editing process more effectively.
Before becoming the operations manager at Ooligan Press, I had never thought about any potential archiving challenges. It seemed simple enough to move folders and documents into another folder. However, I didn’t take into account how difficult it is to institute and keep a naming convention, and how essential naming conventions are.
What about right-alignment? In English, text is rarely right-aligned (AKA flush-right and ragged-left), at least partially because English is read from left to right. Right alignment breaks away from the standard, so it can stand out.
Graphic design—especially industry standard software programs like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign—can be daunting when approaching book design, particularly without a previous background in art or graphic design. There are so many different facets to keep track of and consider like complimentary colors, tone, contrast, font choice, hierarchy, graphic size, and so on. Below are some of the things that helped me when I was dipping my toes into graphic design without any previous experience.