From covers to interiors to collateral, InDesign is great for book designers, especially because it is a publishing industry standard. However, learning InDesign can be quite a task, especially if you are new to the industry. Here are some helpful InDesign tips that I have learned during my time at Ooligan Press.
Whether it’s fantastical worlds filled with gorgeous Fae or a war college of lethal dragon riders, book lovers can’t seem to stop sinking their canines into one of the most popular subgenres to date, romantasy. Following any popular book phenomenon, there are not only more wonderful stories for readers to enjoy, but the detrimental consequences of publishers trying to suck as much profit from this new subgenre as possible. Everyone’s trying to get their share of Romantasy before, or if ever, it bleeds out in the future.
As a team, we decided what we could design rather than making decisions from the top down, making sure that everyone’s opinions and ideas were considered. After great deliberation, we came up with designs that accurately captured our group’s imagination and vision, while also taking into consideration the novel, its themes, and thinking about our audience and what they would like as someone who would like this novel.
Queer literature has long been subjected to morality clauses, bans, and pathologizing narrative requirements. For the first time in history, publishers today are facing the expectation that they will have queer titles in their catalogs, lest they lose sales. Even in the face of a rise in book ban attempts, queer readers are being recognized as a valuable and essential market.
At Ooligan Press, we take branding seriously. We want everything we post to feel connected to the book, from the fonts we use to the colors that match the cover art. Having a consistent visual identity is key for helping readers easily recognize the book when they see it.
Book banning has been around for centuries, but bans have increased exponentially over the past several years. School libraries are being forced to restrict or remove books, and teachers are having to remove books from their classrooms and curriculum; some public libraries have even been forced to remove books from their shelves.
When this blog post is uploaded, Ooligan Press will have taught its first ever workshop aimed at high school students. Our course “A Publishing Crash Course for Teens” was on February 22, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Forest Grove Library in Washington County. Washington County is about a half-hour drive from Portland, and before this workshop, the librarians had never heard of Ooligan Press. So, how did we get here?
Have you ever Googled “How to be a self-published author”? If you have, you’ve probably seen several blogs and websites that advertise a step-by-step process to be self-published. One of the most important steps, in both self-publishing and traditional publishing, is editing. Author’s going the self-publishing route typically find a freelance editor to perform these necessary editorial tasks.
The publishing process normally takes anywhere between nine months to two years (not including the time it takes to write the manuscript), and it can take longer in some cases. There are a plethora of steps that are taken behind the scenes in order for a book to launch successfully.